Almost #1

Chanhassen is the second-best small American town to live in, according to a new ranking by Money magazine.
Reasons for the ranking include an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent, falling property taxes and rising median income, according to the magazine.
"It's a little humbling," said Chanhassen Mayor Tom Furlong. "And we are proud of what we have, absolutely."


Furlong said the town deserves the honor, given its quality of living, the level of education among residents and recreational availability.
AMENITIES: Chanhassen boasts miles of trails, 11 lakes and a park within a half-mile of three-quarters of the homes in the city. The University of Minnesota arboretum also is located in the city.


Chanhassen is one of 12 Minnesota cities on the S&P AAA bond list, signifying its strong economy, City Manager Todd Gerhardt said. That is the best rating, meaning the city is highly unlikely to default on loans and interest.


OTHERS IN THE TOP FIVE: The top five on Money's top-100 small towns are: Louisville, Colo. (1), Papillion, Neb. (3), Middleton, Wis. (4) and Milton, Mass. (5).
OTHER MINNESOTA CITIES: Three other Minnesota towns made the list. Chanhassen's neighbor, Chaska, was ranked 20th, Lino Lakes was ranked 36th and Owatonna sneaked in at 97th.



Plymouth was number one on the list in 2008, but it was excluded from consideration this year because of changes in the criteria. Last year, the list ranked "small cities," defined as having a population between 50,000 and 300,000, according to the CNN Money website. For the 2009 rankings, Money focused on "small towns," defined as having a population between 8,500 and 50,000. Plymouth's population is 71,057 according to www.census.gov.