Best Places to Live That You've Probably Never Heard Of

10-23-2012

 The list has been revealed. CNN Money released the 2012 Best Places to Live in America. Most of them, you've probably never even heard of. This might be precisely the reason they top the list. From an upscale family neighborhood in Carmel, Indiana (pop. 80,100) to the "town within a park" and part of Research Triangle — Chapel Hill, North Carolina (pop. 59,000), all the cities ranking from one to ten are small, sometimes sleepy towns that seem to border larger, metropolitan cities. Commuting is commonplace so finding a home in the suburbs might be your ideal situation. 

Not only does CNN rate America's best small cities, but they compare affordable homes, top-earning towns, cities with the shortest commute times, America's youngest cities and the best places for the rich and single. Let's take a look at some of the places that topped the lists with unique qualities. 

Irvine, CA

Number six on the "best" list, Irvine, California, is a planned community where nature meets a safe and family-friendly town. Settled between LA and San Diego in the center of Orange County, it's not only prime real estate but it is a destination city. The OC television show was set in this area as an image of perfection.

Henderson, NV

A city worth mentioning, considering it's in the top 100 and close—but not too close—to Las Vegas, is Henderson, NV. Las Vegas is a fabulous adventure with a variety of activities. It can get pricey and overbearing if you are there too long so residing just outside the city might be ideal for you. Keep your bevy of Vegas boots and boas close-by with SmartStop self storage units. Even if you live in Henderson, "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." 

Newton, MA

Topping the rich and single list, along with landing number four of CNN's best cities, Newton stands out as an affluent town with a median family income of $145,639. This small town is charm reincarnated and is home to some of our rich and famous favorites, like Matt Damon. Very close to Boston, Newton might be the town to find that special friend. 

Redmond, WA

Coming in at No. 5, Redmond is 15 miles out of Seattle and home to Microsoft and the beautiful Cascade Mountains nearby. Redmond has brew pubs, artsy boutiques and a low crime rate. 

McKinney, TX

Job growth between 2000-2011 was at a staggering 147.12, according to CNN Money. Why? Technology and energy companies have moved into town due to location and low taxes. On the outskirts of Dallas, this small town has housing from starter homes to southern plantations. With farmer's markets, boutiques and art galleries, McKinney is a fabulous place to take up residence.

Bethesda, MD

The city with the highest median family income of $184,606, while the median home price is $740,000, is Bethesda, Maryland, just outside of Washington D.C. 

Manhattan, KS

While this very small town has the shortest commute time of an average 11.2 minutes, only 4.5 percent of the 53,260 residents have a 45 minute or longer drive. But it's nowhere near the top ten best places to live. Probably due to being well below median family income per year, average of the 100 cities is at $66,349 and Manhattan, Kansas has only a 4.4 percent job growth over the last decade.

This information and the statistics listed above come from money.cnn.com and towns across America wait patiently every year for the list to be released. None of last year's top five best cities are in this years top five, so next year it could be your town topping America's best places to live list.

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