Sykesville Named Best Place to Raise Children in Maryland

The Town of Sykesville was named Maryland's best place to raise children in Maryland on Businessweek's annual list.

Sykesville was also ranked 10th in the nation out of family friendly places.

"Sykesville’s history goes back 200 years, but that doesn’t stop it from thinking about the future, especially a green future," reads the Bloomberg Businessweek reason for the Town's high ranking on the list.

"Its goal is to use geothermal, solar, or wind power for all town offices. Speaking of green, the town is surrounded by many parks and is near the Pocono Mountains."

The 6th annual ranking evaluated 4,169 places with a crime index of less than 10 percent above the national average, populations between 1,000 and 50,000 people, and median family income within 20 percent of the state median.

Each place was assigned a score based on information about the economy, education, ethnic diversity, crime, amenities, and air quality, with school performance, expenditures given the most weight, according to Businessweek. 

No. 1 in the nation was Blacksburg, Va., followed by Arlington, Neb., and Morton Grove, Ill, third and fourth respectively.

Nearby Eldersburg has also been recognized as a great place to live this year. CNNMoney released its list of America's Best Small Towns in August, ranking Eldersburg no. 67 in the nation and no. 2 in the state.

Eldersburg has made the list three times, ranking No. 56 in 2007 and No. 47 in 2009.