Location, location, location: Manchester sits in a sweet spot within 90 minutes of the White Mountain and Lakes Region and the Atlantic Coast, 53 miles from Boston, a two-hour drive to Providence, Rhode Island, and five hours to New York City and Montreal. The Merrimack River runs through it, while Lake Massabesic lies smack in the middle. The Queen City (so-called because it’s larger than the state capital of Concord) made our top 10 for Household Income, ranking #10 with a median of $58,227. That figure, coupled with a presence of Fortune500 companies, yielded a #28 ranking overall for Prosperity. With 10 colleges and universities and technology, manufacturing, communications, financial services, and health care among its major sectors, Manchester ranked #31 in our People category. More than 87% of residents finished high school or higher, and nearly 29% earned their bachelor degree or higher, catapulting the city to a #26 ranking for Educational Attainment. Nearly 14% of residents in the city of immigrants are Foreign Born, for a #46 standing. With more than 60% of the city’s workforce employed in small business (fewer than 10 employees), a highlight in the Manchester Master Plan is small business retention and growth.