Great places to raise a Family?

Hi All!
Hubby & I are expecting our first. We're excited, financially wasn't good timing, but I guess it never is.
Unfortunately, we live in a fairly ghetto part of California, not somewhere I would really want to raise children. I was raised in California most of my life, but the nice areas are so expensive that I don't want to spend my entire life just barely getting by to ensure a safe neighborhood for my family.
The move will have to wait until I finish my Bachelors, which is about a year and a half away. I'm currently an RN working in Critical Care though I hope to move to Emergency eventually.
Anyway, I was figuring some of you more experienced nurses might know nice places to raise a family with a decent liveable salary. Area of the country is not an issue, the only places I'm not very fond of is very flat, desert regions. But, as it is now, family is first!
Thanks!