Aliso Viejo Among Top 'Family Friendly' O.C. Cities

As a mother, finding a safe city with good schools and affordable housing is extremely important. Parenting OC recently put Orange County cities to the test to find the best places to raise a family.

Aliso Viejo ranked second among small cities (population up to 50,000) in Parenting OC's seventh annual Best Family-Friendly Cities In Orange County survey.

Aliso Viejo, with a population of 47,823, came in right behind Rancho Santa Margarita  — which according to the 2010 census, .

Cities are evaluated by their average API score, median housing cost and crime rate.

Parenting OC had the following to say about Aliso Viejo:

The only city in Orange County to incorporate since 2000, much of Aliso Viejo rests on the east slope of the San Joaquin Hills, which are a coastal mountain range extending for about 15 miles along the Pacific coast.  Bordered by Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park, Aliso Creek and Wood Canyon Creek, the city is nestled in some gorgeous scenery.  With very low crime, outstanding schools and affordable housing, Aliso Viejo was just edged out into second place by the slightly higher scoring Rancho Santa Margarita.  But don’t expect the city to settle for second place for long, with an abundance of parks and trails, cultural and recreational activities and youth sports programs, Aliso Viejo is a community with a vision for the future.