Money Magazine Ranks Sammamish as Country's 15th Best Small Town

For almost everyone in Sammamish, it was some good news to digest, especially on a Monday.

Money Magazine has ranked the city of Sammamish as the 15th best place to live in its annual list of the top small towns in the country.

For 2011, the magazine lauds the city for proximity to Microsoft, Amazon and Boeing, and views of snow-capped mountains - the Cascades and Olympics.

The only small town in Washington state to make the top 10 list this year was Mukilteo. That city came in ninth place. Money editors placed Newcastle in 18th place.

Money published a list of the top 100 "best" small towns to live in the country. On its website, Money pointed out the criteria its editors used to select towns this year:

"These terrific small towns stand out in the qualities American families care about most - great job opportunities, top-notch schools, safe streets, economic strength, nice weather, plenty to do, and more," according to text posted on Money's website.

The full summary about Sammamish, which includes demographic data, can be found online.

This is not the first year that Sammamish made the Money list. In 2007, the magazine ranked the city the 11th best small town in the United States.

In April, Forbes Magazine ranked the public schools in the city as the fifth best in the U.S. West - and 17th in the country - in terms of real estate value and academics.

The Monday news of Sammamish returning to the "best" list will undoubtedly be welcomed by government and business leaders, ordinary residents, people looking to sell their houses, real estate agents and those considering making a move to or in the Seattle region.