[11th_VA]

Alot of red in those states - there goes the neighborhood ...

[RightField]

Murrieta, CA and Temecula, CA? I don't think so. I live about 25 miles south of there. That area is rapidly developing into typical Southern California sprawl but without the coastal weather that makes the crowded conditions bearable for so many people. If I wanted to live somewhere with desert like climate, I'd opt for somewhere with reasonable property costs and less freeway congestion.

[sharktrager]

Carlsbad, NM?

They have got to be kidding.

[IowaHawk]

The nominated towns then are put through an editorial process conducted by HomeRoute. Each nominated city is compared against each other in crime rates, employment statistics, housing & economic data for the past year as well as a non-scientific study of what makes the community a great place to live according to its nomination ballots and the total number of consumer inquiries for the area as well. After all is reviewed, the Top 100 cities are selected to make the list. From the Top 100, the Top 10 communities are ranked based on the total number of nominations.

Sorry, but this is stupid; and if you've ever been to Spencer, Iowa, you'd understand exactly how stupid. Nothing against that charming Paris of Clay County, but these ranking criteria means any burg can do well as long as the local booster club is mobilized to crow about its exciting new Hardees.

Want an objective measure of a town's quality of life? Look at the local one-way price of a U-Haul trailer. Cheaper U-Haul = surplus of trailers = people want to move there and don't want to leave.

[Richard-SIA]

The good news is that the town I am intent on moving to is not on either list!

The bad news is that the town I live in now is on last years list.
That helps to explain why it is going down hill so fast.

[Plutarch]

Elko, NV

This tells me all I need to know about this list.

[streetpreacher]

Bella Vista, AR

Moved to Fayetteville in Sept. 04, just south of Bella Vista. Northwest Arkansas is truly beautiful country; makes the rest of Arkansas look like an eyesore (no offense to the flat-landers).

The Milken Institute ranked the Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area as the nation's top performer in 2003 for job growth.

AARP The Magazine compiled its list of highly livable towns according to a range of criteria – from affordability to community life to the quality of public high schools to access to outdoor recreation. These 15 cities were selected "dream towns – the best places to reinvent your life."

5. Fayetteville, Arkansas: Bright fall foliage, fishing in clear mountain lakes and one of the lowest costs of living in the nation make Fayetteville a gem. Unemployment is a low 2 percent, thanks to an economy driven by retail, government and industry (Wal-Mart's headquarters, J.B. Hunt transport, and Tyson Foods). Dickson Street near the university is a lively strip of bistros and live-music venues.

U-Haul Ranks Fayetteville, Ark. and Boise, Idaho

Top 2004 Growth Cities

PHOENIX (Feb. 21, 2005) — The results of the U-Haul National Migration Trend Report

reflecting the nation’s top growth areas for families who moved during 2004 were released

today. The 2004 Top Growth Cities Report indicates that for cities with more than 10,000

families moving, Fayetteville, Ark., has the highest percentage of growth, with 10.3 percent

more families moving into the area than out. For cities with 5,000 -10,000 families moving,

Boise, Idaho had the highest percentage of growth, with 22.6 percent.

“The report, reflective of growth patterns of the United States during 2004, was compiled

based on nationwide trends in cities of all sizes and reflects communities with more than

5,000 families moving in or out of the area,” said John “J.T.” Taylor, U-Haul executive vice

president. “Growth cities were then determined by calculating the percentage of inbound

moves vs. outbound moves for each area.”

Fayetteville was Number 33 on U-Haul's Top 50 U.S. Destination cities for January - December 2004

FORBES BEST SMALL PLACES FOR BUSINESS AND CAREERS

3. Fayetteville, AR

Here are some nice shots of Northwest Arkansas:

 

We're moving to Springdale, just a few minutes away, in the Fall to get away from the hustle of Fayetteville.  Bella Vista would be top on our list for buying a home though.

[Dante3]

What is in Spencer, Iowa?

[mtntop3]

These are useful listings since they encourge yuppies, the beautiful people and "progressives" to oftentimes rush to many of these locations - thus leaving other areas and regions less contaminated.

Having one's family close-by and not being a life-long transient do have advantages. There is also this thing called committment.

[FreeKeys]

What about THIS list?

http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/cities_table/

[antisocial]

I was very disapointed that the top 100 had so many locations in Texas. We don't need any more damnyankees moving down here.

[epow]

These lists are becoming more ridiculous with every one that is published. I think a good rule of thumb would be to avoid relocating to any town or area listed on a "10 best" or "100 best" list, and to choose your next place of residence from a "10 worst" or "100 worst" list.

Apparently the people who make these lists have a rather strange notion of what makes a town or region a pleasant and beneficial place to live. Or more likely, they are not wholly adverse to accepting, uhhh let's just say tangible tokens of gratitude, from real estate promoters and/or chambers of commerce for a favorable ranking.