Coldwell Banker Real Estate Announces Top Booming Suburbs

MADISON, NJ--(Marketwired - Jun 26, 2013) - Cottage Lake, Wash., is one of four Seattle suburbs to lead the Coldwell Banker Real Estate "Top Booming Suburbs in America" survey -- the final installment of the Coldwell Banker® Best Places to Live series. The "Booming Suburbs" ranking rated 1,500 communities based on increased year-over-year levels in employment and unemployment percentages below the national norm, along with a range of attributes that include access to suburban staples (grocery stores, banks, etc.), proximity to good schools, commuting by car and community safety.

Cottage Lake, located approximately 21 miles northeast of downtown Seattle, was joined in the top five by Sammamish and Mercer Island, both within a 30-minute commute from the Emerald City. Prairieville, La., a suburb of Baton Rouge, and Jacksonville suburb Fruit Cove, Fla., rounded out the top five Booming Suburbs, based on methodology created by Coldwell Banker and its partner in the study, Onboard Informatics.

Rank		Booming Suburb		State		Score*
1		Cottage Lake		Wash.		1,000
2		Prairieville		La.		986.42
3		Fruit Cove		Fla.		985.68
4		Sammamish		Wash.		985.56
5		Mercer Island		Wash.		983.13
6		Riverton		Utah		979.65
7		Brentwood		Tenn.		976.50
8		Lehi		Utah		975.58
9		Cooper City		Fla.		972.10
10		Maple Valley		Wash.		971.73

*The "score" in the above table is based on a scale from 1-1,000, with 1,000 being the No. 1 booming suburb.

"As America continues to bounce back from the recession, this ranking identifies suburbs that have shown strong economic growth since the recovery," said Budge Huskey, president and chief executive officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. "These communities have the American ideals we love, the suburban dream intact and a population that is finding jobs at a better rate than the national average. That is the definition of a thriving community."

Interesting Facts about the Top 10 Booming Suburbs

1. Cottage Lake, Wash. (Suburb of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue / King County) Growth in Employed Persons: 3.5 percent Average Commute Time: 30 minutes

Resembling an idyllic "Leave It to Beaver" setting, situated on a beautiful lake, this unincorporated suburb hosts many individual IT, finance, insurance, medical and biotechnology firms, but also benefits from nearby Internet, retail and other corporate headquarters in downtown Seattle. The area is also a big proponent of sustainability and the wine-making and agritourism industries.

2. Prairieville, La. (Suburb of Baton Rouge / Ascension County) Growth in Employed Persons: 2.7 percent Average Commute Time: 30 minutes

Prairieville, La., is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, with more than 25 specialty chemical and petrochemical flagship plants clustered along the Mississippi River. With more reciprocal industries populating the town and forming an individual supply chain for products, it captures a strong resident labor force specializing in manufacturing, education, health and social services.

3. Fruit Cove, Fla. (Suburb of Jacksonville / St. Johns County) Growth in Employed Persons : 3.6 percent Average Commute Time: 30 minutes

The charming suburb of Fruit Cove, Fla., is home to some of the most unique small companies, corporate businesses and specialty shops. As an unincorporated suburb, it is home to diverse industries of finance and insurance, healthcare, educational services, professional, scientific and technical services and construction, and keeps to its roots of retaining a small town feel.

4. Sammamish, Wash. (Suburb of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue / King County) Growth in Employed Persons: 3.5 percent Average Commute Time: 30 minutes

Sammamish, Wash., features a highly-dedicated workforce of employers in the technology and aerospace sectors. As a young city (the town was incorporated in 1999), there are several upscale residential communities, in addition to a local symphony orchestra, three private golf courses and a public beach within five miles.

5. Mercer Island, Wash. (Suburb of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue / King County) Growth in Employed Persons: 3.5 percent Average Commute Time: 20 minutes

Mercer Island, Wash., holds the title of most populated island on a lake within the United States, and is the 50 ^th largest city in the State of Washington. Being connected to Seattle by the second longest floating bridge in the world, this suburb emphasizes its jobs in professional services, which makes up the leading industry found within Mercer Island, followed by sectors of finance, retail and education.

6. Riverton, Utah (Suburb of Salt Lake City / Salt Lake County) Growth in Employed Persons : 2.9 percent Average Commute Time: 25 minutes

Once a rural farming town with cattle ranges, Riverton, Utah has transformed with the rise in big-box national retailers, financial institutions and chain restaurants. Previously serving as the headquarters for Intel, this suburb has now become a home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, one of the newest major employers in Riverton, Utah that recently moved its IT jobs from nearby Salt Lake City and Provo. Other regional companies based here include Micron Technology, Inc., Xango and Cabela's.

7. Brentwood, Tenn. (Suburb of Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin / Williamson County) Growth in Employed Persons : 2.2 percent Average Commute Time: 25 minutes

Brentwood, Tenn. is home to some famous athletes and musicians, and features the highest per capita income in the State of Tennessee, with Williamson County being the 17 ^th wealthiest county in the United States. Many locals work for the surrounding national and regional corporate headquarters or offices, such as Nissan North America, Comdata, Tractor Supply Company and 13 of the largest 25 publicly-traded companies in the Nashville region.

8. Lehi, Utah (Suburb of Provo-Orem / Utah County) Growth in Employed Persons : 4.2 percent Average Commute Time: 25 minutes

Evolving from a heritage of agricultural and animal industries, Lehi, Utah is known for its world-famous Lehi Roundup Rodeo and strong workforce, supported by graduates at Utah Valley University (UVU) and Brigham Young University (BYU). Thanksgiving Point, the famous museum complex with professional golf course, continues to attract regional business tenants to its new office park.

9. Cooper City, Fla. (Suburb of Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach / Broward County) Growth in Employed Persons : 3.1 percent Average Commute Time: 25 minutes

Cooper City, Fla. bears a strong and vibrant sense of community. This suburb is the fourth highest median household income in Broward County. It is also home to Brian Piccolo Park, which boasts tennis courts, multi-purpose fields, a skate park and one of the few cycling tracks in South Florida, as well as one of the best cricket grounds in the United States.

10. Maple Valley, Wash. (Suburb of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue / King County) Growth in Employed Persons : 3.5 percent Average Commute Time: 33 minutes

Maple Valley, featuring three lakes, two golf courses, and several miles of trails, harnesses the nostalgia of country living and the convenience of a city. Having more than doubled its population since the 1990s, this suburb has become one of the fastest growing areas in the state, with a job market focused on retail, construction and education.

By state, here is the list of the top Booming Suburbs:

	State		No. 1 Suburb		Score
	Alabama		Pelham		918.31
	Arizona		Fountain Hills		874.18
	Arkansas		Bella Vista		912.28
	California		Belmont		965.76
	Colorado		Highlands Ranch		909.81
	Connecticut		Trumbull		757.49
	Delaware		Newark		757.90
	District of Columbia		Washington		700.45
	Florida		Fruit Cove		985.68
	Georgia		Evans		887.04
	Hawaii		Mililani Town		910.76
	Idaho		Rexburg		928.17
	Illinois		Elmhurst		749.09
	Indiana		Carmel		849.80
	Iowa		Urbandale		883.30
	Kansas		Leawood		952.87
	Kentucky		Georgetown		846.52
	Louisiana		Prairieville		986.42
	Maine		South Portland		783.73
	Maryland		Ellicott City		946.78
	Massachusetts		Lexington		954.00
	Michigan		Forest Hills		958.95
	Minnesota		Edina		969.90
	Mississippi		Brandon		834.24
	Missouri		St. Peters		859.35
	Nebraska		Hastings		969.64
	Nevada		Summerlin South		760.46
	New Hampshire		Merrimack		810.61
	New Jersey		Bridgewater		836.57
	New Mexico		Rio Rancho		749.06
	New York		Clarkstown		773.44
	North Carolina		Chapel Hill		850.52
	North Dakota		West Fargo		818.81
	Ohio		Delaware		907.36
	Oklahoma		Broken Arrow		969.21
	Oregon		West Linn		745.80
	Pennsylvania		Plum		781.35
	Rhode Island		Coventry		733.81
	South Carolina		Mount Pleasant		884.78
	Tennessee		Brentwood		976.50
	Texas		Little Elm		963.12
	Utah		Riverton		979.65
	Virginia		McLean		919.23
	Washington		Cottage Lake		1,000
	Wisconsin		Mequon		822.84

** Alaska, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming are not included in the above list due to all suburbs falling below the 22,275 population benchmark described in the methodology.

*** The "score" in the above table is based off of a scale from 1-1,000, with 1,000 being the No. 1 suburb.

To view the past Coldwell Banker® Best Places to Live rankings, including Suburbanites and Social Seekers, please visit: http://bestplaces.coldwellbanker.com/best-places-to-live/

Methodology

Coldwell Banker® partnered with Onboard Informatics , a leading provider of trusted real estate information and technology solutions, to identify the Coldwell Banker Best Places to Live for "Booming Suburbs". For each category in the Coldwell Banker Best Places to Live series, each location was assigned a score based on 15-20 attributes selected by Coldwell Banker and Onboard Informatics. Some of the attributes for the Booming Suburbs ranking / score include access to suburban amenities (grocery stores, banks, etc.), proximity to good schools, commuting by car and community safety. Additional attributes include a low unemployment score, growth in employed persons and positive change over time in employment (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics). The resulting Booming Suburbs list includes only those suburbs that have a population greater than or equal to 22,275. While categories in the Coldwell Banker Best Places to Live series share many underlying attributes, each category is defined and calculated independently.

About Coldwell Banker ^®

Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker ^® organization has been a premier provider of full-service residential and commercial real estate. Coldwell Banker is the oldest national real estate brand in the United States and today has a network of more than 82,000 sales agents working in approximately 3,100 offices in 51 countries and territories. The Coldwell Banker brand is known for creating innovative consumer services as recently seen by being the first national real estate brand to create an iPad application and the first to fully harness the power of video in real estate listings, news and information through its Coldwell Banker On Location (SM) YouTube channel. The Coldwell Banker system is a leader in specialty markets such as resort, new homes and luxury properties through its Coldwell Banker Previews International ^® marketing program. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. Coldwell Banker is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. ( NYSE : RLGY ), a global leader in real estate franchising with company-owned real estate brokerage operations doing business under its franchise systems as well as relocation and title services.