2010 Money Magazine Best Places to Live: Eden Prairie, Minn. Tops List

Money Magazine has released its annual Best Places to Live for 2010. Eden Prairie, MN tops the list this year.

Money says:

“Not only is it family-friendly, it has a dynamite economy too.

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

“Major employers include Fortune 500 trucking company C.H. Robinson, hearing-aid maker Starkey Labs, and the Minnesota Vikings, whose practice facility and front office are here. As for fiscal strength, Moody’s gives the town a perfect AAA bond rating.”

What’s really nice, though, is that the magazine ranked Maryland’s own Columbia/Ellicott City-area at number 2 on its list. This is the only area in the mid-Atlantic region that made the top 20.

According to Money:

“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. … It’s also 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 percent of residents are black, 14 percent Asian), and you can see why this place has become a magnet for families.”

Here’s the full list:

1	Eden Prairie, MN	64,000
2	Columbia/Ellicott City, MD	155,000
3	Newton, MA	82,000
4	Bellevue, WA	124,000
5	McKinney, TX	125,000
6	Fort Collins, CO	141,000
7	Overland Park, KS	175,000
8	Fishers, IN	69,000
9	Ames, IA	60,000
10	Rogers, AR	57,000
11	Plymouth, MN	76,000
12	Highlands Ranch, CO	98,000
13	Woodbury, MN	58,000
14	Carmel, IN	67,000
15	Eagan, MN	64,000
16	Allen, TX	84,000
17	Shawnee, KS	61,000
18	South Jordan, UT	51,000
19	Broomfield, CO	55,000
20	Apple Valley, MN	50,000
21	Missouri City, TX	75,000
22	Irvine, CA	208,000
23	Cary, NC	130,000
24	Rowlett, TX	58,000
25	Gaithersburg, MD	59,000

26	O’Fallon, MO	77,000
27	Lee’s Summit, MO	89,000
28	Waltham, MA	60,000
29	Abington, PA	54,000
30	Centreville, VA	54,000
31	Rockville, MD	61,000
32	West Chester, OH	60,000
33	Loveland, CO	66,000
34	Franklin, NJ	61,000
35	Edmond, OK	83,000
36	Gilbert, AZ	216,000
37	Mentor, OH	52,000
38	Yorba Linda, CA	66,000
39	Brookline, MA	58,000
40	Chapel Hill, NC	54,000
41	Clarkstown, NY	83,000
42	Amherst, NY	115,000
43	Bolingbrook, IL	71,000
44	Coral Springs, FL	126,000
45	Orem, UT	94,000
46	Ann Arbor, MI	116,000
47	Alexandria, VA	145,000
48	Coconut Creek, FL	50,000
49	Blue Springs, MO	56,000
50	Waukesha, WI	68,000

51	Rio Rancho, NM	82,000
52	Weymouth, MA	53,000
53	White Plains, NY	57,000
54	Naperville, IL	143,000
55	West Hartford, CT	63,000
56	Mount Prospect, IL	54,000
57	Piscataway, NJ	53,000
58	Arvada, CO	107,000
59	Arlington Heights, IL	73,000
60	St. Peters, MO	56,000
61	West Jordan, UT	95,000
62	Meridian, ID	67,000
63	Pleasanton, CA	67,000
64	Shoreline, WA	54,000
65	Rocklin, CA	53,000
66	Franklin, TN	58,000
67	Stillwater, OK	53,000
68	Iowa City, IA	73,000
69	Eau Claire, WI	66,000
70	Norman, OK	109,000
71	Scottsdale, AZ	235,000
72	Wellington, FL	55,000
73	Wayne, NJ	53,000
74	Bismarck, ND	60,000
75	West Des Moines, IA	55,000

76	Roswell, GA	96,000
77	Sioux Falls, SD	161,000
78	Stamford, CT	119,000
79	Millcreek, PA	54,000
80	St. George, UT	78,000
81	Broken Arrow, OK	93,000
82	New Rochelle, NY	75,000
83	Warwick, RI	84,000
84	Bristol, CT	61,000
85	Chesapeake, VA	220,000
86	Fargo, ND	97,000
87	Hamden, CT	58,000
88	Ramapo, NY	116,000
89	Middletown, NJ	69,000
90	Norwalk, CT	83,000
91	Suffolk, VA	82,000
92	Hillsboro, OR	94,000
93	Owensboro, KY	56,000
94	Nashua, NH	87,000
95	Madison, WI	233,000
96	Appleton, WI	71,000
97	Grand Forks, ND	53,000
98	Beaverton, OR	92,000
99	Idaho Falls, ID	54,000
100	Mount Pleasant, SC	68,000