Like many other counties on our list, Ascension has seen its population boom -- up by nearly half in the last decade. To accommodate the growing number of families, five new primary schools were built in the last three years and a sixth is on the way.
Families looking for entertainment could soon find diversion in a former Wal-Mart that a developer wants to turn into an entertainment complex. Plans for a movie theater, bowling alley and arcade could give residents something to do and create 70 new area jobs.