Money's list of America's best small towns


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65. Buffalo Grove, IL
Buffalo Grove
WINNER
Top 100 rank: 65
Population: 43,100
Compare Buffalo Grove to Top 10 Best Places
This town 35 miles northwest of Chicago is shedding its agricultural roots to focus on local business growth. Home to just 164 people when it incorporated in 1958, it now has more than 45,000 residents. Shopping centers have replaced working dairy farms.

Despite the boom, Buffalo Grove is still a quiet, tree-lined community with 400 acres of parks and an annual fine art festival.

One way the place has kept its small-town feel: "Buffalo Grove Days," which include arts and crafts, carnivals and fireworks. --D.G.

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Buffalo Grove stats
Median family income
(per year)		 $119,429 $97,441
Job growth %
(2000-2008)*		 5.45% 19.58%
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Median home price $295,000 $262,148
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Test scores reading
(% above/below state average)		 26.4% 25.6%
Test scores math
(% above/below average)		 24.2% 28.2%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) 13 1
Property crime incidents (per 1,000) 173 19
Restaurants
(within 15 miles)		 4,313 1,923
High temp in July ° F* 83.9° 85.5°
Low temp in Jan ° F* 15.3° 21.0°
Median age 38.3 36.6
Median family income
(per year)		 $119,429 $97,441
Family purchasing power
(annual, cost-of-living adjusted)		 $130,523 $95,041
State sales tax 6.25% 5.63%
State income tax rate
(highest bracket)		 3.00% 6.06%
State income tax rate
(lowest bracket)		 3.00% 3.07%
Auto insurance premiums
(Average price quotes, for the state)		 $1,532 $1,744
Job growth %
(2000-2008)*		 5.45% 19.58%
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Median home price $295,000 $262,148
Average property taxes
(2007)		 $8,947 $3,853
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Colleges, universities and
professional schools (within 30 miles)		 48 20
Test scores reading
(% above/below state average)		 26.4% 25.6%
Test scores math
(% above/below average)		 24.2% 28.2%
% students attending public/private
schools (located within town limits)		 89.5/10.5 90.1/9.9
Air quality index*
(% of days AQI ranked as good)		 50.0% 78.6%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) 13 1
Property crime incidents (per 1,000) 173 19
Median commute time (in minutes) 28.0 22.5
% population with commute
45 mins. or longer		 22.2% 13.8%
% population walk or bike to work 1.2% 2.3%
Movie theaters
(within 15 miles)		 53 24
Restaurants
(within 15 miles)		 4,313 1,923
Bars
(within 15 miles)		 247 174
Public golf courses
(within 30 miles)		 348 148
Libraries
(within 15 miles)		 76 53
Museums (accredited by AAM;
within 30 miles)		 17 7
Ski resorts (within 100 miles) 15 17
Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts) 1.2 1.2
Annual rainfall
(inches)		 37.50 39.77
% clear days in the area 23 27
High temp in July ° F* 83.9° 85.5°
Low temp in Jan ° F* 15.3° 21.0°
Median age 38.3 36.6
Completed at least some college
(% of residents)		 80.6% 71.9%
Married % 65.9% 62.9%
Divorced % 6.9% 7.7%
Racial diversity index
(100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity)		 78.6 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
Archer Daniels Midland 27
State Farm Insurance Cos. 31
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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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