In July, Money magazine and Parenting magazine named four Hampton Roads cities to their national ‘Best’ lists for 2010.

Chesapeake and Suffolk were included in the list of “Best Places to Live” by Money magazine.  In the list of 100 cities, Chesapeake came in at No. 85 and Suffolk at No. 91.  The list was based on the following factors:  housing, affordability, school quality, arts and leisure, safety, health care, diversity and several ease-of-living criteria.  The fiscal strength of the government and jobs were also considered in the rankings. 

Chesapeake’s “diverse, business-friendly” status helped secure its spot on the list.  Also favorably noted were three large companies with offices in Chesapeake: Canon, Cox Communications and Dollar Tree.  Finally, the “strong military presence” from nearby Norfolk Naval base gave points to Chesapeake’s stable economy.

Suffolk was noted for its local history and opportunities for leisure.  Both Lake Meade and Dismal Swamp State Park were cited as places for residents to relax.  The job growth stats for Suffolk, 25.02% from 2000-2009, far exceeded the 15.71% average for the other “Best” cities on the list. 

Read the complete article:  CNNMoney.com.

Parenting magazine named Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk to its “Best Cities for Families 2010” list.  Virginia Beach came in at No. 14, Chesapeake at No. 45 and Norfolk at No. 66.

The list of 100 cities was created based on several quality of life factors, in order of priority: quality of schools, affordability and availability of quality housing, low crime rates, job availability and growth, number of registered sex offenders, recreational opportunities, quality / quantity of pediatricians / family physicians, commute time and distance, proximity to a good children’s hospital, quality / quantity of chidcare facilities and preschools, and air quality.  Parenting’s lists were created using data collected from a nationwide survey, sent to members of their ‘MomConnection’ research panel. 

A special section of Parenting’s “Best Cities for Families 2010” list focused on the “10 Cities with the Strongest Economies,” and Virginia Beach came in at No. 8.

Using the top 100 cities based on population, the list was narrowed down using six economic categories including robust economies, unemployment rates, property values and commute times, Virginia Beach is considered to be one of the U.S. cities “weathering the economic turmoil well.”  Home values on the rise and an unemployment rate of 8% were also major factors.

Read the complete article:  Parenting.com.