raising a family

According to a new study, the best place in the nation to raise a family is Overland Park, Kansas. However, the second-place finisher is to our north, not too far from Rockford. Sorry Machesney Park, Rockton, Roscoe, and Durand--it's further north than you.

We've often lamented that Illinois too often shows up poorly in lists of good things about states, and ranks very highly on the lists of bad things. When it comes to raising kids, it seems that we're not great, but we're doing pretty well.