Best Places to Live, 2009 Edition

By Adam Bluestein, Beth Braverman, Jenny Everett, Alexis Jeffries, Jessica Levine, Sarah Max, Christopher Reardon, Donna Rosato, and Pieter van Noordennen

If you're looking for a great place to raise a family with a healthy job market, these charming towns should be at the top of your list.

These days, when you think about a great place to live, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? Right: the economy. In a recent CNNMoney.com poll of more than 43,000 people, respondents named availability of good jobs as their most important concern when sizing up a town.

Slideshows at CNNMoney.com: Best Places to Find the Rich and Single

6-Figure Best Places: Where the Highest Earners Live

Best Places Where the Jobs Are

That finding guided the methodology that MONEY used to identify the 100 best places to live in America. Using statistics from data provider Onboard Informatics, MONEY crunched the numbers in order to zero in on America's best small towns for families--those with populations of 8,500 to 50,000.

The winners were chosen by measuring and weighting the factors that Americans value most. According to the CNNMoney poll, after good jobs, the key criteria are low crime, affordable homes, lots to do, and top-notch schools. Also factored in: data on health care, diversity, weather, and more.

The top-ranked towns not only rack up terrific scores but also possess that indefinable something—a mix of community spirit, can-do attitude, and simple charm—that makes them magnets for people looking for a great little place to raise their families.

The new No. 1?

1. Louisville, CO

Courtesy: City of Louisville

Top 100 rank: 1
Population: 18,800
Typical single-family house: $325,000
Estimated property taxes: $1,590
Unemployment rate: 6.0% (county)
Fun fact: Rail service to Boulder and Denver is scheduled to begin in 2017.
Pluses: Hiking, biking, golfing, skiing…
Minuses: No major negatives (That’s why it’s No. 1!)

Some towns nestled along the Rockies are full of pretentious eco-hipsters. Not Louisville. Ice cream shops dot the historic downtown. Families grab burgers at the cozy Waterloo Café. A Friday-night street fair, with a beer garden, live music, and games for the kids, runs all summer. No wonder this down-to-earth town has appeared high on Money's Best Places list before--and on many others.

It's also weathering the economic downturn well. Robust industries in the area, such as high tech, energy, and health care, make county unemployment among the lowest in the state.

But the top reason residents give for moving here? The great outdoors. Louisville is laced with nearly 30 miles of trails, Rocky Mountain National Park is less than an hour away, and eight world-class ski resorts are within two hours. The town's schools are highly rated as well.

Add in dry, clear weather, little crime, good health care, and low taxes, and Louisville is pretty tough to beat.

Next: Chanhassen, MN, and Papillion, NE

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