(Money) -- If you focus only on the averages, life in the typical American town frankly doesn't seem so hot right now. The median home continues to lose value. Cash-strapped state and local governments are cutting services. And unemployment, at 9.3%, is still high.
But those bummer statistics obscure one important--and encouraging--fact: There are plenty of outliers. MONEY found them through its annual search for the best places in America, which this year focused on the nation's small cities (those with populations of 50,000 to 300,000).
Reporters crunched reams of data to find the optimal combo of job opportunities, fiscal strength, top-notch schools, low crime, good health care, lots to do, and many other factors that help make a town great for raising a family. The 100 winners are listed below.
And because numbers don't tell you anything about charm and community spirit, reporters visited 30 of the highest-ranked towns in person. Those that made the cut landed on MONEY's top 10 list. As you'll see, these places are anything but average.
1. Eden Prairie, MN
//money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL2718116.html
2. Columbia, Ellicott City, MD
//money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL2419125.html
3. Newton, MA
//money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL2545560.html
4. Bellevue, WA
//money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL5305210.html
5. McKinney, TX
//money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL4845744.html
6. Fort Collins, CO
//money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL0827425.html
7. Overland Park, KS
//money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL2053775.html
8. Fishers, IN
//money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL1823278.html
9. Ames, IA
//money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL1901855.html
10. Rogers, AR
//money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL0560410.html 
| Overnight Avg Rate | Latest | Change | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 yr fixed | 3.80% | 3.88% | |
| 15 yr fixed | 3.20% | 3.23% | |
| 5/1 ARM | 3.84% | 3.88% | |
| 30 yr refi | 3.82% | 3.93% | |
| 15 yr refi | 3.20% | 3.23% |
Today's featured rates:
| Index | Last | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 32,627.97 | -234.33 | -0.71% |
| Nasdaq | 13,215.24 | 99.07 | 0.76% |
| S&P 500 | 3,913.10 | -2.36 | -0.06% |
| Treasuries | 1.73 | 0.00 | 0.12% |
| Company | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Motor Co | 8.29 | 0.05 | 0.61% |
| Advanced Micro Devic... | 54.59 | 0.70 | 1.30% |
| Cisco Systems Inc | 47.49 | -2.44 | -4.89% |
| General Electric Co | 13.00 | -0.16 | -1.22% |
| Kraft Heinz Co | 27.84 | -2.20 | -7.32% |
|
Bankrupt toy retailer tells bankruptcy court it is looking at possibly reviving the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brands. More |
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files. More |
Honda and General Motors are creating a new generation of fully autonomous vehicles. More |
In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela won a scholarship to study wine making. Now she's about to launch her own brand. More |
Whether you hedge inflation or look for a return that outpaces inflation, here's how to prepare. More |
Why Eden Prairie is No. 1