Great to Live for Less

Forbes magazines has compiled a list of cities where $500,000 will still buy an exceedingly comfortable lifestyle.

To choose these 10 locations, Forbes examined the cost of the typical four-bedroom, two-bathroom, and 2,200-square-foot home. They also factored in the amount of patent and venture capital activity, average commute, and an average cost of living below $100,000.

The top cities were:

1. Irvine, Calif.
2. Raleigh, N.C.
3. Bellevue, Wash.
4. Portland, Ore.
5. Sunnyvale, Calif.
6. Redmond, Wash.
7. Austin, Texas
8. Chandler, Ariz.
9. Rochester, N.Y.
10. Plano, Texas

Source: Forbes, Matt Woolsey (02/12/2009)