Best Places to Live: Where are We?

The annual CNNMoney list of the top 100 U.S. cities to live just got released today...and the disappointing part is that neither Wildwood or Eureka show up on it.

For a complete list of the 100 chosen cities, click here.

Don't you have to wonder why we're not there?

The editor's online information indicated their selections come from using statistics from data services company Onboard Informatics. They stated they crunched the numbers to zero in on America's best small towns for families. Last year, they said they looked at small cities, with populations between 50,000 and 300,000.

The nearest Missouri cities to make this year's list was Ballwin, Webster Groves and Lake Saint Louis.

Here's how the editor's of the list outlined their 2011 process:

3,570
Start with all U.S. towns that have a population of 8,500 to 50,000.

1,548
Screen out places with median family income more than 200 percent or less than 85 percent of the state median; those more than 95 percent white; and those with poor education and crime scores.

749
Exclude retirement communities and towns with major job losses. Rank the rest based on job growth, home affordability, safety, school quality, health care, arts and leisure, diversity, and several ease-of-living criteria.

100
Factor in more data on the economy (including fiscal strength of state and local governments), jobs, housing, and schools. Weight economic data most heavily.

35
Visit towns and interview residents, assess traffic, parks, and gathering places, and consider intangibles like community spirit.

1
Select the winner based on the data and reporting.