Chardon has been named a Top 10 Small Town by Livability.com, a national website that highlights more than 500 of America’s best places to live and visit.
The website ranked the city as the No. 5 most-livable town in America behind communities in Nebraska, Colorado, Vermont and Texas.
Here's a portion of what the website said about Chardon:
"Chardon may be the smallest town on the list, but the town packs a whole lot of amenities [and] .... provides its residents with a serene, peaceful atmosphere and a host of amenities. The town’s crime rate is less than half of the national average and the unemployment rate is under 6.5 percent. Residents take pride in the town square....which has a New England feel.
The website also reported that its editors "set out to uncover the Mayberrys of 2012 -- places where life can still be simple, quiet and complete, but with more places for residents to gather other than the local barber shop."The livability.com editors reportedly narrowed down 500 cities to those with 25,000 or fewer residents (Chardon has just over 5,000 residents).
The editor then reportedly looked at median household incomes and home prices, crime rates, unemployment rates, average commutes and distances to large cities. They also considered the quantity and quality of each town’s lifestyle advantages.
“At Livability.com, our mission is to highlight those great places in between the big cities. You won't find New York or Los Angeles on the website, but you will find towns with desirable quality of life amenities, such as natural beauty, a thriving arts and cultural scene, ample outdoor recreation and a solid business climate,” said John Hood, Livability.com spokesman.