Why Central Minnesota is the Best Place to Live

“U.S. News & World Report” just came out with their list of the 2016 Best Places to Live in the U.S.

The top five on the list included:
1. Denver, Colorado
2. Austin, Texas
3. Fayetteville, Arkansas
4. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
5. Colorado Springs, Colorado

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area came in at number 12 which isn't terrible, but I think whoever made this list should've considered adding the St. Cloud area to the rankings.

Here my my top five reasons why Central Minnesota is the best place to live!

5. We can drink the tap water, places like that get more and more scarce.
4. There are lakes everywhere! At most you're probably 30 minutes away from a crystal clear lake that can be used for activities year round.
3. There are so many amazing local restaurants to eat at! My personal favorite is Val's, real original I know, but their burgers are the best.
2. We have all the stores and shops you could ever need, but still manage to maintain that small town feel.
1. "Minnesota Nice" is a real thing here. Everyone is willing to lend a helping hand to someone in need.

What do you think makes the St. Cloud area the best place to live? Leave me a comment below!