100 best places to live in america

8/6/2019 100 Best Places to Live in America

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100 Best Places to Live in America, 2010 edition

by Beth Braverman, Veronica Crews, Anne C. Lee, Jessica Levine, Ismat Sarah Mangla,Vanessa Richardson, Donna Rosato, and Pieter van Noordennen, CNNMoney.comJul 12, 2010

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If you focus only on the averages, life in the typical American town frankly doesn't seem so hotright now. The median home continues to lose value. Cash-strapped state and local governmentsare cutting services. And unemployment, at 9.3%, is still high.

But those bummer statistics obscure one important-and encouraging-fact: There are plenty ofoutliers. MONEY found them through its annual search for the best places in America, whichthis year focused on the nation's small cities (those with populations of 50,000 to 300,000).Reporters crunched reams of data to find the optimal combo of job opportunities, fiscal strength,top-notch schools, low crime, good health care, lots to do, and many other factors that help makea town great for raising a family.

And because numbers don't tell you anything about charm and community spirit, reportersvisited 30 of the highest-ranked towns in person. Those that made the cut landed on MONEY'stop 10 list. As you'll see, these places are anything but average.


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Courtesy: City of Eden Prairie

1. Eden Prairie, MN

Population: 64,000Unemployment: 5.1%Pluses: Plenty of jobs, very low crime, lots for kids to doMinus: Long, cold winters

Why is Eden Prairie No. 1 this year? Not only is it family-friendly, it has a dynamite economytoo.

At 5.1%, its unemployment rate is nearly one percentage point below the county rate and morethan four points below the national average. It helps when you've got 50,000 jobs right in town.

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Major employers include Fortune 500 trucking company C.H. Robinson, hearing-aid makerStarkey Labs, and the Minnesota Vikings, whose practice facility and front office are here. Asfor fiscal strength, Moody's gives the town a perfect AAA bond rating.

While it doesn't have much of a downtown, there's plenty of outer beauty: from gently rollinghills to 17 lakes that residents flock to year-round for swimming and ice skating. Town parks arelaced with 125 miles of running, hiking, and biking trails.

No wonder residents rank among the healthiest people in the nation. Add in top-notch schoolsand safe streets and you've got a place that's tough to beat.


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Courtesy: City of Ellicot City

2. Columbia/Ellicott City, MD

Population: 155,000Unemployment: 5.2%Pluses: Booming economy, terrific schools, diversityMinus: Bad traffic

Ellicott City boasts grand homes, a lovely 18th-century downtown, and lots of restaurants.Columbia offers a wide range of housing, tons of parkland, and a major music venue. But thosevaried amenities are far from the only reasons this duo has risen to No. 2 from No. 8 in 2008. It'salso an economic powerhouse with a jobless rate just as enviable as Eden Prairie's.

The nearby National Security Agency and the Fort Meade Army base together account for more

than 8,000 jobs, and the government plans to move thousands more positions there by next year.Baltimore and D.C. are within commuting distance (30 and 60 minutes, respectively).

As for housing, the foreclosure rate is one of the lowest in Maryland, yet homes are affordable --by Northeast standards, anyway. Factor in excellent schools and a diverse population (17% ofresidents are black, 14% Asian), and you can see why this place has become a magnet forfamilies.

Even empty nesters like Alma, 46, and Elmer Gill, 54, who have lived in Columbia for 14 years,appreciate the town's appeal. Says Alma: "There's no other place we'd want to live."


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Courtesy: Town of Newton

3. Newton, MA

Population: 82,000Unemployment: 6.0%Pluses: Great schools, low crime, strong economyMinuses: Pricey homes, bad traffic

Less than 45 minutes from downtown Boston via train, subway, or express bus,Newton isdivided into 13 "villages" loaded with classic New England charm. Most have pedestrian-friendly shopping districts, parks, and playgrounds.

The town weathered the economic downturn fairly well, thanks to such stable local employers asBoston College and Newton-Wellesley Hospital. And Greater Boston, of course, offers a wealth

of health care, education, and government jobs.

Residents rave about the top-ranked schools, and parents are excited for the new high schoolopening this fall. "It's absolutely beautiful," says Claudia Wu, 51, an attorney with three school-age kids who has lived inNewton for 20 years. It should be: The school cost $197 million, anamount that sparked plenty of local outrage.

After all, living in this community is expensive enough: a three-bedroom house runs nearly$600,000. If it weren't for those hefty price tags, this town would be pretty close to perfect.


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Courtesy: Town of Bellevue

4. Bellevue, WA

Population: 124,000Unemployment: 5.8%Pluses: Natural beauty, excellent schools, diversityMinuses: Pricey real estate, rain

If forested cityscapes are your thing, this is your kind of place. Bellevue's compact downtownbristles with new skyscrapers that seem to hover above Lake Washington -- and when the cloudspart, mountain views loom.

Real estate isn't a bargain, but the town's jobless rate is more than two points below that of theSeattle metro area, thanks to a recent influx of jobs from such employers as Microsoft (which has

moved 6,500 positions here), T-Mobile, Verizon, and Expedia. In fact, Bellevue has more jobsthan it does residents.

And the population is diverse: Nearly a quarter of residents are Asian, and nearly a third areforeign born.

The town's high schools consistently land at the top of state rankings; despite school funding cutsthroughout Washington, the town has been able to enhance special ed and gifted programs.There's an embarrassment of arts and entertainment riches, including a philharmonic orchestra,fine arts museum, children's museum, botanical garden, youth theater, annual jazz festival, and74 (!) parks.


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Courtesy of McKinney CVB/Beth Shumate

5. McKinney, TX

Population: 125,000Unemployment: 7.8%Pluses: Affordable homes, charming downtownMinus: Traffic headaches

Lots of towns nearDallas have low crime, affordable homes, and good jobs; McKinney is noexception. What makes it stand out is its gem of a downtown. Lovingly restored 19th-centurybuildings house restaurants, boutiques, and galleries; the 1875 courthouse contains a newperforming-arts center.McKinney's employment opportunities are robust, sparing many residents a rush-hour drive ofup to an hour to Dallas. Defense contractor Raytheon has a 3,700-person division here, and a mix

of businesses in financial services, medical technology, and eco-friendly manufacturing aremoving in.

Though McKinney has grown like mad over the past decade, you'd never suspect it when drivingthrough its tree-filled communities surrounded by ponds, parks, and hiking trails. Residents saythe town has handled the influx well, building plenty of new schools and hospitals.

And the relatively low real-estate prices thrill transplants from more expensive locales: A five-bedroom house, with a pool, set on a golf course might go for $440,000, and you can find homesfor a third as much.


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Courtesy of Fort Collins/Ryan Burke

6. Fort Collins, CO

Population: 141,000Unemployment: 7.4%Pluses: Outdoor activities, steady economyMinus: School budget cuts

Bikers and beers. In most parts of the country, those two elements may be reasons to moveelsewhere. But in the foothills ofColorado's Front Range, bikers mean cyclists: Fort Collins has29 miles of well-used trails.

As for beers, this town has become a high-end microbrew mecca. New Belgium Brewery (makerof Fat Tire) is based in this entrepreneurial town, and competitors are moving in.

People here aren't slackers either. Bolstered by Colorado State University, which employs 7,000,"the Fort" is a center of economic activity. Hewlett-Packard, the city's second-largest employer,announced worldwide layoffs in June, but they won't affect Fort Collins. In fact, the company isadding jobs here.

This idyllic town -- No. 1 in 2006 -- would rank even higher but for one thing. (No, it's not lastsummer's Balloon Boy hoax, perpetrated by the local Heene family.) Colorado schools arehurting. After the state sliced public schools budget this year, Fort Collins's Poudre SchoolDistrict laid off 139 full-time employees.


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Courtesy of City Overland Park

7. Overland Park, KS

Population: 175,000Unemployment: 5.3%Pluses: Good schools, low cost of livingMinuses: Some job losses, not much excitement

Ask residents why they chose this Kansas City suburb and you hear one thing over and over: theschools.

Other draws include a 300-acre arboretum and botanical garden, a biweekly farmers' market, anda brand-new 12-field soccer complex, which hosts local and national tournaments.

Overland Park's biggest challenge in recent years has been from its largest employer, Sprint. Thecompany laid off more than 3,000 people here from 2007 to 2009.

But the town has had enough success attracting new employers that its jobless rate is still wellbelow the national average. What's more, a division of J.P. Morgan plans to move 800 positionshere early next year.


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Courtesy of Town Fishers

8. Fishers, IN

Population: 69,000Unemployment: 6.2%Pluses: Very low crime, inexpensive homesMinus: Short on charm

This Indiana town offers a winning combination of low-cost houses (you can snag a three-bedroom for less than $150,000), easy access to the big city, and good schools.

Plus, Fishers is booming. Development abounds and fully 1,600 jobs were created here last year;major employers include Sallie Mae and medical device firm Roche Diagnostics.

True, Fishers will never put anyone in mind of a quaint New England village. But thanks to itsmyriad advantages, including lots of community spirit, residents aren't complaining.

Sums up Debra O'Donnell, 46, a mother of two: "It's very easy to live here."


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Courtesy of Iowa State University

9. Ames, IAPopulation: 60,000

Unemployment: 4.3%Pluses: Jobs galore, welcoming vibeMinus: Cold winters

Unemployment at 4.3%? That's not a misprint: Ames is the home ofIowa State University,which employs 9,000, and there are lots of biotech and agriculture jobs nearby. Like many states,Iowa has trimmed university funding, but the school has not had to make drastic cuts.

If the people who live here get bored, they have only themselves to blame. Besides Iowa State'scultural and athletic offerings, Ames boasts 36 parks, a bustling shopping district, and a newaquatic center.

Sports are big in this town: The high school boys basketball team, girls tennis team, and girlsgolf team are state champions. But the friendliness of the community is what newcomers tend toremark upon most.

Says Craig McFarland, 55, a financial adviser who moved here with his family in 2006: "Ourfirst day, a neighbor came over with cookies."

Courtesy of Rogers-Lowell Area Chambers of Commerce

10. Rogers, ARPopulation: 57,000Unemployment: 5.8%Pluses: Low cost of living, diversityMinus: Strip malls


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If you're inclined to dismiss a small city in Arkansas as a backwater, you're making a bigmistake. Rogers is right next door to Bentonville, where Wal-Mart is headquartered.

Given the power of the retail behemoth, many Fortune 500 firms that sell it their wares havemoved executives to the area. Lots of them have settled in Rogers, giving it a cosmopolitan feel.

(Wal-Mart's CEO, Mike Duke, also calls Rogers home.)

They're drawn by top-notch schools and outdoor activities, including swimming andwakeboarding on the town's two lakes and golfing on its five courses.

(Not all is picture perfect: Rogers does contain some rundown areas.) Though Wal-Mart has hadlayoffs in recent years, the jobless rate here remains low.

See the full list of the 100 Best Places to Live in America

100 best places to live in america

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