Date: April 22, 2010

For more information contact: Angela Harrington, 641-236-6555

 

 

The City of Grinnell has been named the number one small town to live in the nation by RelocateAmerica. Grinnell also made RelocateAmerica’s “Top 100 Places to Live” list.

“We’ve known Grinnell is the best place to live and work for a long time, so this is no surprise to us. Our secret is getting out,” says Todd Linden, a member of the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce’s board and president and CEO of Grinnell Regional Medical Center. The chamber led the efforts that captured RelocateAmerica’s attention, with significant support from Grinnell Mayor Gordon Canfield and Monica Chavez-Silva, director of community enhancement and engagement at Grinnell College and a member of the chamber’s board of directors.

Other small towns—defined as communities with populations less than 40,000—that made the small town top 10 list were St. Augustine, Fla.; Fairhope, Ala.; Stillwater, Minn.; Summit, N.J.; Ashland, Ore.; Batavia, Ill.; Ithaca, N.Y.; Peachtree City, Ga.; and Trumbull, Conn.

RelocateAmerica’s editorial team reviewed thousands of nominations to produce its list of the best 100 communities to live. The company also interviewed local leaders, gathered feedback from residents, and analyzed economic, environmental, education, crime, employment, and housing data for the past year. The editorial team cited Grinnell as a community “with strong local leadership, employment opportunities, thriving community commitment, improving real estate markets, growing green initiatives, plentiful recreational options, and an overall high quality of life. “