Madison rates in ‘Family Circle’s’ ’10 Best Towns for Families: 2013′

Volunteers stuff food packs for the We Care program in Madison. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – A nationally trusted magazine has placed Madison in its Top 10 list for the best places to live.

“Family Circle” magazine has chosen Madison for its “10 Best Towns for Families: 2013.” Available on July 2, the August 2013 issue will feature these cities.

This seventh annual list reveals the country’s top towns with affordable housing options, green public spaces, strong school systems and dependable neighbors.

“We are humbled and honored to receive this national recognition from ‘Family Circle’ magazine,” Madison Mayor Troy Trulock said. “We have an amazing city with an outstanding quality of life and a nationally recognized school system that supports raising a family, so we are proud that ‘Family Circle’ has recognized our city and our entire Tennessee Valley community.”

Other Top 10 towns are Allen, Texas; Boulder City, Nev.; Marion, Iowa; Morton, Ill.; Rio Rancho, N.M; Suwanee, Ga.; Troy, Mich.; Upper Arlington, Ohio; and West Hartford, Conn.

The article states that Madison’s population is 43,932; median Income, $83,297; median home price, $199,591; and households with children, 39 percent.

“The City of Madison is making a name for itself by focusing on quality of life, as well as on growth,” Madison Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Susie Masotti said. “By keeping our businesses and schools healthy, we’re all helping make Madison a better place to live. People can’t help but take notice.”

Recognition by national publications gives Madison a platform to attract new businesses, Masotti said.

The magazine commended Madison for the We Care program, which teams Madison City Schools with churches and businesses to send meals home to 500 low-income children on Fridays for weekend food.

“Family Circle” enlisted help from Onboard Informatics, a research firm in New York City that provides real estate and demographic data. The initial list included 3,335 cities with populations between 10,000 and 150,000. That list was narrowed to include households with median incomes between $55,000 and $100,000.

For more information, visit FamilyCircle.com/besttowns.