Carmel Center for the Performing Arts

According to September 2012 issue of Money magazine and based on a variety of socio-economic, climatic, financial, and demographic attributes, Carmel, Indiana (just north of Indianapolis) is the best place to live in the United States in 2012. Eden Prairie, Minnesota (southwest of the Twin Cities) took third place in the annual barometer. Other Rust Belt communities included in Money magazine’s Top 100 include:

#11 Woodbury, Minnesota (Twin Cities)

#12 Fishers, Indiana (Indianapolis)

#14 Eagan, Minnesota (Twin Cities)

#19 Lakeville, Minnesota (Twin Cities)

#22 Maple Grove, Minnesota (Twin Cities)

#26 Troy, Michigan (Detroit)

#37 West Bloomfield, Michigan (Detroit)

#39 O’Fallon, Missouri (St. Louis)

#48 Amherst, New York (Buffalo)

#53 Naperville, Illinois (Chicago)

#61 Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago)

#71 St. Charles, Missouri (St. Louis)

#72 West Hartford, Connecticut (Hartford)

#76 Florissant, Missouri (St. Louis)

#78 Shelby, Michigan (Detroit)

#80 Wheaton, Illinois (Chicago)

#81 West Des Moines, Iowa (Des Moines)

#84 Macomb, Michigan (Detroit)

#85 Bensalem, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)

#88 Iowa City, Iowa

#90 Ames, Iowa (Des Moines)

#95 Millcreek, Pennsylvania (Erie)

#99 Waukesha, Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

#100 Ann Arbor, Michigan

Congratulations to all those Rust Belt communities that made the Top 100 in 2012.

- Rick Brown