1 / 50
Wyoming: Sheridan County
Population: 29,924
Overall Niche grade: A-
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: C
Diversity grade: C+
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: A
Counties with the best public schools
Everyone stresses the importance of receiving a good education from a young age. Oftentimes, the quality of the schools in the area is a significant factor to consider when a family chooses to move to a new place. Because the prices for private school tuition keep rising, many families tend to enroll their kids in a public school. Certain public schools are better than others; however, certain counties have better public schools to choose from.
In order to alleviate some of the stress of choosing a new location to settle down in, Stacker looked at data from Niche's 2018 Counties with the Best Public Schools in America list to determine which county in every state has the best public schools. Niche used a combination of graduation rates, standardized and state test scores, quality of teachers, and reviews from parents and students to rank each public school in a county and then aggregated those rankings to give a final ranking for each county. Niche's full methodology can be found here.
Stacker compiled a list of 50 counties—one from every state in alphabetical order—with at least 10,000 residents. Included in the list besides a grade for public schools are the county's population, as well as grades for cost of living, diversity, crime and safety in the area, outdoor activities, commuting, and an overall Niche grade.
Finding the best quality of education can be a tedious task; Stacker is here to help you alleviate some of that stress with our analysis.
You may also like: 20 best colleges on the East Coast
2 / 50
Wisconsin: Ozaukee County
Population: 87,625
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: C+
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: B
3 / 50
West Virginia: Ohio County
Population: 43,257
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: A-
Diversity grade: C+
Crime & safety grade: C+
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: A-
4 / 50
Washington: King County
Population: 2,079,550
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: D
Diversity grade: A
Crime & safety grade: C
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: B
5 / 50
Virginia: Loudoun County
Population: 362,435
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: C
Diversity grade: A
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: C+
You may also like: To show employee appreciation and build morale in 2025, think beyond free pizza and beer
6 / 50
Vermont: Chittenden County
Population: 160,510
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: C-
Diversity grade: B-
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: A-
7 / 50
Utah: Summit County
Population: 39,009
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: D+
Diversity grade: B-
Crime & safety grade: A+
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: B+
8 / 50
Texas: Collin County
Population: 886,633
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: C+
Diversity grade: A
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: B-
Commute grade: C+
9 / 50
Tennessee: Williamson County
Population: 205,645
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B-
Diversity grade: B-
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: C+
10 / 50
South Dakota: Brookings County
Population: 33,435
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A-
Cost of living grade: B+
Diversity grade: C+
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: A
You may also like: Best-paying U.S. cities for engineers, lawyers, doctors, teachers and more
11 / 50
South Carolina: York County
Population: 245,606
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: A-
Crime & safety grade: C+
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: B-
12 / 50
Rhode Island: Bristol County
Population: 49,228
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: C-
Diversity grade: C+
Crime & safety grade: A-
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: B
13 / 50
Pennsylvania: Montgomery County
Population: 815,876
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: C-
Diversity grade: B+
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: B
14 / 50
Oregon: Benton County
Population: 87,455
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: C-
Diversity grade: B
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: A
15 / 50
Oklahoma: Payne County
Population: 79,953
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: N/A
Crime & safety grade: B-
Outdoor activities grade: C
Commute grade: A
You may also like: 10 ways COVID changed American schools
16 / 50
Ohio: Delaware County
Population: 188,996
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B-
Diversity grade: B-
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: C+
17 / 50
North Dakota: Grand Forks County
Population: 69,793
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: B-
Crime & safety grade: B-
Outdoor activities grade: B-
Commute grade: A
18 / 50
North Carolina: Orange County
Population: 139,807
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: C+
Diversity grade: A
Crime & safety grade: B-
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: A-
19 / 50
New York: Westchester County
Population: 969,229
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: D-
Diversity grade: A
Crime & safety grade: B-
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: B-
20 / 50
New Mexico: Los Alamos County
Population: 17,895
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: C+
Diversity grade: B+
Crime & safety grade: A-
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: A+
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs for high school graduates
21 / 50
New Jersey: Morris County
Population: 498,215
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: D+
Diversity grade: B+
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: B-
22 / 50
New Hampshire : Grafton County
Population: 89,164
Overall Niche grade: A-
Public schools grade: A-
Cost of living grade: C
Diversity grade: B-
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: A-
23 / 50
Nevada: Douglas County
Population: 47,426
Overall Niche grade: B+
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: C-
Diversity grade: B
Crime & safety grade: N/A
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: B
24 / 50
Nebraska: Lancaster County
Population: 301,707
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: B
Crime & safety grade: C+
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: A
25 / 50
Montana: Missoula County
Population: 113,101
Overall Niche grade: A-
Public schools grade: B+
Cost of living grade: C-
Diversity grade: B-
Crime & safety grade: C+
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: A
You may also like: Most liberal colleges in America
26 / 50
Missouri: Platte County
Population: 94,970
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: B
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: B
27 / 50
Mississippi: Lafayette County
Population: 52,193
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: B+
Crime & safety grade: B-
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: A
28 / 50
Minnesota: Carver County
Population: 97,143
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: B-
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: B
29 / 50
Michigan: Washtenaw County
Population: 358,082
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B-
Diversity grade: A-
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: A-
30 / 50
Massachusetts: Norfolk County
Population: 691,218
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: C-
Diversity grade: B+
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: B-
You may also like: Fastest-growing jobs that don't require a college degree
31 / 50
Maryland: Howard County
Population: 308,447
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: C
Diversity grade: A
Crime & safety grade: N/A
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: C+
32 / 50
Maine: Hancock County
Population: 54,483
Overall Niche grade: B+
Public schools grade: A-
Cost of living grade: C+
Diversity grade: C
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: B+
33 / 50
Louisiana: St. Charles Parish
Population: 52,708
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: A-
Crime & safety grade: N/A
Outdoor activities grade: B
Commute grade: C+
34 / 50
Kentucky: Calloway County
Population: 38,302
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B+
Diversity grade: C+
Crime & safety grade: B-
Outdoor activities grade: B
Commute grade: A
35 / 50
Kansas: Johnson County
Population: 572,428
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: B
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: B
You may also like: After Uvalde, school mental health grants had bipartisan support. Now Trump is cutting them.
36 / 50
Iowa: Story County
Population: 94,834
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: B-
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: B-
Commute grade: A
37 / 50
Indiana: Hamilton County
Population: 303,042
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B
Diversity grade: B
Crime & safety grade: A-
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: B-
38 / 50
Illinois: DuPage County
Population: 930,514
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: C+
Diversity grade: A-
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: B-
39 / 50
Idaho: Blaine County
Population: 21,427
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A
Cost of living grade: D+
Diversity grade: B+
Crime & safety grade: B+
Outdoor activities grade: B
Commute grade: A
40 / 50
Hawaii: Honolulu County
Population: 986,999
Overall Niche grade: B-
Public schools grade: B-
Cost of living grade: D-
Diversity grade: N/A
Crime & safety grade: N/A
Outdoor activities grade: C
Commute grade: B
You may also like: The 25 private colleges with the best return on investment
41 / 50
Georgia: Forsyth County
Population: 203,841
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B-
Diversity grade: B+
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: C
42 / 50
Florida: St. Johns County
Population: 218,362
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: C+
Diversity grade: B
Crime & safety grade: C
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: B-
43 / 50
Delaware: Kent County
Population: 171,474
Overall Niche grade: B+
Public schools grade: A-
Cost of living grade: B-
Diversity grade: A
Crime & safety grade: C
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: B
44 / 50
Connecticut: Fairfield County
Population: 941,618
Overall Niche grade: A
Public schools grade: A-
Cost of living grade: D
Diversity grade: A
Crime & safety grade: B-
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: B
45 / 50
Colorado: Boulder County
Population: 313,961
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: D+
Diversity grade: B+
Crime & safety grade: B-
Outdoor activities grade: A
Commute grade: A-
You may also like: 50 lowest-paying jobs in America
46 / 50
California: Marin County
Population: 259,358
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: D-
Diversity grade: A-
Crime & safety grade: B-
Outdoor activities grade: A+
Commute grade: B
47 / 50
Arkansas: Benton County
Population: 245,231
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B+
Diversity grade: A-
Crime & safety grade: B
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: B+
48 / 50
Arizona: Maricopa County
Population: 4,088,549
Overall Niche grade: A-
Public schools grade: B
Cost of living grade: C-
Diversity grade: A
Crime & safety grade: C+
Outdoor activities grade: A-
Commute grade: B
49 / 50
Alaska: Kenai Peninsula Borough
Population: 57,637
Overall Niche grade: B
Public schools grade: B
Cost of living grade: C
Diversity grade: N/A
Crime & safety grade: C+
Outdoor activities grade: B-
Commute grade: A-
50 / 50
Alabama: Madison County
Population: 349,973
Overall Niche grade: A+
Public schools grade: A+
Cost of living grade: B+
Diversity grade: A
Crime & safety grade: C
Outdoor activities grade: B+
Commute grade: B
You may also like: Jobs with the highest fatality rates in the US
