4/20/2007 - Relocate-America.com releases annual survey results, top ten list

By Amy Hoak
Last Update: 8:26 AM ET Apr 20, 2007


CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- The population of Asheville, N.C. is only about
70,000, but this midsize city ranked No. 1 on a list of the most popular
places to live in 2007.

Asheville made its second appearance on Relocate-America.com's annual
top 10 list, compiled each year since 1998. The site attracts visitors
in the process of relocating, and is aimed at helping people research
cities before making a move. The Web site is a service of HomeRoute, a
Howell, Mich.-based company that also connects consumers to Realtors.

Below are the top 10 cities on Relocate-America.com's "America's Top 100
Places to Live for 2007:"

1. Asheville, N.C.

2. Traverse City, Mich.

3. Ithaca, N.Y.

4. Chicago, Ill.

5. Cary, N.C.

6. Portland, Maine

7. San Francisco, Calif.

8. Stevens Point, Wis.

9. O'Fallon, Mo.

10. Spencer, Iowa

To assemble the list, the site starts by asking visitors for
nominations, which describe some of the characteristics of the cities,
including people and neighborhoods, the beauty of the area, schools,
activities, economic health and environmental health. The editorial
staff then considers education, crime, employment and housing data
statistics for the past year in order to rank the cities, the company
said in a news release.

The layers of analysis from statistical and anecdotal perspectives
prevent what Steve Nickerson, president and CEO of HomeRoute, called a
"popularity contest" among nominating visitors.

A key attribute of Asheville, as highlighted on the Relocate-America.com
Web site, is its downtown, where "artists and street musicians converge
with tourists and locals for a vibrancy rarely found in a city of this
size." The average home price in town is $265,000, according to the
site, and the housing stock includes new construction, older Victorian
homes, condominiums, single-family homes and town homes.

There is frequent turnover for the highest rankings, Nickerson said.
Last year, for example, Naperville, Ill., held the No. 1 spot. This
year, the Chicago suburb ranks farther down in the top 100.

To view the complete list -- and read more about the top 10 -- visit the
Relocate-America.com Web site. View the top 100 cities.


Amy Hoak is a MarketWatch reporter based in Chicago.