Vacaville makes list of top cities

Vacaville makes list of top cities
By Melissa Murphy
Posted: 04/24/2009

Vacaville has been named one of the top 100 cities to call home, according to a real estate relocation Web site.

The annual listing by RelocateAmerica.com included only three cities in California this year - the other two are Temecula and Riverside.

The announcement didn't surprise Mayor Len Augustine.

"It's a great place to be a mayor," said Augustine, who has lived in the city for some 34 years. "I'm prejudice to the city. We have amazing people who volunteer their time and come together. It's truly the people that make this city what it is."

This is the second consecutive year Vacaville has been selected as one of the Top 100 Places to Live, but the Web site said it approached its selections a little differently this time around.

"With the increasing concern on our nation's economy and recovering housing market we approached this year's list with a different lens than in previous years," said Steve Nickerson, president and CEO of TrueV New Media, which maintains RelocateAmerica.com. "We concentrated on the outlook for future growth and ability to rebound in the communities that we selected."

In a press release announcing the selections, Nickerson said, "We looked at the local government and the business leadership in each community as we considered this year's winners. We selected communities with visionary leaders, improving or thriving economies including housing and realization of 'green' initiatives."

RelocateAmerica.com's editorial team reviews nominations and selects the top 100 cities based on interviews with local leaders, feedback from residents and economic, environmental, education, crime, employment and housing data for the past year.

Augustine believes Vacaville's stable and educated workforce along with a strong faith-based community make the city unique.

"There is a lot to say," he added. "We have a safe community, one that's not at war with each other, but one that has residents that work together and continually volunteer their time no matter what the call."

Executive Director of Solano Economic Development Corporation Mike Ammann agreed.

"Vacaville does a lot of things well," he said, pointing to the city's stable economy and diverse industry as an example. "It's a really solid community that offers pretty much everything a family would want."

Ammann added that Vacaville's ability to recruit large employers like the California's State Compensation Insurance Fund to the city validates that locating to Vacaville is a good location decision for businesses.

Augustine is hopeful that Vacaville's streak will continue.

"Naturally, we're pleased to be one of only three California cities selected for this honor," he said in the press release. "It's a tribute to our residents, our employees, our businesses and our community in general. Next year our goal is to make the Top 10, and I think we can do it."

The complete Top 100 List along with community profiles, photos and video can be viewed at http://top100.relocate-america.com/.