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Money & Shopping

Money Mag: Louisville, CO, is best small town in the country

Aug 17, 2011 3:00 PM

The Colorado town of Louisville topped Money Magazine's annual list of 100 Best Places to Live. The 2011 list of the best American small towns was based on job opportunities, quality of school systems, economic strength, and weather, among other criteria.
Louisville, population 18,400, took first place over other locations based on its sunny weather, relatively low crime rate, and job opportunities in the fields of tech, telecom, aerospace, clean energy, and health care. Louisville reclaimed its 2009 ranking as number one after Eden Prairie, MN (population 64,000) stole it away last year.
The list also lets you compare any of the top 100 picks to one another based on several different criteria. For example, a financial comparison takes into account sales tax, state income tax, auto insurance premiums, median family income and job growth. The top 10:

1. Louisville, CO
   
2. Milton, MA
   
3. Solon, OH
   
4. Leesburg, VA
   
5. Papillion, NE
   
6. Hanover, NH
   
7. Liberty, MO
   
8. Middleton, WI
   
9. Mukilteo, WA
   
10. Chanhassen, MN

To see which small towns made the full list of top 100 locations, you can check out Best Places to Live. The small town that came in 100th place? That would be Sherwood, OR, with a population of just 17,000. Sherwood's proximity to Portland, OR, helped its ranking, which is true for several of the small towns that made the list. Having a metropolitan area close by helps with job prospects.
You can also view the list based solely on housing, quality of life, or proximity to where you live now. What do you think? Should your town have made the list?
Best Places to Live [CNNMoney]

—Maggie Shader