On July 13, Westerville was ranked 15th on the magazine's list of 100 "Best Places to Live." This is the second time the city has made the list: In 2007, Westerville was ranked 46th.

Mayor Anne Gonzales said the city should be proud of the national accolade.

"We are deeply honored to have another opportunity to showcase Westerville on a national stage, and look forward to adding this recognition to the list of honors demonstrating what makes Westerville such a great community," Gonzales said. "Money magazine today let the world in on what Westerville residents, visitors and business owners have known all along -- that this city is remarkable in every way."

The Money magazine article cited business growth and a cozy feel as reasons for Westerville's inclusion on the list.

"The heart of this Columbus suburb is the historic Uptown District, whose buildings look much as they did in 1858," the article states. "Original 19th-century homes are interspersed with cozy bed-and-breakfasts; nearby Otterbein College offers quiet walkways and shade trees. Many residents make the 15-minute commute to the city, although Westerville has also brought businesses into the area by providing tax abatements for new construction."

City manager David Collinsworth said tending to Westerville's history with an eye to the future has always been a top priority for city leaders.

"Westerville is a unique combination of heritage and contemporary living, and we're proud that Money noticed the purposeful balance here," Collinsworth said. "As much as we are protecting and restoring our history, we are actively planning to keep Westerville one of the most commercially thriving and inviting communities in the Midwest."

To compile its list, Money magazine started with U.S. towns with a population of 8,500 to 50,000. It then excluded places where income is more than 200 percent or less than 85 percent of the state median, those that are more than 95 percent white and those with poor education and crime scores. The magazine then screened out retirement communities, towns with significant job or population losses or extreme growth, and those with no major airport within 60 miles.

The remaining communities were ranked on job growth, income increases, cost of living, housing affordability, school quality, arts and leisure, safety, health care, diversity and several ease-of-living criteria, according to CNN's Web site.

The list was further winnowed by interviewing residents in order to assess intangibles such as a sense of community.

The top 15 places to live, in descending order on the list are: Louisville, Colo., Chanhassen, Minn.; Papillion, Neb.; Middleton, Wis.; Milton, Mass.; Warren, N.J.; Keller, Texas; Peachtree City, Ga.; Lake St. Louis, Mo.; Mukilteo, Wash.; West Goshen, Pa.; Sammamish, Wash.; Superior, Colo.; Farmington, Utah; and Westerville.

lrice@thisweeknews.com