Plymouth gets No. 1 bragging rights

Plymouth lands atop a financial magazine's ranking of the best U.S. cities to live -- population 50,000 to 300,000.

By JENNA ROSS, Star Tribune

Last update: July 14, 2008 - 9:37 PM

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Plymouth Mayor Kelli Slavik tried not to get her hopes up that Money magazine would name her city one of the best in the nation. But its reporters kept "teasing" her by coming back. First, they toured Plymouth by car -- then by RV and boat. They interviewed city staff members, then residents, then her.

"The more information they asked from us, the better I thought our chances were," Slavik said. "But I never wanted to expect too much."

Early Monday morning, NBC's "Today" show broke the news: Money magazine had named the northwest suburb the No. 1 place to live among U.S. cities with populations of 50,000 to 300,000.

The ranking touts Plymouth's "topnotch" schools, plentiful jobs, affordable housing, low crime rate and active outdoor culture.

The label gives the city, which has a population of 71,000, a major marketing opportunity. A community that breaks the annual magazine's top 10 usually advertises it.

Like other cities before it, Plymouth plans to tout its No. 1 status on billboards, in its newsletter, at festivals and in the local media.

In 2006, Eden Prairie made the top 10 -- a fact it placed prominently on its website and city literature for months. City politicians mentioned its No. 10 ranking often as an illustration of the city's success.

Eden Prairie drops to 40th

This year -- the next time the magazine considered cities of its size -- Eden Prairie ranked 40th. This was Plymouth's first time on the list, Slavik said.

A city's ranking might rise or fall for many reasons, said Caren Weiner Campbell, special projects editor for Money. Changes in the housing market or to nearby highways might contribute.

"Maybe everyone heard it was a great town and so now, the city is overcrowded," she said. "Some of the best towns become victims of their own excellence."

Money ranks the communities based on financial data, housing, safety, crime rates, weather and similar factors.

Sure, Plymouth gets cold, the magazine says, but "when the mercury plummets, the locals get busy. In February the city hosts a Fire & Ice Festival that includes mini-golf, bowling and basketball -- all right on the ice."

After doing its computations, magazine representatives visit the highest-ranking cities. This spring, reporters descended on 22 cities. From there, Money narrowed the list to the top 10, Campbell said.

9 Minnesota cities in top 100

No other Minnesota city made the top 10, but the state was well represented in the top 100: Eagan came in at No. 17, Apple Valley at 24, Lakeville at 26, Eden Prairie at 40, Maple Grove at 41, Burnsville at 43, Rochester at 70 and Blaine at 93.

Last year, the magazine ranked smaller cities -- with populations between 7,500 and 50,000 -- to come up with its list of 100. In that tally, Chaska, population 17,400, was No. 8 nationwide. Money didn't rank cities in that size range this year.

Jenna Ross • 612-673-7168

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