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Three Kansas cities on list of 'hottest towns'
The Kansas City Star
The weather may be below freezing, but three Kansas communities are among the “hottest towns” in the country, according to the latest issue of Money magazine.
An article in the magazine's January issue ranks the U.S. towns deemed most desirable to live in. Leawood, Olathe and Overland Park made the list.
The 87 towns listed were divided into eastern, central and western regions. Within each category, the towns were split between those with a population of more than and fewer than 100,000 residents.
In the central part of the country, Leawood was rated the eighth-most desirable town among those with a population under 100,000 residents.
Leawood Mayor Peggy Dunn attributed the town's spot on the list to its excellent schools and services and proximity to Kansas City.
“I hear from people all the time that they feel that Leawood is sort of a well-kept secret,” she said.
Olathe Mayor Michael Copeland said Olathe's ranking made sense because it is one of the fastest-growing American cities, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“People are moving here because we have a great quality of life,” he said. “Besides being a big city, we still have a small town sense of community.”
The magazine looked at towns within 60 miles of a major city and with above-average population growth, income and home prices. Local real estate prices were compared to local median income to find the towns people were willing to devote the highest percentage of their income to live in.
In the west, Plano, Texas was the hottest town with over 100,000 residents. Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., was No. 1 among towns with a population of under 100,000.
Carry, N.C. was the most desirable large eastern town and Sugarland Run, Va., was ranked best among smaller eastern communities.
Dennis McKee, director of the Johnson County Economic Research Institute, said a favorable housing market may lead to several other area towns making the list within 10 years. He suggested Gardner, Lenexa and Shawnee as possible contenders.
The entire list is available at www.money.com/bestplaces/.
— Aman Batheja/The Star
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Central region's hot towns
Population under 100,000
1. Woodbury, Minn.
2. Dublin, Ohio
3. Wildwood, Mo.
4. Libertyville Township, Ill.
5. Chesterfield, Mo.
6. Leawood
Population over 100,000
1. Naperville, Ill.
2. Lawrence Township, Ind.
3. Overland Park
4. Olathe
Source: Money magazine, Jan. 2004
Three Kansas cities on list of 'hottest towns'
The Kansas City Star
The weather may be below freezing, but three Kansas communities are among the “hottest towns” in the country, according to the latest issue of Money magazine.
An article in the magazine's January issue ranks the U.S. towns deemed most desirable to live in. Leawood, Olathe and Overland Park made the list.
The 87 towns listed were divided into eastern, central and western regions. Within each category, the towns were split between those with a population of more than and fewer than 100,000 residents.
In the central part of the country, Leawood was rated the eighth-most desirable town among those with a population under 100,000 residents.
Leawood Mayor Peggy Dunn attributed the town's spot on the list to its excellent schools and services and proximity to Kansas City.
“I hear from people all the time that they feel that Leawood is sort of a well-kept secret,” she said.
Olathe Mayor Michael Copeland said Olathe's ranking made sense because it is one of the fastest-growing American cities, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“People are moving here because we have a great quality of life,” he said. “Besides being a big city, we still have a small town sense of community.”
The magazine looked at towns within 60 miles of a major city and with above-average population growth, income and home prices. Local real estate prices were compared to local median income to find the towns people were willing to devote the highest percentage of their income to live in.
In the west, Plano, Texas was the hottest town with over 100,000 residents. Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., was No. 1 among towns with a population of under 100,000.
Carry, N.C. was the most desirable large eastern town and Sugarland Run, Va., was ranked best among smaller eastern communities.
Dennis McKee, director of the Johnson County Economic Research Institute, said a favorable housing market may lead to several other area towns making the list within 10 years. He suggested Gardner, Lenexa and Shawnee as possible contenders.
The entire list is available at www.money.com/bestplaces/.
— Aman Batheja/The Star
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Central region's hot towns
Population under 100,000
1. Woodbury, Minn.
2. Dublin, Ohio
3. Wildwood, Mo.
4. Libertyville Township, Ill.
5. Chesterfield, Mo.
6. Leawood
Population over 100,000
1. Naperville, Ill.
2. Lawrence Township, Ind.
3. Overland Park
4. Olathe
Source: Money magazine, Jan. 2004
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