WINNER
Top 100 rank: 27
Population: 113,200
Compare Ann Arbor to Top 10 Best Places
University of Michigans colors may be blue and maize, but Ann Arbor screams green. With a Green Fair, Earth Day festival, adopt a park, and downtown cleanup programs, along with several other initiatives for environmentally green living, its no wonder Ann Arbor has been named one of Americas Greenest Cities.

The University of Michigan brings jobs, sports, arts and culture to the city, along with 40,000 college students most of the year (which often causes traffic congestion).

Outdoor opportunities abound, with 156 parks and close proximity to the Huron River. Ann Arbor also boasts abundant nightlife, complete with jazz and comedy clubs.
Financial  City stats  Best places avg.
Median family income
(per year)  $87,061  $93,313
Family purchasing power
(annual, cost-of-living adjusted)  $88,208  $84,802
Sales tax  6.00%  6.60%
State income tax rate
(highest bracket)  N.A.I  5.22%
State income tax rate
(lowest bracket)  3.90%I  2.42%
Auto insurance premiums
(Average price quotes, for the state)  $2,051  $1,854
Job growth %
(2000-2007)  -1.40%  18.60%
Housing  City stats  Best places avg.
Median home price  $220,000  $293,712
Average property taxes
(2005)  $4,783  $4,072
See Ann Arbor homes for sale
See million-dollar homes
Education  City stats  Best places avg.
Colleges, universities and
professional schools (within 30 miles)  17  40
Junior colleges and
technical institutes (within 30 miles)  6  20
Test scores reading
(% above/below state average)  17.6%  17.3%
Test scores math
(% above/below average)  17.3%  16.6%
% students attending public/private
schools (located within town limits)  84.0/11.0  89.5/10.5
Quality of life  City stats  Best places avg.
Air quality index*
(% of days AQI ranked as good)  74.7%  76.0%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)  3  2
Property crime incidents (per 1,000)  26  25
Median commute time
(in minutes)  15.4  23.0
% population with commute
45 mins. or longer  9.1%  15.8%
% population walk or bike to work  18.5%  3.0%
Leisure and culture  City stats  Best places avg.
Movie theaters
(within 15 miles)  24  51
Restaurants
(within 15 miles)  1,332  4,141
Bars
(within 15 miles)  81  338
Public golf courses
(within 30 miles)  272  242
Libraries
(within 15 miles)  32  90
Museums (accredited by AAM;
within 30 miles)  4  11
Ski resorts (within 100 miles)  3  13
Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts)  0.8  1.5
Weather  City stats  Best places avg.
Annual rainfall
(inches)  33.80  36.31
% clear days in the area  18  30
High temp in July ° F  83.7°  87.8°
Low temp in Jan ° F  16.5°  22.9°
Health*  City stats  Best places avg.
Has health plan
(% of residents)  90.9%  88.2%
Body mass index (avg. for residents)  27  27
Diabetes rates
(% of residents diagnosed)  10.9%  9.6%
Hypertension rates
(% of residents diagnosed)  28.2%  27.3%
Meet the neighbors  City stats  Best places avg.
Median age  29.8  36.0
Completed at least some college
(% of residents)  87.6%  73.6%
Married  37.9%  57.5%
Divorced  7.3%  8.3%
Racial diversity index
(100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity)  119.7  104.0
Amount spent on vacations
(domestic and foreign, household avg. per year)  $7,194  $8,012
From the August 2008 issue
Notes:
* County data
** State data

(I) Income tax notes:
17 states have statutory provision for automatic adjustment of tax brackets, personal exemption or standard deductions to the rate of inflation. Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska and Ohio indexes the personal exemption amounts only.