![160914_BPL_TOP50_02COLUMBIA 160914_BPL_TOP50_02COLUMBIA](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/01_columbia.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
A planned community in Maryland, an eco-friendly town in Minnesota and a riverside collection of villages in New York are now among the top places to live in the United States, according to a new ranking by our partners at Money.
The magazine’s annual list judges small towns based on 60 factors, looking for places with affordable housing, low taxes, good schools and strong job opportunities. The list prioritized economic factors this year.
Columbia, Md., a planned community that turns 50-years-old next year, received the top spot on the list because of its job growth and highly-rated school system. The town is specifically designed to accommodate and promote diversity—one of the characteristics its residents are most proud of. Among the places featured on the magazine’s list of the best big cities are Boston; Raleigh, N.C.; and Portland, Ore.
See Money‘s complete list here.
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Write to Katie Reilly at Katie.Reilly@time.com