There are no household registration restrictions in the United States. As long as you are in the U.S. with legal status, you can live anywhere you choose.
If you enjoy the bustling and compact life of a metropolis, you can settle in large cities like New York or Los Angeles, where there are more job opportunities, a richer social and entertainment life, and large-scale Chinatowns where you can live even if you do not speak English. However, if you prefer a quiet and peaceful life, you can choose to live in a beautiful American small town. There is no need to worry that a smaller population makes it unsuitable for living; small and medium-sized American cities offer excellent supporting facilities in all aspects, including daily life, medical care, and education.
If you enjoy the bustling and compact life of a metropolis, you can settle in large cities like New York or Los Angeles, where there are more job opportunities, a richer social and entertainment life, and large-scale Chinatowns where you can live even if you do not speak English. However, if you prefer a quiet and peaceful life, you can choose to live in a beautiful American small town. There is no need to worry that a smaller population makes it unsuitable for living; small and medium-sized American cities offer excellent supporting facilities in all aspects, including daily life, medical care, and education.
MONEY magazine and CNN Money spent months selecting the "Best Places to Live in America"—the most suitable places to raise children and celebrate life's key moments.
They selected ten quiet and warm small towns from 1,300 candidates. These towns all have the best schools and beautiful natural scenery, making them very suitable for raising children and celebrating life's journey. They are close to large cities, allowing residents to enjoy the various conveniences of a big city without the stress and pollution. The ranking of these 10 small towns is as follows:
No. 1: Moorestown, New Jersey
Many people believe that Moorestown, New Jersey, is a suitable place to live, and more importantly, the best place to raise children. While naming it the top of the 10 most livable towns, MONEY magazine also provided an explanation: it has the best schools and good employment; housing is beautiful and reasonably priced. The town prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages, but Philadelphia, which has a very rich nightlife, is only 15 miles away.
Moorestown is also a great place to work, home to large enterprises such as Lockheed Martin's radar systems division, Computer Sciences Corporation, and PNC Bank. About half of the workforce works in Philadelphia. Due to convenient transportation, it is less than a 1-hour drive to the Jersey Shore and only 90 minutes to New York City.
Although housing prices have risen by 50% over the past 5 years, compared to many large city suburbs, housing prices in Moorestown are still not high. The price of a 4-bedroom house within walking distance of the town center is between $400,000 and $500,000, and entry-level housing prices are even lower.
No. 2: Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island is a 28-square-mile harbor, only a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle. Many people who have visited Bainbridge Island say: "Every day here feels like a vacation."
There are lush trees and beautiful water views, and education is an even more important factor. The residents there are very active in paying education taxes, which provides a guarantee for the quality of teaching. Of course, not everyone stays on the island. You can drive across the bridge to the Olympic Peninsula, but people mostly take the ferry, and half of the people here commute to Seattle for work every day.
No. 3: Naperville, Illinois
Quietness and leisure are characteristics of Naperville, especially when strolling along the central streets, where people feel relaxed and safe. On the Riverwalk—a 5-mile brick-paved pedestrian path along the DuPage River—whether they are young parents, teenagers, or the elderly, people stop to greet or chat with each other when they meet. On the other hand, Naperville is also a veritable city, possessing various shops, restaurants of all flavors, and first-class theaters.
The seamless integration of big-city and small-town life is Naperville's greatest advantage, and it is precisely because of this allure. Here, you can enjoy all the conveniences of a big city without the stress of a big city.
Cultural education is also an important factor attracting people to settle here. Naperville has first-class schools and libraries.
No. 4: Vienna, Virginia
The history of Vienna can be traced back to before the American Civil War. Some buildings from that time have been preserved and given new uses, such as the Freeman House, which served as a temporary hospital during the Civil War and was later converted into a post office, store, and train station. Now, children hold summer camp activities there.
Today, employment and schools have further enhanced the value of Vienna. The median home price has exceeded $110,000 per unit. Large companies such as IBM, Capital One, and AOL have facilities here, and Washington, D.C., and the federal employment zone are only 12 miles away.
Now the number of jobs exceeds the number of housing units, and in the past 5 years, the median home price has almost doubled. However, property taxes strongly support local education, and the quality of schools ranks among the best in the nation.
Here is Wolf Trap, the only national park for the performing arts in the United States, which hosts indoor and outdoor music, dance, and theater programs all year round.
No. 5: Louisville, Colorado
Many small towns use their proximity to neighboring large cities as a talking point, but the people of Louisville do not think so. Despite being only 25 miles from the sprawling Denver and 6 miles from Boulder, the people of Louisville view their hometown as a sanctuary, not a suburb.
The city center is a street without traffic lights, lined with century-old wooden buildings, shops, and coffee shops. The main shopping area, McCaslin Boulevard, has quiet traffic and a relaxed environment.
Sports such as skiing, hiking, rock climbing, and golf are all within a 1-hour drive. The Rocky Mountain scenery of Louisville makes people overlook its economic factors. Once people come here to live for a year or two, in the vast majority of cases, they do not want to leave again.
No. 6: Barrington, Rhode Island
Barrington is located on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, surrounded by water on three sides, maintaining the relaxed feeling of an early 20th-century summer resort. The main street, County Road, runs through the entire Barrington, lined with various shops, but the commercial center is small.
Although housing prices are getting higher and higher, compared with neighbors like Newport, Barrington still has a considerable competitive advantage. The test scores of its 6 public schools rank among the best in Rhode Island. The capital, Providence, is only 10 miles from Barrington, and it is only a 1-hour and 15-minute drive to Boston, where many people are employed.
The transportation for Barrington residents is mainly by water. There is also a 17-mile-long bicycle path in the East Bay that connects to Providence and Bristol. "We are looking for a New England-style small-town life," locals say. "People walk out, and children all ride bicycles."
No. 7: Middleton, Wisconsin
What attracts people to Middleton is the schools here. Judging from the 3-year average assessment scores in Wisconsin, students in Middleton rank at the top of all three districts in all subjects.
The capital, Madison, is only 5 miles from Middleton, and the main colleges of the University of Wisconsin are located there. In Middleton, in addition to employment in education and government departments, law, biotechnology, and medicine are also major employment fields.
Although the starting price for housing in the Middleton Hills project is $450,000 per unit, the average housing price in the urban area is only half of that. If you want to go cross-country skiing or hiking in the woods, you don't have to leave Middleton at all. Most people go to Madison for nightlife, but Middleton recently opened a new performing arts center.
No. 8: Peachtree City, Georgia
Compared with other great American towns, the history of Peachtree City is very short, but it may become a model for future towns. In the 1950s, developers decided to develop 12,000 acres of farmland 29 miles southwest of Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, to build a community including 4 villages and 2 artificial lakes.
Each village has its own retail, parks, and schools, but the 10,000 households in Peachtree City are connected by winding paths. These paths are only accessible to golf carts and bicycles, and almost every family has a golf cart. "Driving at 18 miles per hour, life feels very relaxed and comfortable. It forces you to slow down the pace of life," Mayor Steve Brown explained.
The school system here is great, and the crime rate is almost zero. Although Atlanta has expanded rapidly over the past 10 years, due to project development and commercial expansion restrictions, Peachtree City is full of green space and public space. "This is the best home," said Carl Beverly, an editor at a local newspaper who has lived in Peachtree City for 28 years.
No. 9: Chatham, New Jersey
Located just 24 miles west of New York City, Chatham is like a New England small town and seems to have no connection with the bustling Big Apple (New York City).
Locals like to gather at the Beethoven Cafe for lunch and chatting. On weekend nights, this is the home of jazz. The cafe is located opposite the train station. People take the train to and from Manhattan, New York. Commuters can pick up coffee and muffins here in the morning, just by putting money into a basket.
Not everyone works in New York. There are also large corporate headquarters near Chatham, such as Lucent Technologies and Schering-Plough.
No. 10: Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is only 14 miles from the Golden Gate. Not long ago, it was a residence for artists and hippies, but now it has become a home for internet millionaires and film and music tycoons.
But most residents are willing to maintain the low-key, back-to-nature atmosphere of Mill Valley, although in fact, it is only a 30-minute drive from downtown San Francisco.
