America is a mobile society, which means we can pick up and move to where the grass is greener -- to better jobs and more rewarding lifestyles. But when a magazine like BusinessWeek suggests the best places to raise our children, how closely should we pay attention?

Businessweek, along with community research firm OnBoard, recently rated the top 50 towns and suburbs in five categories: test scores, crime, cost of living, recreational and cultural activities, and number of schools. The state with the most mentions was Nebraska, but the towns lauded by the report were all under 2,500 in population.

In fact, the story weighted so heavily toward small Midwest towns, that Businessweek published a followup to give those readers a voice.

What was noticeably absent from the original criteria was diversity and employment opportunities, according to complaints about the story from online readers.

What the magazine found was disturbing. The number one place to raise children, according to its original criteria, was Groesbeck, Ohio. Online readers pointed out that Groesbeck is 92% white, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Number 35, Franklin, Georgia, has a population of only 902 and a median income of $19,000 putting it at poverty level. And number eight -- Lackland Air Force Base outside of San Antonio, Texas, is restricted to families of Air Force personnel.

Others noted that the list didn't contain enough criteria about schools. High test scores, for example, favor communities with low immigration where schools don't have the added expense of English as a second language programs.

So before you pack up and move to South Cleveland, Tennessee, for its low crime rate, or Buffalo Grove, Illinois, for its recreational and cultural activities, consider that some data has a flip side. Low cost of living invariably means low wages, and low crime is usually linked to low population.

Published: January 15, 2008

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.