Top 100 rank: 1
Population: 80,100
Five years ago Carmel was a quiet, upscale bedroom community that offered an easy 20-minute commute to downtown Indianapolis. Despite the recession, this formerly sleepy burb has since transformed itself into the ideal place to work and play.Carmel’s business district now has the second-largest concentration of office workers in Indiana and an unemployment rate that’s just over half the national average.The city also has excellent schools, a big sports and recreation center, a performing arts center, and wide bike lanes. All that, plus a variety of housing options ranging from older homes to new subdivisions, and you have an irresistible draw for families.
Source: CNN Money
