100 best places to live and launch

Population: 149,600
Pro: Naperville boasts some of the area's best schools
Con: Chicago area traffic conditions are a problem

Well-known for its family-friendly culture, Naperville attracts a mix of Fortune 500 companies and small businesses. The city boasts the lowest municipal property tax rates in the Chicago metropolitan area, and Naperville entrepreneurs benefit from a number of state tax incentives targeting small business. The nearby government-chartered laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, fosters a local community of high-energy physics researchers. In 2007, the city fielded 116 start-ups

The oldest town in DuPage County, Naperville boasts some beautiful architecture as well as its famous Centennial Beach, an abandoned quarry that was converted into a bathing lake in the 1930s and now attracts more than 100,000 visitors a year. -Malika Zouhali-Worrall

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