Money Magazine released its 2010 list of the Best Places to live.
Columbia-Ellicott City earned the No. 2 rank with two other cities around the state also making the list. Eden Prairie, MN topped the list.
Money Mag editors cited Ellicott City's large homes, historical downtown and vibrant restaurant scene as key to its second place finish, while it was the variety of housing available, many parks and Merriweather Post Pavilion that carried Columbia to penultimate position on the list. The combined area's low jobless rate 5.1 percent in a population of 100,000 people -- equal to that of Eden Praire, which boasts a population of just 64,000 -- was also a key indicator. Add in a low foreclosure rate, proximity to Baltimore and Washington, and its clear why the two communities came in at the top of the list.
Gaithersburg and Rockville made the top 100 list, coming in at No. 25 and No. 31, respectively.
Source: CNN Magazine
Writer: Walaika Haskins