Best Places to Live

3. Louisville, Colo.

Best of the West
Population: 19,500
Typical single-family home: $310,000
Estimated property taxes: $2,100
Pros: Historic downtown; hiking and skiing
Cons: Tech-heavy economy

When Jill Connell and her husband Brian Lutz relocated here from nearby Longmont last year with their two children, pies arrived on move-in day and the neighbors threw them a welcoming party. "It's like living in the 1950s," says Connell, 36. Or even earlier. Louisville was founded in 1882 by immigrant coal miners, and the old wooden buildings downtown still give the place the feel of a small frontier town.

Louisville's economy, though, is decidedly 21st century: Technology firms are the area's mainstay. Louisville suffered two years ago when StorageTek, once the town's largest employer, was bought by Sun Microsystems. Headquarters were moved to a neighboring town, and 500 jobs were cut. But other employers have moved into the city's 240-acre business park, and Louisville is only six miles from Boulder, 25 from Denver. And the health-care and biotechnology sectors have added jobs and diversity to the area's economy in the past five years, says Brian Lewandowski, a researcher at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Since this is northern Colorado, the outdoor life is spectacular. Locals hike and climb in Rocky Mountain National Park, about 45 minutes away, and Colorado's famed ski resorts are reachable in less than three hours. Louisville's own 26-mile wooded biking and running path winds through much of town, in between homes and through backyards.

On summer Friday nights, residents head downtown to the fairgrounds for concerts, craft booths and food. "Louisville feels cohesive," says Alison Sarinopoulos, a mother of two who has lived here for six years. "It is more than just a place with a bunch of houses."

Speaking of which, home prices are up recently -- to more than $300,000 for the average single-family residence. But an old farmhouse near downtown can be had for less than $200,000, and condos can be found for similar prices. What you won't find are the private, gated developments typical of other prosperous small cities. "A gate," says local real estate agent Kelly Moye, "would be too pretentious for Louisville."

4. Lake Mary, Fla.

Best of the South
Population: 13,200
Typical single-family home: $325,000
Estimated property taxes: $5,200
Pros: Big-economy jobs, small-town feel, no income tax
Cons: Florida summers, Florida hurricanes

Charlotte Smith-Wilkes used to commute an hour and 20 minutes to work each way when she lived in Miami. Now that the insurance executive lives in Lake Mary, the trip takes her four minutes flat. "We were looking for a calmer place to live, a place to raise children," says Smith-Wilkes, 48. She and her husband arrived 10 years ago and now have two daughters. "You get really spoiled," she says, "because everything is so close."

Less than a decade ago, "everything" might have referred to Orlando or Disney World, which are 30 minutes away, or to Daytona Beach, reachable in 45. But growth has brought Lake Mary residents plenty of shopping, restaurants and events in their own backyard. There are lakes for boating and fishing, and the Timacuan Golf Course lies in the center of town. The downtown is a work in progress, but plans are moving ahead to create multiuse plazas that incorporate retail, office and residential space.

Recreation is one thing, but jobs keep Lake Mary humming. On weekdays the population rockets from less than 14,000 to more than 35,000 as commuters arrive. AAA and Ruth's Chris Steak House keep their headquarters here, while others, like the Hartford and AT&T, maintain a large presence in the area's office parks.

All of the development has pushed housing prices higher, but a four-bedroom, three-bath house can still be had for $300,000. Of course, there's always the weather to worry about. In 2004 the town spent more than $2 million cleaning up after hurricanes. Three years later, though, the streets are once again lined with palms and flowering crape myrtles, and residents are more than willing to risk a storm for the town's amenities. "We're away from the tourists, we're close to the beach, and there are really good schools," says Tracy Paone, 39, a stay-at-home mom who lives here with her husband and two children. "To me, it's just right."

5. Claremont, Calif.

Population: 35,900
Typical single-family home: $700,000
Estimated property taxes: $7,800
Pros: Tight-knit community with topnotch schools
Cons: Poor air quality, high home prices

A lot of Southern California suburbs are defined by trendy retail chains and cookie-cutter developments. Claremont is defined by a rich history, spectacularly tall trees and a mix of Victorian and Spanish colonial architecture. Thirty miles east of Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, the city came into its own in the early 20th century after the founding of Pomona college. Streets were named after prestigious east coast schools, and residents were encouraged to plant trees.

Today, Claremont is called the city of trees and Ph.D.s. That's no exaggeration. The city has won the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA award for 19 straight years, and Pomona College is part of a prestigious seven-school consortium known as the Claremont Colleges. The downtown, or "the village," is a mix of hip boutiques and old school businesses. And the historic College Heights Lemon Packing House is now home to the Claremont Art Museum, restaurants, a jazz bar and artists' lofts. "There is no other place like this in Southern California," says Jason Annigian, 32, an attorney who moved from Newport Beach with his wife Katharine, 28, in October. "It has a small-town feel, but it's also artsy and eclectic."

And relative to much of California, it's affordable (emphasis on "relative"). The Annigians, who are expecting their first child in August, sold their Newport Beach condo for more than they paid for their 2,200-squarefoot home near The Village.

With 3,000 employees, the colleges are the largest local employers. Ties to academe have rubbed off on Claremont's primary schools, which are among the state's best. "I don't know of a better place to bring up kids," says Jeff Stark, 45, a financial adviser who was raised here and moved back after college.

As for the grown-ups, "in the winter you can surf in the morning," says Stark, "and ski in the afternoon."

6. Papillion, Neb.

Population: 18,800
Typical single-family home: $250,000
Estimated property taxes: $5,100
Pros: Outdoor recreation, growing local economy
Cons: Lack of arts and culture

Fred Juhl always wanted to live in a small town like the one in northwestern Iowa where he grew up. When he and his wife Terrie decided in the early '90s that it was time to leave Omaha, where Fred was a systems analyst with insurer Mutual of Omaha, they started looking for a suburban enclave with the kind of community feel that Fred desired. They found it in Papillion, then a town of 10,000 about 12 miles from downtown.

In the 15 years since, the Juhls have raised two sons, and Papillion has grown and prospered along with Omaha, an increasingly important center of finance and insurance. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and TD Ameritrade, among others, are based there. In Papillion itself, home-security powerhouse ADT and InfoUSA, a collector and vendor of personal and business information, have major operations.

Papillion's population has nearly doubled since the Juhls moved in, but much of what attracted them remains -- low crime, good schools and a vast expanse of parkland. Parks take up almost 30% of the town and include a network of bike trails that connects to Omaha's 120-mile system. Recently, Papillion has spent more than half a million dollars renovating the historic downtown, putting in new sidewalks, faux-antique street lighting and ironwork accents. "It was a very small town and a well-kept secret when we came," says Terrie Juhl. "But it had room to grow, and the town has managed the growth well."

That will continue to be a challenge. Permits were issued for more than 300 new homes last year, but town leaders insist that they won't let the tide of development turn Papillion into a sea of subdivisions and strip malls. "We're one of the fastest-growing communities in the state," says Mayor James Blinn, "so it's imperative that we don't fall asleep at the wheel."

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