Chicago Suburb Tops Best Family Towns

BusinessWeek has combed the US for the best places to raise a family and has come up with a Chicago suburb to top the rankings again. The rest of the list, based on factors that include education, crime rate, cultural vitality, and air quality, is broken down by state. A sampling:

• Tinley Park, Ill.: Takes the top spot for its "top-rated schools, low crime, beautiful parks, relatively affordable houses, and easy access to jobs."
• Arcadia, Calif.: The Los Angeles suburb is a back-to-back winner for its "low crime and excellent schools" as well as "a number of peacocks that hang out in the neighborhood near the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanical Garden."

• Portland, Maine: A working port city, Portland "is culturally diverse, with a progressive waterfront community only a few hours drive from Boston."
• Great Falls, Mont.: The state's third-largest city "has a low cost of living, is home to Malmstrom Air Force Base and is a short distance from a number of waterfalls."
• Redmond, Wash.: Microsoft's hometown offers excellent schools and "has 34 parks and more than 25 miles of trails."

To see the full list, which features some hilarious Photoshop work, click the second source link at right.
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