Those of you reading this blog from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area probably already know this, but the Twin Cities are a great place to live. In fact, CNN Money named Eden Prairie, a suburb southwest of Minneapolis, the best small city (population 50,000 to 300,000) in the United States for quality of life. Not only was Eden Prairie #1, four other Twin Cities suburbs (Plymouth, Woodbury, Eagan, and Apple Valley) were listed in the top 20.
What factors contributed to the Twin Cities’ strong showing? Relatively low unemployment rates, low crime, and almost unparalleled opportunities for outdoor recreation are among the factors cited by the CNN Money article. All of the five suburban cities benefit from the myriad of cultural opportunities available in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul as well.
Readers—what do you think about this list? If you live in one of the five local cities in the top 20, do you agree with CNN Money’s assessment? Are there other Twin Cities communities you feel are worthy of being recognized for quality of life?
