Chester and Montgomery counties topped a Forbes.com list of the best places to raise a family.

A floral paradise on more than 1,000 acres in Kennett Square is a great garden, and Chester County residents treasure their proximity to the famed Longwood Gardens.

"We live just a few minutes away so we can come over here anytime we want. It's a great place for the kids. They love the children's garden, both the indoor and the outdoor. It's just a great place to relax," Kristen Scali, of Kennett Square, said.

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Slideshows: Live On Location Tours Local Counties | Movies Filmed in Chester, Montgomery Counties

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No doubt the magic of Longwood Gardens helped land Chester County on forbes.com's best places to raise a family.

Area residents come daily to enjoy its splendor.

"Every day you see something different because our plants are always changing. It changes seasonally at the gardens. There are things to enjoy indoors and outdoors so I feel even though they come often they may get a different experience," Trish Brode, of West Chester, said.

The Brodes moved to Chester County eight years ago, and know first-hand it is an ideal place to raise a family.

"We live right outside West Chester borough so there's tons of stuff we can walk to. There's always lots of community events, stuff like Longwood Gardens very close so its great for kids," Kevin Brode said.

Good schools weighed heavily on the Forbes survey.

Forbes sited Chester County's high graduation rate, 96-percent, and average SAT scores of 1075 for earning it spot number 10 on its list.

"We moved here for the schools and we love the local attractions so I'm not surprised. I'm actually pretty proud," Kristen Scali, of Kennett Square, said.

The superintendent of the Great Valley School District said one of the keys to their success is teachers working together with supportive and involved parents. There's also a high expectation level.

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Link: Forbes: America's Best Places To Raise A Family

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"We believe kids can do the job. We believe they can be great learners and can change the world, and if you have that philosophy children tend to perform and live up to it," Great Valley School District Superintendent Dr. Rita Jones said.

From its quaint towns with wonderful shops and sumptuous restaurants with outdoor dining, to its sprawling horse farms, Chester County has mass appeal for families.

Two women who have lived in Chester County for more than 20 years, said they wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

"I've been practicing law here for 27 years and I've watched the town of West Chester just grow into a boom town. It's a great place, the restaurants, the shops and the people are very friendly," Marta Laynas, of Berwyn, said.

"We used to go into Philly for entertainment and restaurants and now we just stay here because it's pleasant, it's five minutes away, there's always something to do, " Lynne Reitz, of Westtown, said. "It's really a family oriented town so we just love it."

Montgomery County Also Tops Forbes List

Chester County is not the only local community to make it on Forbes top 10 list.

Neighboring Montgomery County came in ninth as the best place to raise a family in the entire country.

It sits about 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

With a population of 775,000, it's the third most populous county in the state.

It was created in 1784, most likely named after Richard Montgomery an American Revolutionary War general.

The county seat is Norristown. The median price of a home is $270,000 but that's not why families flock there.

History, natural beauty, affordable housing, suburban and yet urban are some of the reasons people are heading to Montgomery County. From the posh Main Line, to the parks and trails of historic Valley Forge, Montgomery County has it all.

And that has landed it a top spot on forbes.com's list of ideal places to raise a family.

"We love the area because it has a lot to offer for children, a lot of community programs and great schools," Rachael Albanese, a mother, said.

"It's got a good mix of everything. all the needs are met here you don't have to go very far to get schools and entertainment and work," Doug Gefvert, of King of Prussia, said.

Good schools were a major determining factor in the Forbes survey.

It also looked at things like cost of living, median home price, crime rate, air quality and commute times.

The Balans, moved to Montgomery County to be close to their jobs, but also because of all the activities for their children.

"We like living here because we go to all the parks around here, we chose a different one each day," Odessa Balan, a mother, said.

On Wednesday, it was the Valley Forge National Historical Park where 7-year-old Oscar and 5-month-old Orion were hanging out.

"We have almost 3,600 acres, about 38 miles worth of trails about 1,000 acres of open meadow for people in this area to visit and see. Our wildlife here is incredible, we have a lot of deer," a park ranger said.

Valley Forge is where the Army was reborn to go on to defeat the British.

People from all over the world go there to visit the historic site. But locals just like to take advantage of the 5-mile loop and river trails.

"We're very lucky to have all this, especially being only 18 miles from Philadelphia," a park ranger said.

Forbes gave Montgomery County solid scores across the board, with great shopping helping it to make the grade.

Montgomery County is home to the biggest retail center on the East Coast, the King of Prussia Mall.

It boasts 40 restaurants and 400 stores from Louis Vuitton to Victoria's Secret.

"You can come here and split up, kids can go shopping, mom can go over here, dad can go over there and you meet up later and have dinner," Mark Bachus said.

Forbes ranked Montgomery County ninth in the country to raise a happy family, but one mother said she can't think of a better place to raise her twins.

"They went to a church camp this week, they belong to the swim club, participate in baseball, basketball and soccer, so it really is a family oriented place," Gail Aquino said.

Forbes also made particular mention of the Main Line, with its ritzy restaurants and chic boutiques that often carry items only found in a big city.

"You still have that feel of an enclave, yet you can hop to the city in no time," Eileen Mcdade, of Penn Valley, said.

"Everyone comes back to it, when they go away to college, they come back and raise their families and live here," Jon Segal, of Wynnewood, said. "I think its a fabulous place to live."