Minnesota Town Tops List of Best Places to Live in US

Best spots to raise kids boast good schools, low crime

(NEWSER) - 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."

(NEWSER) - Looking for a nice place to move to? CNN has compiled a list of the 100 best small towns to live in, based on what poll respondents said they wanted in a town. Unsurprisingly, the local economy is the No. 1 criterion, but crime rates, affordable housing, schools, and how much there is to do figured into the calculation as well. Here’s the top of the list: More»

Pick the perfect town to plant your young family

(NEWSER) - Low crime rates and cost of living and highly regarded schools are just a few of the reasons these towns are such great places to raise a family. BusinessWeek picks the top 50 towns for tots:

1. Groesbeck, Ohio
2. Western Springs, Ill.
3. Deerfield, Ill.

You don't have to leave the city behind, but you do need to find the right neighborhood

(NEWSER) - If you've lived in the city your whole life, retiring to the country may not be desirable. CNNMoney looks at 30 of the nation's largest metro areas to find 35 affordable neighborhoods for retirees:

1. Hudson Heights, NY
2. Tudor City, NY
3. South Loop, Chicago

No. 1 is Alexandria, Virginia

(NEWSER) - If you think America's bookworms live in New York or San Francisco, think again. Amazon has released its list of the country's 20 most well-read cities, and they hail from such states as Michigan and Florida, reports Reuters . Top honors goes to Virginia's Alexandria, and though Berkeley and Cambridge do indeed make the top five, they're joined by Ann Arbor and Boulder. Wait til you see who's sixth: More»