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21. Lafayette, CA
Lafayette, CA
Population: 24,877
Median family income: $149,597
Median home price: $1,050,000

Lafayette we are here! What was once a pit-stop for the Pony Express is now an upscale residential community just east of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Lafayette boasts all the amenities of small-town life: good schools, low crime rates, a manageable downtown and a mild climate. For much of its history, it was a quiet farming village, but like many other small communities surrounding San Francisco, the post World War II boom brought a flood of new homes.

City planners are in the middle of a redevelopment plan that aims to modernize downtown without losing its original character.

See complete data and interactive map for Lafayette

NEXT: Dranesville, VA

Last updated July 16 2008: 1:22 PM ET
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