Manassas Park Named One of the Best Cities in America

According to CNN Money Manassas Park is one of the best places to live in the country. The city ranked 56th on CNN's annual list of Best Places to Live.

“Personally I'm tickled to death! It's great that the city was recognized,” Manassas Park Mayor Frank Jones said Tuesday. 

According to the CNN Money website, Manassas Park was chosen for a number of reasons including its low unemployment rate (five percent), diversity and efficient school system.

 Jones agreed that education sets Manassas Park apart from most places. He explained that the school system was small enough that students are able to get enough attention from their teachers. He also said that the children will be able to get to know each other throughout their school years more than they would in larger jurisdictions.

“There are 2,500 kids in our school system,” Mayor Jones said. “In larger towns, that's just how many are enrolled in high school.”

Manassas Park ranked above other cities on the list when it came to job growth as well. According to the report from 2000 to 2010, Manassas Park saw jobs grow 14.95 percent. The average city on the list only saw jobs increase 1.38 percent.

Home prices in the city are better than most on the list. The city's median home price is about $189,000 while the median for other cities on the list is $265,929.

“Our housing availability is very nice,” said Jeffrey “JK" McKay, Chairman of the Economic Development Authority (EDA).

“[The list is] recognition of the good work a lot of good people did over many years. People that have worked hard to make the city what it is today,”  Jones said. 

EDA Vice Chairman Bill Wren agrees. Before working on the EDA, he served on the Manassas Governing Body for 20 years from 1984 to 2004. He remembers how the city's founders bought neighboring land and had to fight to have it become part of the city. He also remembered how, the city worked with Manassas and Prince William County to bring the Virginia Railway Express (VRE)  to the city. He said that he felt Manassas Park's ranking will be good for the city. “City Center needs retail,” he said. “Anything to add to the non-residental tax base.”

McKay said that the city's ranking could be economically beneficial. “If people are reading it, they have an interest in taking good advice. This could help in Manassas Park immensly,” he said. McKay hopes that the list will draw in more business to the city. “I think if we can rough through this hard economic time and get retail and other fun things out their to do, it would be wonderful.”

The report wasn't all good news for the city. While other places on the list averaged reading and math test scores 25 percent above state average, Manassas Park fell below. The city average reading score is 1.1 percent below state averages while math is 2.7 percent below.