JOLIET- A recent Money Magazine article ranked several Will County towns as the best places to live in the country.

Bolingbrook and Naperville both made the cut and were selected for healthy job markets, great schools, safe neighborhoods, low crime rates, recreational opportunities, and hometown charm. Joliet joined Bolingbrook in making the list of Top 25 “Places Where Homes are Affordable.”

“Will County officials are very pleased to see several of our cities recognized as premier locations in the country,” said Chairman Jim Moustis. “Much credit goes to the local governments of each city for working hard to attract and retain quality businesses, making sound investments in their education systems, and creating safe and welcoming communities for families.”

Money ranks Bolingbrook the 43rd best place to live and touts it as a “Chicago suburb [that] doesn’t take itself too seriously.” The magazine goes on to commend the town for many recreational opportunities available to residents, saying there is “something for everyone.” The median family income is listed as $96,792 while the median home price is affordable at $155,000. Job growth has been a healthy 21.25 percent for the past ten years. With the median age 29.8, Bolingbrook truly is living up to its motto as “A Place to Grow” for its many young families.

“I have been proud to call Bolingbrook home for my entire life and look forward to many more years here with my family,” said Majority Whip Ed Kusta, Jr. (R-Bolingbrook). “This is a great place to own a home, operate a business, and shop for just about anything. The Will County Board is very supportive of the local efforts to make the village standout from the rest of Chicagoland and will work hard to keep it highly ranked.”

Naperville is ranked 54th this year by Money and is credited for having “gotten the suburban lifestyle down to a science.” The city is recognized for an excellent educational system and an award-winning public library. The annual “Ribfest” and Fourth of July festivals are mentioned as major draws for locals and visitors. The median family income is reported as $125,702 while the median home price is listed as $330,000. Test scores in reading and math are well above the average of other “Best Places to Live.”

“I am very proud to represent one of the few places in the country where two towns are included in Money’s top one hundred places to live,” said board member Chuck Maher (R-Naperville). “Naperville and Bolingbrook are preferred destinations for many people across Chicagoland looking for family-fun including enjoyable festivals and events for a wide variety of interests. At the county level, we will continue our tireless efforts as elected officials to make this area appealing to both residents and the business

community.”

Money also credited Joliet with having a housing stock that is affordable and ranked the city 18th in the country for affordability. The magazine noted the population has increased by 37 percent since 2000, and a typical 2,000-square-foot home in good condition now costs less than $190,000.