NEENAH — CNN Money has named Neenah as one of the nation’s top 25 “best places to live where homes are affordable.” Neenah ranked No. 24 on the list. The village of Brown Deer near Milwaukee was the other Wisconsin community on the list, ranking No. 19. Neenah Mayor George Scherck said the city’s placement on the list is a source of pride. He even quipped that Neenah’s ranking was “a little low.” “Everybody who has heard about it is excited,” Scherck said, “but I don’t think we’re surprised especially because we all recognize that this is a great place to live.” Scherck said a CNN reporter called him a month ago, so he knew Neenah was in the running for the honor. The rankings were based on sales data collected by county and municipal assessors’ offices. To be considered, communities had to have more than 100 home sales in 2012 and had to experience job and population growth. No more than two places within a state and no more than one within a county could qualify. CNN Money calculated Neenah’s median home price at $112,307 and family income at $66,345. “So often people see this as a rich community where only the wealthy live,” Scherck said. “I think it was important that they recognized we have the gamut, from Wisconsin Avenue mansions to regular homes.” CNN Money described Neenah as “home to 3,800 feet of Lake Winnebago shoreline, where residents spend a lot of time boating, waterskiing, fishing and sailing. The water is so important to the community that last year, a local woman (Alice Jean Smith) donated $600,000 to build a waterfront park.” Scherck said Neenah has many unique qualities, from the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum to concerts at Shattuck Park. “We’re a small-town community with big-city amenities,” he said. “You see waterfront activities being held in Milwaukee, but we have them on the waterfront right here in Neenah every week.” Neenah planners will use the ranking to market the city to residents and businesses looking to relocate. “It’s certainly something that sets us apart,” Scherck said. The top five places listed were Altamonte Springs, Fla.; Plano, Ill.; Homewood, Ill.; Powder Springs, Ga.; and Lilburn, Ga. — Duke Behnke: 920-729-6622, ext. 32, or dbehnke@postcrescent; on Twitter @DukeBehnke
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 14:32:03 +0000
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