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Three Carolina Cities Make ‘Best Places For Families To Live’ List

We have some great places to raise a family in the Carolinas. According to WSOC TV, Statesville ranked high on a list of those family-friendly towns. The new ranking highlights…

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(Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

We have some great places to raise a family in the Carolinas. According to WSOC TV, Statesville ranked high on a list of those family-friendly towns.

The new ranking highlights areas in the U.S. where multigenerational families are most likely to have access to critical resources, community support, and financial well-being. Fortune Magazine analyzed cities with between 25,000 and 750,000 residents. They used more than 215,000 data points and five categories: education, aging resources, general wellness, financial health, and livability. Here is the list. 3 cities in the Carolinas made the list.

  1. Ann Arbor, Michigan
  2. Wylie, Texas
  3. Olathe, Kansas
  4. Mason, Ohio
  5. Morrisville, North Carolina
  6. Clearfield, Utah
  7. Gaithersburg, Maryland
  8. Leesburg, Virginia
  9. West Chicago, Illinois
  10. Novi, Michigan
  11. West Windsor, New Jersey
  12. Tustin, California
  13. South Portland, Maine
  14. Woodbury, Minnesota
  15. Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey
  16. Brookline, Massachusetts
  17. Sugar Land, Texas
  18. Iowa City, Iowa
  19. Maryland Heights, Missouri
  20. San Marcos, California
  21. Walla Walla, Washington
  22. Sarasota, Florida
  23. Fountain, Colorado
  24. Statesville, North Carolina
  25. Maudlin, South Carolina

North Carolina City One Of The Worst For Vegans and Vegetarians

Bad news for vegans and vegetarians in the state. One North Carolina city was ranked one of the worst for vegans and vegetarians in the country. The rankings were compiled by WalletHub by ranking the 100 most populated cities across three key dimensions: 1) Affordability, 2) Diversity, Accessibility & Quality and 3) Vegetarian Lifestyle. And of the five North Carolina cities that fall into the top 50, three were in the bottom 50% and all were in the bottom 60%. And one, well it's the bottom 10 percent of the country.

You may not realize it but approximately 15.5 million U.S. adults are either vegan or vegetarian. Even with that large of a number, it can still be difficult to find vegan/vegetarian-friendly items at restaurants. And when the options are there they tend to be higher priced. But some cities are better equipped for those choosing a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. And thankfully there are several cities that fit that bill.  Many of the cities that are conducive to this type of diet are on the west coast. Though two of the top 10 are in Florida.

To determine the best and cheapest places for a plant-based diet, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities. They did this across 17 key indicators of vegan- and vegetarian-friendliness. Each city was examined based on metrics such as the cost of groceries for vegetarians, the share of restaurants serving meatless options, and salad shops per capita.

You can view the full study here or keep reading to see where each of the largest North Carolina cities ranked in regards to their appeal to vegans and vegetarians. You'll also see the Top 10 cities.

Where The NC Cities Rank

46. Raleigh, NC

RaleighGetty Images

Total Score: 41.65

Affordability: 47

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 54

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 42

47. Charlotte, NC

North Carolina Greenest Cities

Total Score: 41.63

Affordability: 56

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 43

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 6

81. Winston-Salem, NC

Winston Salem

Total Score: 35.97

Affordability: 49

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 68

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 90

88. Durham, NC

Durham NC

Total Score: 32.86

Affordability: 87

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 60

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 13

93. Greensboro, NC

Greensboro skyline

Total Score: 31.30

Affordability: 58

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 56

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 91

Top 10 Cities For Vegetarians and Vegans

1. Portland, OR

Portland OR

Portland, Oregon, USA downtown skyline with Mt. Hood at dawn.

Total Score:  61.15

Affordability: 38

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 5

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 27

2. Orlando, FL

Orlando

Orlando downtown skyline panorama over Lake Eola at night with urban skyscrapers, tropic palm tree and clear sky.

Total Score: 56.49

Affordability: 37

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 2

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 15

3. Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles

Total Score: 52.97

Affordability: 45

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 17

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 2

4. Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix

Total Score: 52.81

Affordability: 19

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 13

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 65

5. Austin, TX

Austin

Total Score: 52.81

Affordability: 19

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 13

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 65

6. Seattle, WA

Seattle

Panoramic view of Seattle cityscape and Space Needle at sunset, Washington, USA

Total Score: 51.95

Affordability: 92

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 3

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 3

7. San Francisco, CA

San Fransisco

The crookedest street in the world Lombard street at dawn. San Francisco is lightened by morning sun.

Total Score: 51.74

Affordability: 99

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 1

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 1

8. Tampa, FL

Tampa

Tampa, Florida, USA downtown skyline on the bay at dawn.

Total Score: 50.90

Affordability: 62

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 9

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 5

9. San Diego, CA

San Diego

Total Score: 50.78

Affordability: 35

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 8

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 19

10. Lexington-Fayette, KY

Lexington

Aerial view of Jacobson Park Lake and Richmond Road in Lexington, Kentucky

Total Score: 50.47

Affordability: 15

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 63

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 35

Country 103.7’s funniest guy in town is none other than Rob Tanner with Tanner in the Morning! Rob Tanner has been the host of WSOC-FM's Tanner in the Morning Show in Charlotte, NC for 20 years. The show was named the 2018 ACM Major Market Personalities of the Year. He is well-versed in all topics in country music. Tanner also is a sports junkie who writes about any Carolina sports team, and he and his wife Missy spend most of their down exploring theme parks. He writes Disney insider content.