The human admiration for superlatives is a natural and fundamental impulse.  The Guinness World Records fascinate millions the world over for this very reason. The urge to possess better and bigger things is also nearly universal, be it a better job, a larger house, a sleeker car or that big screen TV. Homebuyers, who seek to buy a new home and relocate to a new city, can be helped by the various lists of “Best Places to Live In” that proliferate on the internet.

Such “best places” lists make interesting reading, regardless of whether they have been framed on the basis of sound parameters or reliable statistics. The average reader is wont to trust the power of the printed word and be influenced by such lists. However, common sense dictates that one subject such recommendations to a more insightful scrutiny before taking important decisions in one’s life on their basis. However, let’s see which cities a few such lists would rank above others on different scores.

Sperling’s Best Places to Live had ranked the top 5 as: 1. Gainesville, Fla. 2. Bellingham, Wash. 3. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore. 4. Colorado Springs. 5. Ann Arbor, Mich.

Forbes had listed the following as the top 5 Places to set up a Business In: Indianapolis, IN, Fayetteville, AR, Durham, NC, Nashville, TN, and Phoenix, AZ. Forbes may be a reliable guide but has a penchant for releasing newer lists almost every other day, or so it seems to me anyway. So, Forbes lists call for a close monitoring. It is quite like there being too much of a good thing. 

Then there’s a list of Best Cities for Jobs in 2008 released by Matthew Kirdahy. The top 5 in this list are: 1. Salt Lake City, UT, 2. Wichita, KS, 3. Austin, TX, 4. Atlanta, GA, and 5. Fort Worth, TX.

The top 5 US cities ranked by Money Magazine for 2009 are: 1. Louisville, CO, 2. Chanhassen, MN, 3. Papillion, NE, 4. Middleton, WI, and 5. Milton, MA. 

US News has graded the top 5 for the current year as follows: 1. Albuquerque, N.M., 2. Auburn, Ala., 3. Austin, Texas, 4. Boise, Idaho, and 5. Durham, N.C.

You ought to surf the net for the latest updates to these and similar lists. Finally, bear in mind the old adage that “East or west, home is best” and that it is up to only you to make your home and hearth cozy and happy just where you please.