Livin' La Vida LP

another la palma story HERE. (sent from my friend kevin.)

Best SMALL Cities
Population up to 40,000

#1: LA PALMA
Population – 16,176. Average API Score – 887 (3rd). Crime Rate – 2.16. Median prices for single family residences - $550,500 (18th). Parks/Cultural Resources ** Last year’s pick as 16th best small American city to live in by Money magazine, La Palma owes its accolades to a strong sense of community, a receptive local government, and one of the lowest crime rates in Orange County. Good schools and housing prices tending to the county’s average add to its appeal, along with a public library, outdoor concerts and recreational activities. www.cityoflapalma.org.

Parenting OC magazine’s fourth annual Best Family Neighborhoods Survey takes a closer look at those special qualities we look for in a home to determine which cities are best for families.

What we looked at:

In compiling these selections, Parenting OC magazine researched and ranked 33 Orange County cities based on the following factors:

The 2008 Academic Performance Index (API) which uses the results of several state tests including the CAT 6, California Standards Tests and the High School Exit Exam to rate public schools on a scale of 200 to 1,000. The scores noted in this report are an average of all schools in each city, not within each school district.

Crime rates for 2007 as reported in the FBI Report“Crime in the United States 2007.” The rates in this report are the number of violent and property crimes per 100 people.
Editor’s note: Statistics do not give the full picture of crime in a city. You can visit www.fbi.gov to view the raw data or contact the city for more information.

The median sales price for single-family homes, based on the Orange County Home Sale Activity report for June 2008 compiled by DQNews (for cities encom passing more than one zip code, Parenting OC reported an average or range of median prices).

The number and quality of parks and cultural resources were given a star rating on a scale of one to four.