Suwanee Lands on “Best Places to Live” list

“When people see the town center, the ten-acre park, surrounded by a mixed-use area that included City Hall, and shops and restaurants, they’re really surprised that there’s really that much in Suwanee,” says city spokeswoman Lynne DeWilde.

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The researchers focused on areas with less than 50,000 people and considered a number of factors.

“We are looking for places with good economic numbers, increasing jobs, low unemployment.  We’re also looking for good schools,” says Kristen Bellstrom, a senior editor at Money Magazine.

But do these surveys really matter?

“I think if you’re in the market for a new community you might really pay attention to those kinds of lists.  ’Hey, I’m moving to Georgia, I wonder where a good place might be,’” says DeWilde.

People have been moving to the Suwanee area recently.  Its population has roughly doubled from 2000 to 2010.

“Downtown is vibrant, we have a very healthy housing mix from entry-level homes to multi-million dollar homes.  We have a high-tech corridor with a number of jobs.  We have over 500 acres of park land,” says city manager Marty Allen.

Two other Georgia cities got the nod on Money Magazine’s list.

Evans came in 43rd, five spots above Peachtree City.