2 PA Towns Named Among Money’s 50 Best Places To Live

PENNSYLVANIA — Two Pennsylvania municipalities were just named among the 50 Best Places to Live in America, according to a recent report from Money.

Money said the 50 places on the list, released earlier this month, offer affordability, good schools and strong job markets, and are places with “a palpable spirit, nurtured and sustained by engaged citizens and receptive public officials.”

In a departure from previous years, Money did not rank the places but instead grouped them into five categories highlighting their strengths: suburbs with soul, best-kept secrets, new boomtowns, not just college towns, and culture hubs.

In Pennsylvania, Lancaster was recognized in the New Boomtowns category. Money said the city once known for its Amish charm has grown into something entirely new with museums, breweries, theaters and an Amtrak station providing easy trips to Philadelphia, New York or Washington, D.C.

"Lancaster also has a food scene that can give most towns a run for their money: Greek, Thai, Vietnamese, Irish pubs and Trinidadian fare line North Prince Street and North Queen Street downtown," Money wrote. "For a different vibe, pop by Lancaster Pie & Coffee for a slice of coconut cream pie, or check out the locally grown produce and meat at Lancaster Central Market."

Also on the list was Media, recognized in the Suburbs With Soul category. Money said the walkable town offers amenities from Ridley Creek State Park (complete with horse riding and hiking trails), rustic farmers markets and plenty of restaurants spanning Italian, American and Asian cuisine.

"Still, it’s Media’s proximity to the City of Brotherly Love that makes it a top pick for many of its residents," Money said. "The suburb is only a half-hour train ride from the south side of town on Philly’s commuter rail."

Collectively, the cities and towns on the list are a “blueprint for the future,” Money said.

The report is based on data on such things as the health of the job market, average housing costs, the percentage of residents living in poverty and the quality of public schools, as well as reader polls. But, the editors acknowledged, things that make a town or a city worth living in can’t always be quantified.

To expand the report, Money also considered a breadth of research from public policy and advocacy groups, such as the American Planning Association, Brookings, Main Street America and the Project for Public Spaces, supplemented by data from Moody’s Analytics, SchoolDigger, Realtor.com, the St. Louis Federal Reserve, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and others.