Best Places to Live Offer Job Opportunities, Affordable Home Prices

July 13, 2009— -- You may find a lot of hustle and bustle in the country's big-name cities, but in this economy the best places to settle down are towns that boast good jobs, affordable home prices and a quality schools. The top 10 towns in the country to live in range from a cozy mountain town to a scenic suburb of Seattle, according to a poll conducted by CNNMoney.

1. Louisville, Colorado

Like the outdoors? Then Louisville, Colo., Money Magazine's choice in 2009 for the best place to live, may be the spot for you. This pristine, pastoral town settled adjacent to the Rocky Mountains offers myriad options for the alfresco-inclined, like its almost 30 miles of hiking trails and proximity to prime ski resorts and natural parks. Or, if you're more of a flaneur than a hiker, skier or biker, head instead to the family-owned restaurants and ice-cream shops in Louisville's historic downtown, where its 18,000 residents are known to mingle. A typical single-family house here costs $325,000 with estimated annual property taxes of $1,590.

2. Chanhassen, Minnesota

Chanhassen, Minn., is one American town that has remained impervious to the country's economic downturn: Unemployment here was at a miniscule 6.1 percent in May, Money Magazine reports. In addition to its economic stability, Chanhassen is also reputed for its natural bounty: 11 lakes, 34 parks, and the 1,047-acre Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. A typical single-family house costs about $310,000 and property taxes are about $3,500.

3. Papillion, Nebraska

Citizens of the Midwest are famously affable, but the 22,200 residents of Papillion, Neb., a town outside of Omaha, have something extra to smile about: A 4.5 percent unemployment rate in May, less than half the national average, according to Money. Thinking of moving here? A typical single-family home in Papillion costs $200,000 with estimated property taxes of $4,000.

4. Middletown, Wisconsin

Middletown, Wisc., chosen as Money Magazine's best place to live in 2007, provides its residents with a buoyant downtown, a solid school system and proximity to Wisconsin's hip capital, Madison. Many of the town's 16,900 residents work for the state or for the University of Wisconsin, according to Money, and thus enjoy enviable job stability, which may account for the town's measly 5.9 percent unemployment rate. Middletown's typical single-family home costs about $350,000 and estimated property taxes are about $6,000.