Proprietary Scores · Methodology

The BAANLYY Family Score, explained.

A transparent 0-100 rating of how well a neighbourhood suits families with children -- built from six weighted factors, never for sale, never estimated where we can't credibly assess it. Here's exactly what goes into it, how to read it, and a worked example.

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By Kirby Scofield
Founder of BAANLYY · International real estate broker, investor & relocation specialist
Last updated 8 July 2026 · Last reviewed 8 July 2026
Why this exists

Two neighbourhoods that look similar on a general lifestyle score can be very different places to raise a family -- one a short drive from a well-regarded international school with a safe, walkable soi and real green space, the other stronger on nightlife and dining but thin on schooling and family-sized housing. The BAANLYY Family Score turns that family-specific difference into one honest, comparable number, going deeper than the single family-friendliness factor inside the broader Area Score. It cannot be paid for, and we never publish a score we can't credibly support.

The methodology

What goes into the score

The Family Score is a weighted blend of six factors, each scored on its own scale and combined into a single 0-100 rating. School access carries the most weight because it's usually the single deciding factor in where a relocating family chooses to live -- but safety, green space, healthcare, living space and community decide whether day-to-day life in that area actually works for a family.

School access & quality30%
Proximity and drive/BTS time to well-regarded international and Thai schools, and the range of curricula (British, American, IB, Thai bilingual) reasonably reachable from the area. This is the single biggest driver of where relocating families actually choose to live, so it carries the most weight.
Safety20%
Editorial assessment of the neighbourhood's safety reputation, traffic conditions on the streets a child would actually walk or be driven on, and the presence of on-site security and access control in the area's family-oriented buildings.
Parks & green space15%
Proximity, size and quality of public parks, playgrounds and safe outdoor recreation space -- weighted toward genuinely usable green space, not just a patch of grass on a map.
Healthcare access15%
Proximity to hospitals and clinics with paediatric services and international-patient capability, and how quickly a family could reach one in an emergency.
Family-sized living space10%
Availability of larger unit types -- two, three and more bedrooms -- and family-appropriate floor plans within the area's building stock, versus a market dominated by studios and one-bedrooms.
Family-friendly amenities & community10%
Kids' clubs, family pools, playrooms and communal spaces inside local buildings, density of family-oriented dining and activities nearby, and the presence of an established expat family community in the area.
Reading the number

Score bands

0-39 · EmergingAn area with real gaps for families -- limited nearby schooling, thin healthcare access, or little family-sized housing stock. Can still work for a specific family's situation, but needs closer individual due diligence.
40-59 · StandardA workable area for families: reasonable access to schools and healthcare, some family-sized units available, without standout strengths on any one factor.
60-79 · StrongA genuinely good area for relocating families -- solid school access, a safe day-to-day environment, real green space and healthcare within reach.
80-100 · BAANLYY SelectTop-tier across nearly every factor: excellent school access, strong safety reputation, real parks, healthcare close by, family-sized housing readily available and an established family community.
Worked example · illustrative only

How the maths actually works

This is a hypothetical, illustrative neighbourhood -- not a real, named area -- built to show exactly how the six factors combine into a final score. A well-located, family-popular area with a solid but not flawless profile might score like this:

FactorWeightPoints earned
School access & quality30 pts max24
Safety20 pts max16
Parks & green space15 pts max12
Healthcare access15 pts max12
Family-sized living space10 pts max7
Family-friendly amenities & community10 pts max8
Total Family Score100 pts max79 · Strong

In this illustration, the area loses the most ground on family-sized living space (a market skewed toward smaller units) and family-friendly amenities (still developing) -- exactly the kind of factor-level detail that matters more than the single headline number. Always read the breakdown, not just the total.

Explore real areas

Put the methodology to use

Check each city's Area Score page for its family-friendliness factor, browse BAANLYY's school and hospital directories, and use the Neighborhood Finder to shortlist areas by your own family's priorities before you commit to a move.

Bangkok Area ScoreNeighborhood FinderBest areas by lifestyleAll BAANLYY Scores
Frequently asked
What is the BAANLYY Family Score?A transparent 0-100 rating of how well a Thailand neighbourhood suits families with children, built from six weighted factors: school access & quality, safety, parks & green space, healthcare access, family-sized living space, and family-friendly amenities & community. It rates the area for family life specifically, distinct from the general-purpose BAANLYY Area Score.
How is this different from the Area Score's family-friendliness factor?The live BAANLYY Area Score already includes a single family-friendliness factor (worth one ninth of that score) as part of a broader nine-factor lifestyle rating covering transit, nightlife, luxury and more. The Family Score is a dedicated, deeper breakdown built specifically for relocating families -- splitting that single factor into six weighted components, with schools and safety carrying the most weight, so a family can see exactly why an area scores the way it does rather than one blended number.
Can a school or developer pay to raise a Family Score?No. BAANLYY never sells placement or accepts payment to influence a score. Every factor is assessed the same way for every area, and we do not publish a Family Score for a neighbourhood without genuinely assessing each factor -- we would rather leave a factor unscored than estimate it without a credible basis.
Where do the inputs come from?School access draws on BAANLYY's own school and area-transit data. Safety and community factors are an editorial assessment informed by BAANLYY's on-the-ground area research. Healthcare access draws on our hospital and clinic directories, including the JCI-Accredited Hospitals Directory. Family-sized living space and amenities draw on BAANLYY's building and area datasets. We do not fabricate a score for any factor we can't credibly support.
Is a low Family Score a reason to rule out an area?Not automatically -- treat it as a prompt to look closer, not a verdict. An area popular with young professionals might score lower on family-sized housing simply because the building stock skews toward studios, even if schools and safety nearby are genuinely strong. Read the factor breakdown, not just the headline number, before deciding.
Does the Family Score account for school fees or tuition cost?Not directly -- it measures access and range of nearby schooling, not affordability. Pair it with the specific schools' own published fee schedules and BAANLYY's cost-of-living guides before budgeting for a move.

Relocating a family to Thailand?

BAANLYY can connect you with a vetted agent who specialises in family relocations, schools and family-sized housing.

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The BAANLYY Family Score is an informational, editorial signal built from BAANLYY's own proprietary methodology -- not a professional relocation, legal, medical or educational consultancy service. Scores are only published where we can credibly assess each factor; we do not estimate or fabricate a rating for an area we haven't genuinely reviewed. School quality, safety conditions, healthcare access and housing stock all change over time -- verify current details with the specific schools, a licensed agent, or a relocation specialist before making a decision. BAANLYY never accepts payment to raise a Family Score.