Best Places to Live

The best places to live balance natural beauty, good job prospects, education, culture, recreation, and a low cost of living. From big cities to small rural counties, there's something for everyone on this list.

1.

 Topping the Money Magazine list of "Best Places to Live 2006," Fort Collins is a city designed for nature lovers. In addition to its outdoor features like 60 miles of trails and a local reservoir, the city also boasts good schools, a low crime rate, and plentiful jobs in a tech-based economy.

2.

 Charlottesville earned the top spot on Sperling's "Ten Best Places to Live" list. It's another city noted for its natural beauty, with temperate weather allowing Charlottesville residents to take full advantage of diverse recreational opportunities. The University of Virginia brings culture and top-notch facilities to the city while also providing employment. An affordable cost of living and job growth lead to a prosperous city.

3.

 Money named Colorado Springs the best big city among its best places to live. It offers a high standard of living, cultural and educational opportunities, and respectable job growth, drawing on large employers like HP and Intel. Despite being a large city, Colorado Springs is within easy reach of natural beauty, including Pikes Peak.

4.

 Holding the second spot on the Sperling's list, Santa Fe is a paradise for artists and art-lovers with 250 art galleries and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Surrounded by national forest, the area also offers plentiful natural beauty and recreation. The desert climate makes for warm days and cool nights.

5.

 Number two on Money Magazine's list, Naperville offers a scenic downtown area, numerous cultural activities, and quality schools, evidenced by top scores on college entrance exams.

6.

 In a list of "The 50 Best Places to Live," Men's Journal called Minneapolis the smartest city, citing high SAT scores and high levels of post-secondary education. Perhaps they gain all this knowledge from the 16 colleges and 132 public libraries in the area. Low unemployment levels and numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation also make the city a worthwhile place to live. Sperling's also named Minneapolis one of "The Best Cities for Sleep," a designation speaking to the overall quality of life in the city.

7.

 Men's Journal named San Diego the best big city, and it also came in at number five on the Money Magazine list of big cities. The beautiful weather and beaches are made for water sports and enjoying the sun. The area is experiencing good job growth thanks to biotechnology, along with the ever-present tourism industry.

8.

 Long the destination of choice for honeymoons, Sperling's sees Honolulu as a viable option for putting down roots, naming it the fifth best place to live. The beauty, warm climate, restaurants, and entertainment that draw tourists also make it a great home. The cost of living and home prices are high, but there's a low rate of unemployment, so you're likely to find work to pay your way.

9.

 Sixth on Sperling's "Ten Best Places to Live," the site also named it the eighth best city for dating. Home to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor offers a well-educated populace and a politically liberal atmosphere. Cold winter weather is the city's one major downfall.

10.

 If you're looking for something a little more rural, Ontario County holds the top spot on The Progressive Farmer "Best Places 2006" list. Residents have turned the area's agricultural potential to their advantage, parlaying it into a burgeoning tourism industry. Ontario County also boasts good schools and low crime rates.