Best Cities To Live From Money Magazine
by Erik Folgate
Filed under Careers, Real Estate
Money Magazine has come out with their 2009 best cities to live around the United States. Here are the Top 10:
- Louisville, CO
- Chanhassen, MN
- Papillion, NE
- Middleton, WI
- Milton, MA
- Warren, NJ
- Keller, TX
- Peachtree City, GA
- Lake St. Louis, MO
- Mukilteo, WA
Keep in mind that Money Magazine picks small towns that are near large metropolitan areas. Most all of these towns are self-incorporated towns that are considered to be suburbs to locals of the large city they feed from. Money Magazine heavily weights employment rate, crime rate, median income, median price of housing, the overall real estate market, and school systems.
I live in Orlando, FL and the closest small city to rank in the top 100 was Lake Mary, Florida at #96. That was a little disappointing to see only one city near me that ranked in the top 100, but these lists aren’t an exact science, and they are very subjective. I am also not ignorant to the fact that Central Florida has been ravaged by unemployment, has higher crime rates than usual, and real estate prices have plummeted.
It’s easy to defend the place you live in, because it’s natural not to think that you live in a bad place. Plus, many of the writers that come up with these lists don’t even scratch the surface of traveling to different cities and towns. They rely on data, but the data doesn’t always tell the entire story.
So, what was your biggest decision to settle down in the city that you currently live in? For me and my wife, it was living closer to her family, job opportunities at the time, and being central to many other cities around Florida that we have friends and family. Plus, there is a ton of stuff to do in Orlando and Disney alone gives many friends and family incentive to come visit us. However, many people are skewed by the International Drive feel of the theme park areas, but the rest of Orlando is nothing like that. Winter Park, Florida is one of the most hip towns in Florida to live in, in my opinion, but you would never know it if your only impression of Orlando is the Disney scene.
Where do you live and what do you like, not like about it? What city would you like to live in if you could pick with no other considerations to think about?
Hey nice Blog. It is much effective Later you Think about it. Increasingly useful. Aloha.
I live in Madison, WI on the border of Middleton, WI. I have lived in Ohio, Maryland, Connecticut, and Tennessee before moving to Wisconsin. I am not surprised that Middleton is on the list.
Madison, WI is a great city–an easy airport. 2 1/2 hours from Chicago. The University of Wisconsin is a huge employer. The housing prices and property taxes are a bit more expensive but the roads are well kept, there are parks everywhere for the kids to play. The schools are great and there are tons of resources for special needs kids.
Also, if you are used to commuting 45 minutes to an hour for work, and do not mind commutes, property is uber cheap 45 minutes outside of Madison!
Of all the places I have lived, Madison is my favorite.
Wow, I work in city #2 on the list, Chanhassen. Nice up-and-coming city on the southwest corner of the Twin Cities. Not very large, but growing fast. Unfortunately mass transportation is lagging in the suburbs, but we’re working on it!