Minnesota's BEST

Minnesota BEST Our quiet little "Land of 10,000 Lakes" is being recognized in several studies as a great place to live! Of course, the residents here already knew that, but a little recognition for it never hurt! Forbes has named the Top 10 Cities for earning a living and MINNEAPOLIS, MN is #2! Houston tops the list and with its oil and commodities industry it's not hard to see why. What's shocking is Minneapolis coming in at #2, or is it? Forbes took information about the location of headquarters for 400 best big companies and 200 best small companies. They also compared each metro's median income with the cost of living. While you would think cities like New York, Los Angeles, and even Chicago would top the list, consider the companies headquartered in Minneapolis. We have Target, Cargill, Pepsi Americas, Travelers Insurance, Best Buy, 3M and United Health Group. In fact, Minnesota is host to 19 Fortune 500 companies and eight Fortune 500's on the Global list. Money Magazine named Plymouth, MN as the # 1 Most Livable Town in the U.S. "This year Money's number one Best Place to Live reflects robust Midwestern values in a small city that is 30 minutes from a vibrant metropolis, with a low cost of living, rising incomes, and job growth," said Money managing editor, Eric Schurenberg. "It's simply a great place to raise a family, join a community, and build a rich life." Minnesota ranks in the top 7 for "Greenest" states, 3rd for Wind Energy Production, and the Twin Cities were ranked the 5th Cleanest in the WORLD in 2007 by FORBES. Why would you want to live anywhere else? Use these great Minnesota facts in your next client presentation, especially for those clients from out of state! For more on this and other stories please visit: http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/08/18/cities-10-living-forbeslife-cx_mw_0818realestate.html http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL2751730.html http://www.metromsp.org/sidebar/why_nationalrankings.htm