As seen in the August 2008 issue of Money magazine and on the web at CNNMoney.com.
Shawnee, KS
Top 100 rank: 39
Population: 59,200
With a heritage of pioneering and fur trading, Shawnee has roots going back long before Kansas was a state. Once a small farming center, Shawnee’s population has boomed, more than tripling in the last three decades.
To step back in time, visit Shawnee Town, an outdoor museum interpreting small-town life from the 1920s that also hosts an annual arts and crafts fair. Old Shawnee Days, a summer festival in June, draws more than 90,000 people annually, and offers a big parade, carnival, and recently, a tomato roll down the street.