This is part of the narrative used to describe Carlinville, which has been named one of the best small towns in America, according to Norman Crampton, author of the book The 100 Best Small Towns in America.

Carlinville, located in Macoupin County, was the only Illinois community listed in the book which was published in December 1995.

Criteria for entry into the book began by defining "small towns" as a place between 5,000 and 15,000 in population. Carlinville's population is 5,416.

The second criterion was location. The author searched for communities that have their own economic bases, which excluded suburbs of big cities. After applying the entry test of size and location, each candidate town was compared with others in eight ways: annual growth rate; per capita income; local bank deposits per capita; proportion of residents in the 25-34 age group; crime rate; number of physicians; public school expenditures per pupil; and percentage of population with at least a Bachelor's degree.

Carlinville has a weekly newspaper, three FM radio stations and one AM station. The presence of such media is part of a checklist developed by the author to further narrow the list of candidates.

The final steps after identifying candidate towns with the objective criteria was to interview local residents. Interviewees were nominated by local newspaper editors, library directors, chamber of commerce officials and other knowledgeable local residents.

Carlinville Mayor Brad Demuzio lists several reasons for the city's inclusion in the top 100 ranking. "We have a great tourism committee that really promotes our community," he said. "For example, we have a annual Christmas market here that draws 10,000 to 15,000 persons."

Location is also a plus, he explained. "We're halfway between Springfield and St. Louis and we're also the county seat."

Mayor Demuzio also pointed out that the city has a strong economic base. "We're very proud of the fact that there are no vacant storefronts in Carlinville," he said. •

June 1996 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 23