Iowa makes the top 10 when it comes to the best place to live!  Well..... I don't live in Ames, Iowa, but this is when my Iowa roots make me proud!  Not only are the Iowans in the top ten, but we also are the lowest average priced home on the list.  It isn't by a small margin either.... try $89,00 from the 2nd lowest average home price and $800,00 to the highest average.  With a unemployment rate of 4.3%, beating the state average of 6.8%.  With all of these great facts, Ames happens to be the 2nd smallest population for the list... Not bad, not bad at all...

On another note they have selected towns with the most affordable homes.  This is where Des Moines and Cedar Rapids are #10 and #11 averaging $100,000 and $120,500.  With 3 cities in the top 100, Des Moines and Iowa City making the cut under the top 75.  Commuting is also a very important factor when living in the city, with Dubuque and Ames with commutes under 12 minutes each.  That lands both of them in the #6 and #7 spot for quality of life section of the article. 

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/top100/

Check out a town near you.... See if your state makes the grade. Congrats to all the great places that have been selected!  Be proud of where you are from... it helped make you...you!