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3 Md. Towns Named Best Places To Live In America

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Every year, Money Magazine publishes the best places to live.  Half of the states didn't even get one city placed in the top 100.  As Mike Schuh reports, we have three.

What makes up a best place to live?  Good schools and being near a bigger city seem to help.  Three places in Maryland made the top 100.  First, near D.C., is Montgomery Village (#40).  Near Baltimore, you have to cross over the bridge into Carroll County and though a stretch of highway in Eldersburg that has the ambience of a truck stop. Dig deeper, go away from Liberty Road, to where you are welcomed in chalk.  That's an example of why Eldersburg is 67th best in the country.

In places where memories are made is where we find the good living and the Gillenwater family.

"That's basically why we chose Eldersburg: low crime.  And I can stand in front of the house and they can play in the street and I know everything's going to be fine," said Lauren Gillenwater.

Like other places on the Maryland list, Eldersburg is pretty affluent.  The average income is $92,000 and it takes $424,000 to buy a house here.

Besides safety and schools, what draws people here is land.

"You're going to get more land for your money, more house for your money," said real estate agent Pat White.

Even in this economy, they're still building here.  There are big houses but it's country enough to dry the clothes out back.

Rounding out the list is #82: Crofton.

According to Money Magazine, the best place under 50,000 people to live is Louisville, Colo.

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