Magazine: South Elgin one of the best small towns

South Elgin Village President Jim Hansen doesn't need a list to tell him his village is one of the best places in the country to call home.

But a little outside validation is always nice.

Money Magazine once again has named South Elgin one of the 100 best small towns in the United States.

This year, South Elgin squeaked in at 98th among towns with populations between 8,500 and 50,000 people. Four years ago, when the village first made the list, it was 82nd.

“I've always felt it's just an honor to even be on the radar, let alone actually making the list,” Hansen said.

The magazine publishes the list every year and weighed several factors when it made the rankings. They included median family income, health care, home affordability, school quality, safety, job growth and arts and leisure. Other towns Money recognized in Illinois were Carol Stream (49th), Glen Ellyn (54th) and Oswego (58th).

South Elgin bills itself as the place “Where tradition meets future” and received kudos for its history, its proximity to the Fox River, its award-winning parks and recreation department and its core community of small businesses that have drawn new housing and bigger retailers to the area.

According to the magazine, “Everyone knows everyone by first name in this historic town 40 miles west of Chicago. South Elgin's small-town charm comes from a close-knit community and a long history — it was established in 1897.”

Village Administrator Larry Jones says South Elgin has not yet discussed whether to use the latest ranking as an ongoing marketing tool.

For now, village leaders are delighted to bask in the glow of the accolades and to talk about it every chance they get — again.

“It is an honor,” Jones said. “We all know that there's a lot of very nice communities and we pass though them in our area and it's just very nice to be singled out as one of the top 100.”