Buying a home and raising a family in the U.S. doesn't have to cost a fortune, according to a new study.

The personal finance website SmartAsset studied data for 100 U.S. cities and identified the best places for buying a family home. 

In the final analysis, it depends on where your clients look. The best bargains were found to be out West, while big cities turned out to be the worst locations for families looking to plant roots.

"Big cities don’t tend to do well on this list," the report said. "New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago are all in the bottom 15. The relatively high cost of living, including housing costs, makes it more difficult to find worthwhile housing with enough room in these cities."

Meanwhile, of the top 11 cities in the ranking, nine are located in Western states.

SmartAsset analyzed changes in home values and rents, the percentage of homeowners paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs, housing costs as a percentage of household income, the percentage of homes with at least two bedrooms and property tax rates.

Two cities tied for seventh place and three tied for ninth place.

Here, in ascending order, are SmartAsset’s top 11 best cities to buy a family home:

9.  Scottsdale, Ariz. (tie)

Scottsdale is home to architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s former studio, and offers a blend of desert living mixed with urban sophistication. About 90% of Scottsdale’s homes have at least two bedrooms, and the average property tax rate is 0.51%.