CNNMoney Ranks America's Best Places to Live

by CNNMoney Aug 20th 2012 9:00AM
Updated Jan 15th 2013 2:50PM
Reston, Va. (Cassandra Hubbart, AOL)
Like selecting a soulmate, finding a great place to live can't be done just by the numbers. This year, MONEY set out to find America's best small city (pop. 50,000 to 300,000). Using data from Onboard Informatics and other sources, we identified locations with economic strength, quality health care, low crime, great schools, and lots to do. Then reporters visited 29 top-scoring places to assess what the numbers can't tell you -- whether a town is a true community.

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lgjhere1

A great new book that describes America, including rankings of best and worst cities and states from many different angles, is "What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z: How to understand crazy American culture, people, government, business, language and more." Yes, it's for Americans, too.

August 27 2012 at 2:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rye_Chaos

Yay Irvine is rank #6 better than nothing. :)

August 22 2012 at 11:26 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
TaylorS

Motorcycle enthusiasts and the admirers find Friendship, Fun, Love and Romance,
all at~~~~Seekingbikers.COM~~~~~

August 22 2012 at 9:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sean

The picture of Castle Rock, CO is actually South Jordan, UT hahaha

August 22 2012 at 8:53 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jimmy T

How Naperville, IL is not in the top 10 is beyond me.

August 21 2012 at 11:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
joethemayor

WAS it not hot and sweaty in these towns this summer , infestation of bugs . Carmel I agree with you, but it's in California.

August 21 2012 at 12:04 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Houseofdaedalus

I’m not sure by what measure CNNMoney ranks America’s Best Places to Live but to be sure their endeavors are just and monochromatic as their results. There are some noteworthy ones such as Newton, MA; Redmond, WA; and Chapel Hill, NC. I admit I did a double take when I read this about Reston, VA: "don't expect cookie-cutter homes here?" I almost croaked. Every suburb outside the DC area on this list, including Reston, are the very epitome of unpalatable cookie cutter homes. To find homes that are NOT cookie cutter the author would be well served to explore New England, the Pacific Northwest or a remote place in the south such as Savannah as one user noted. Famed master planner Robert Simon? Not famed and not a master planner nor an Architect for that matter. He was a developer. We know what developers think about land…it’s green for a reason and not for the benefit of aesthetics. So much for American colonialism.

August 21 2012 at 12:03 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Freddy & Libby

I am pushing SOUTH CAROLINA, especialy Columbia, where you have the mountains to your right, and the beaches (Hilton Head, etc.). We have every type of entertainment that would be neede for anyone and at reasonable. Golfers, fishermen, family outtings, on of America's top zoo in the U.S.A. and naturally th Univertity of South Carolina, Clemson University, Furman University. S.C State College, Brnnedic Collrgr, Allen University with al type of Spoting Entertainmemt for people of all ages and great weather: Winter, Spring, Summer, amd Fall are usually tolerable.
MORE AND MORE PROPLE ARE COMING FROM THE NORTH TO RETIRE IN SOUTH, AND MANY WHO RETIRED IN FLORIDA ARE MOVING BACK TO GOOD OLD SOUTH CAROLINA!

THINK ABOUT IT AND ......... YA'll COME ........ might be even able to "russel" up some chittlings....

August 20 2012 at 11:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
kalvinsukkingdom

just wanted to mention that all of the southern states with horrible unemployment, poor wages and a dismal outlook have a singular thing in common. they are all die hard republican voting states and you get what you ask for

August 20 2012 at 10:07 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
kalvinsukkingdom

there are 2 cities in Indiana that made the top of the list? was this contest sponsered here? it sure is'nt southern indiana, where the state and federal government has forgotten!

August 20 2012 at 10:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply