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What makes a location the best place to live, work or retire? We've gathered the top lists into one spot to help you determine just that! Find out which cities are ranked as the safest to live in, which cities have the best job opportunities, which cities are more family friendly and much more in this field guide.
The Best Places to Live
10 Best U.S. Cities to Live In, (moneycrashers.com, Feb. 6, 2012).
Best Places to Live to Stay Young, (realage.com, Jan. 27, 2012). Find out where Americans have the healthiest RealAge.
The best cities to live car-free in America, (msnbc.msn.com, Nov. 6, 2011).
The 10 best places to live in the U.S., (Marketwatch, Aug. 3, 2011). Job growth, cultural attractions help push cities onto Top 10 list
Best 100 Places to Live: Affordable Homes, (Money Magazine, 2011). Residents who buy real estate in these cities from the Best Places database see their incomes go the furthest.
Best 100 Places to Live: Top-Earning Towns, (Money Magazine, 2011). Here are the cities for the Best Places database with some of the highest median family incomes.
Best 100 Places to Live: Commuting, (Money Magazine, 2011). Here are towns from the Best Places database with the quickest median travel time to work.
Best 100 Places to Live, (Money Magazine, 2011). Money's list of America's best small towns.
Best of the Best Top 10 Cities: Green Living, Health, Air Quality and Technology, (Scientific American, Aug. 22, 2011). Lists ranking U.S. cities on aspects of green living, pollution, health and technology.
Best 100 Places to Live: Affordable Homes, (Money Magazine, 2010). Residents who buy real estate in these cities from the Best Places database see their incomes go the furthest.
Best 100 Places to Live: Top-Earning Towns, (Money Magazine, 2010). Here are the cities for the Best Places database with some of the highest median family incomes.
Best 100 Places to Live: Commuting, (Money Magazine, 2010). Here are towns from the Best Places database with the quickest median travel time to work.
Weird but Wonderful Homes, (CNBC.com, 2010). These are homes with stories to tell and questions to answer.
The Best Cities to Relocate to in America, (bestplaces.net, 2010). The findings show that well-established cities are excellent options for people who are considering moving to a new place.
Find Your Best Place, (bestplaces.net, 2010). Tell us a little about the climate you enjoy. We have given some example cities.
10 Best Places to Live and Boat, (boatingmag.com, 2010). Somewhere the grass is always greener and the water is always bluer.
America's Best Cities for Foodies, (bestplaces.net, 2010). Great food can be found in any large city, but these ten also offer foodie-friendly amenities such as microbreweries and farmers markets.
The Best Places to Live for Warm Weather, (ehow.com, 2010).
The Best Cities to Own and Rent a Home, (Forbes.com, Oct. 26, 2010).
Safest Places to Live
Safest Places to Live in America, (trojannews.com, Jan. 10, 2012).
Most Secure Places to Live, 2011, (bestplaces.net, Dec. 15, 2011).
10 Safest Cities in America from Natural Disasters, (WiseBread.com, Mar. 28, 2011). A list of ten U.S. cities that have a low likelihood of being struck by a major natural disaster.
Beaverton and Portland Rank among the Safest Places to Live in the U.S., (RISMedia, Mar. 23, 2010).
Seventh Annual Farmers Insurance Study Ranks the Most Secure Places to Live in the U.S., (bestplaces.net, 2010). Safety and security are among the most basic human needs, and a safe, secure environment in which to live, work and raise a family is of utmost importance to many Americans.
Best Places for Job Opportunities
The World’s Best Places to Live and Work, (Business Insider, Jan. 2, 2012)
America’s Top 10 Cities for Employment, (thesurvivorsclub.org, n.d.)
10 Best Cities for Job Opportunities, (ptmoney.com, Dec. 4, 2011)
The Best Cities for Jobs 2011, (newgeography.com, May 2, 2011)
11 Best Cities To Find a Job, (huffingtonpost.com, May 25, 2011)
The Best Cities for Getting a Pay Raise, (monster.com, May 2011). Where can you find growing job markets and rising wages?
Happiest Cities for Workers, (AARP.org, Feb. 23, 2011). Before you start blaming your employer for putting you in a permanent bad mood, you might want to look first at the city where you work.
Top 10 Cities for Job Seekers in 2011, (AARP.org, Jan. 2010). The ratings compare the number of people looking for work with the number of advertised positions in a given area.
If You're Gathering No Moss... Best Places to Live and Work for Those Under 35, (Realtor.com, 2010).
Top 10 Cities to Earn a Living, (Realtor.org, Resort Blog, Sept. 4, 2009).
Best Places for Business and Careers
The Best Places for Business and Careers, (forbes.com, June 2011).
10 Best Countries to Live and Work Abroad, (CBS Moneywatch.com, July 25, 2011). These 10 countries hold an attraction for businesses due to large consumer populations, a good supply of resources or labor and established or emerging presences in the global marketplace.
How We Found the 'Best Cities for Business', (Marketwatch.com, Dec. 20, 2010). Fourteen metrics used to determine the best cities for business.
50 Best Places to Start a Small Business, (money.com, Oct. 18, 2010). Fortune Small Business ranks the 50 best places to start a small business in the U.S.
10 Best Cities for the Next Decade, (kiplinger.com, July 2010). They're prosperous, innovative, and they'll generate plenty of jobs, too.
The Best Places for Business and Careers, (Forbes.com, Apr. 24, 2010). The top of this year's list is filled with Midwestern and Western cities, areas with reasonable business costs, strong economic outlooks and a solid quality of life.
Best Family Oriented Places to Live
2011 Best Cities for Families, (parenting.com, Dec. 11, 2011).
Top Towns for Single Moms, (Realty Times, May 26, 2011). Zillow recently came up with a list of towns that fit the economic and lifestyle needs of single moms.
The 100 Best (and Worst) Place to Raise a Family, (Menshealth.com, 2011). You and your kids call it home, but how does your city rank nationally?
The Best Schools for Your Real Estate Buck, (Forbes, Apr. 26, 2011). Second annual look at America's top districts again demolishes the idea that more money equals a better education.
America's Best Places to Raise a Family, (Forbes, June 7, 2010). 10 cities that are safe, affordable and offer good educational prospects.
Best Places to Live Worldwide
10 ‘Best’ Places to Live, (YouTube.com, Feb. 29, 2012).
The five best places to live in the world and why, (guardian.co.uk, Jan. 20, 2012).
The World’s Best Places to Live in 2012, (telegraphy.co.uk, Jan. 6, 2012).
The World’s Best Places to Live, (cnbc.com, Nov. 29, 2011).
10 Best Places to Live for Escaping World Conflict, (expatify.com, 2010).
Top Ten Places to Live in the World, (DirJournal.com, July 16, 2010). Environment, weather, history, politics, economy, infrastructure, social climate, and entertainment all play a part. When choosing a place to live, your decision should be based on what issues are important to you.
Best Places for Retirement
100 best places to retire, (topretirements.com, Mar. 26, 2012).
The 18 Best Places to Retire Overseas, (usnews.com, Mar. 19, 2012).
The 10 Best Places to Retire, (yahoo.com, Mar. 8, 2012).
The 10 best places to retire, (cbsnews.com, Feb. 22, 2012).
Best Places in the World to Retire, (dailyreckoning.com, Jan. 26, 2012).
Top Places to Retire and Work, (forbes.com, Jan. 23, 2012).
The 4 best places to retire in America, (consumerreports.org, Oct. 21, 2011).
8 Great Places to Retire Abroad, (kiplinger.com, June 29, 2011).
Best Retirement Places, (Forbes, Mar. 23, 2011).
Best Places to Retire, (greatplacestoretire.com, 2010).
10 Best Places for Single Seniors to Retire, (U.S. News and World Report, Nov. 1, 2010). These cities have the most single people age 55 and older.
The Best—and Worst—Places to Build a Nest Egg, (U.S. News and World Report, July 22, 2010). A state-by-state look at how workers saving for retirement will fare.
Best Places for a Second Home
Barron's: 20 Best Places for Second Homes, (Realtor.org, Resort Blog, Mar. 3, 2012).
20 best places to buy a second home abroad, (trexglobal.com, Aug. 14, 2011).
Ideal Living's Top Places to Retire, (Realtor.org, Resort Blog, July 13, 2009).
MSN Money picks the top 10 places to buy a second home, (Realtor.org, Resort Blog, May 17, 2009).
eBooks & Other Resources
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.
Places rated almanac: your guide to finding the best places to live in North America, (New York, NY: Time, Inc., 1999).
The Best Places to Live Today, (New York, NY: Time, Inc., 1998).
Small town bound, (Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press, 1996).
A Place to Live is the Place to Start: A Statement of Principles for Changing HUD to meet America's housing and community development priorities, (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1995).
A Better Place to Live: Reshaping the American Suburb, (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts, 1994).
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