SOUTH PORTLAND — Money magazine named South Portland among the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States for 2017.
The list, released Monday, “represents the best of America’s towns and cities; places that offer economic opportunity, a sense of community, and access to amenities that make life more enjoyable,” according to Money Editor Adam Auriemma.
South Portland, population 25,799, squeaked onto the list at No. 100 and is the only Maine community to be recognized. The city’s noted attributes include a median home price of $205,625, a median household income of $56,472 and an average work commute of 17 minutes.
Compiled with realtor.com, the list also recognized that the city has a projected job growth rate of 4.6 percent, a high school graduation rate of 87 percent and weather that typically includes “200 clear days per year.”
The list includes communities with populations between 10,000 and 100,000 and tallies factors related to economic health and general livability, including tax burden, public school performance, crime rate, ethnic diversity, and amenities ranging from hospitals and restaurants to museums and public parks.
Topping the list is Fishers, Indiana, “a booming city with good schools, low cost of living and an entrepreneurial buzz.”
Other New England communities on the list include Waltham, Massachusetts, at No. 13, and Nashua, New Hampshire, at No. 57.
Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at:
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