MERRIMACK – The town has the fifth spot on SafeWise’s list of 30 Safest Cities to Raise a Child for 2017.

In a press release, SafeWise wrote of Merrimack: “Tucked into the outside curve of the Merrimack River, this city is often touted as a best place to live due to its accessibility for commuters and rural, small-town sensibilities. Merrimack has several award-winning high school sports programs and was also the first in the state to establish charter schools focused on STEM and arts education.”

Safewise is a home security and safety brand committed to increasing safety education, awareness and preparedness in American communities. SafeWise has been recognized by The Huffington Post, AngiesList, Mashable and Homes.com, for their Home Security Brand Comparisons and Safest Cities Reports.

To compile its most recent 30 Safest Cities to Raise a Child report, released on Aug. 7, its analysts considered the most recent FBI crime data from 2015 to rank the cities included. To find the best family-friendly communities across the country, the SafeWise team reviewed reported sex offender concentration, state graduation rates, overall school quality ranking and FBI violent crime data, according to the release. Parks and recreational opportunities were also taken into consideration, as well as special programs focused on providing services for kids and families.

“While lots of communities strive to provide a safe environment for their residents, the cities on our list performed the best considering these factors specifically important to raising a family,” according to the SafeWise website. “It’s important to note that we eliminated all cities with fewer than 10,000 residents and those communities that did not report complete crime numbers to the FBI.”

For more information on Safewise and the complete list, visit safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-to-raise-a-child/.