Money magazine and CNNMoney.com recently a released a list of 100 Best Places to live in America and believe it or not Cave Spring was voted 89th. Their focus this year was on small towns- with a population of 8,500 to 50,000.

Money conducted a poll that resulted in more than 43,000 respondents that measured what Americans value most. That poll included good jobs, low crime, affordable housing, things to do, schools, health care, diversity, weather, and much more as important.

And according to those who live in the area, this came as no surprise because they love the area of Cave Spring. With a population of 25,300, Money says, “Cave Spring is a slow-paced, family-oriented community adjacent to the city of Roanoke, a bustling industrial hub. Carillion Health Care, Advance Auto Parts, GE, Toshiba, and ITT have large operations in the area. Virginia Tech is less than an hour away, and several high-tech companies have a presence here too. Cave Spring has a temperate four-season climate, so there are recreation opportunities year round. For hiking and biking, the Appalachian Trail isn’t far, and there’s skiing in the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.”

SWoCo caught up with some residents to find out exactly their reaction:

Summer Carpenter, a lifetime Cave Spring resident said, “It should be number one. It’s a wonderful place to live. I’ve been here all my life. I love the mountains. It’s beautiful. The town is not so big, everything is convenient. I’ve never experienced crime and I’ve always felt safe. I’m glad I’m here. After traveling some and coming here, it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.”

Bill Fleshman who served in the army and worked for the FBI and the Congressional Committee in Roanoke, said, “I grew up here and did all my schooling here. It kind of confirmed how I felt about it. I did not want my kids raised in the D.c. area. I wanted a better life for them. So I decided to come back here. The article in Money Magazine clung to that. I think overall it’s the ease of living. Things here are so much easier. If you want to be downtown it’s 15 minutes, if you want to play golf it’s 15 minutes. It’s just more enjoyable and the people are friends and there are a lot less complications.”

According to recently retired Roanoke County administrator, John Chambliss, “I’m not surprised. I think we have excellent community systems. There is a lot of pride in the community and the schools are incredible. The things that I like are the distinct four seasons and it makes this a very pleasant place to live and grow a family.”

Paul Mahoney, County Attorney who grew up in D.C. and then lived in West Virginia before settling in the Cave Spring area said, “I’m very happy to see that number one. Number two, I’ve been County Attorney since 1994. When my wife and I moved here in 1985 we moved here specifically. We looks at the schools and we really enjoyed what we saw in the community. Roanoke County Schools were a key factor, so we bought a house in Penn Forest. It’s safe, the kids can play, it has the convenience of being in Penn Forest, yet only a few blocks away you have 419 shops and restaurants. It was the livability. The location was perfect, the lifestyle is very nice and the schools are excellent. So for me, reading the magazine- it was like we knew that all along. This was a choice for us. We could have lived and moved anywhere but this place had all the attributes we were looking for.”

Doug Chittum, Economic Development Director said, “The whole Cave Spring area is an area where your school is your community. It’s safe. I’m proud to live there. We’ve got a small town feel. I just think the area has been blessed. It’s a very livable community right at the parkway — even living near Bent Mountain. A lot of small businesses, if they want a chance, they want to start in Southwest County. It’s very reflective of the whole area. I think it’s just as easy to be a part of one of those communities.”

To view the link to CNNMoney’s site with the article, click here.

And as usual we’d love to hear your responses!