New North: Manitowoc, Fond du Lac among top 15 small cities in which to raise a family

Contact: Joshua Morby

Mobile: 920.968.4197

Email: media@thenewnorth.com

NEW NORTH, October 28, 2010 – Forbes magazine has ranked Fond du Lac 14th and Manitowoc 2nd on its list of the top small cities in America in which to raise a family.

The publication ranked 126 metropolitan areas with a population under 100,000 based on quality-of-life measures, including the length of commute, median household income, housing affordability, level of home ownership, and high school graduation rate.

“In ranking after ranking, one thing is clear about New North communities: our cities are among the best places in the country in which to live, work, and raise a family,” said Jerry Murphy, Executive Director of the New North, Inc. “Whether it’s safety, quality of education, affordability, or any other measure, communities like Manitowoc and Fond du Lac are consistently among the best anywhere in the nation.”

Among all five criteria used by Forbes, Manitowoc ranked in the top 30. Fond du Lac was in the top 50 in four of the five categories, including 12th in median household income.

The state of Wisconsin dominated the rankings, boasting four of the top 15 communities.

To view the complete rankings, or to find out more about the methodology, please visit http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/25/small-cities-family-lifestyle-real-estate-quality-of-life.html.

New North, Inc. is a regional collaboration effort focused on promoting regional cooperation and economic development in an 18-county region in Northeast Wisconsin. The 18 counties included in the New North are Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet, Waupaca, Brown, Shawano, Oconto, Marinette, Door, Kewaunee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Florence, Menominee, and Waushara. To find out more information about New North, Inc., please visit our website at http://www.thenewnorth.com.