Money's list of America's best small towns


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13. Superior, CO
Superior
WINNER
Top 100 rank: 13
Population: 10,500
Compare Superior to Top 10 Best Places
This town was originally named for the quality of coal found there in the 1800s, but now Superior might as well describe the town's location. Denver, Boulder, and Eldora Mountain Ski Resort are all less than an hour away.

The city boasts 27 miles of trails and 594 acres of parks and open space, and nearby employers include the University of Colorado, Sun Microsystems, IBM, and Ball Aerospace.

Located just across the interstate from top-ranking Louisville, Superior offers many of the same amenities, including the same school. It lacks Louisville's cohesive spirit. But similarly sized homes are cheaper. --N.A.

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Superior stats
Median family income
(per year)		 $117,603 $97,441
Job growth %
(2000-2008)*		 33.66% 19.58%
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Median home price $350,000 $262,148
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Test scores reading
(% above/below state average)		 37.3% 25.6%
Test scores math
(% above/below average)		 50.1% 28.2%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) 23 1
Property crime incidents (per 1,000) 253 19
Restaurants
(within 15 miles)		 2,329 1,923
High temp in July ° F* 86.0° 85.5°
Low temp in Jan ° F* 17.5° 21.0°
Median age 30.3 36.6
Median family income
(per year)		 $117,603 $97,441
Family purchasing power
(annual, cost-of-living adjusted)		 $111,896 $95,041
State sales tax 2.90% 5.63%
State income tax rate
(highest bracket)		 4.63% 6.06%
State income tax rate
(lowest bracket)		 4.63% 3.07%
Auto insurance premiums
(Average price quotes, for the state)		 $1,514 $1,744
Job growth %
(2000-2008)*		 33.66% 19.58%
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Median home price $350,000 $262,148
Average property taxes N.A. $3,853
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Colleges, universities and
professional schools (within 30 miles)		 20 20
Test scores reading
(% above/below state average)		 37.3% 25.6%
Test scores math
(% above/below average)		 50.1% 28.2%
% students attending public/private
schools (located within town limits)		 100.0/0.0 90.1/9.9
Air quality index*
(% of days AQI ranked as good)		 74.0% 78.6%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) 23 1
Property crime incidents (per 1,000) 253 19
Median commute time (in minutes) 20.7 22.5
% population with commute
45 mins. or longer		 11.6% 13.8%
% population walk or bike to work 2.2% 2.3%
Movie theaters
(within 15 miles)		 23 24
Restaurants
(within 15 miles)		 2,329 1,923
Bars
(within 15 miles)		 234 174
Public golf courses
(within 30 miles)		 140 148
Libraries
(within 15 miles)		 49 53
Museums (accredited by AAM;
within 30 miles)		 6 7
Ski resorts (within 100 miles) 13 17
Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts) 0.6 1.2
Annual rainfall
(inches)		 17.31 39.77
% clear days in the area 32 27
High temp in July ° F* 86.0° 85.5°
Low temp in Jan ° F* 17.5° 21.0°
Median age 30.3 36.6
Completed at least some college
(% of residents)		 91.6% 71.9%
Married % 59.0% 62.9%
Divorced % 8.5% 7.7%
Racial diversity index
(100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity)		 60.4 58.9
From the August 2009 issue
Notes:
* County data
(3) Crime incidences are estimates based on FBI 2007 Universal Crime and incidence reports, OnBoard analysis.
FORTUNE 500
Qwest Communications 197
DISH Network 231
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Help your town win!
Money picked the top 100. Now it’s your turn: Which town will be our fan favorite? Become a fan of your town and it might just make it to No. 1. Results updated monthly.
Town Become a fan # of fans
1. Louisville, CO Become a fan on facebook Add me! 4,256
2. Chanhassen, MN Become a fan on facebook Add me! 2,410
3. Papillion, NE Become a fan on facebook Add me! 1,581
4. Middleton, WI Become a fan on facebook Add me! 1,481
5. Milton, MA Become a fan on facebook Add me! 1,425
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How we picked the Best Places
Using statistics from data provider Onboard Informatics, we crunched the numbers in order to zero in on America's best small towns for families. (Last year, we looked at small cities, with populations between 50,000 and 300,000.) More

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