Clarkstown, New York

County: Rockland
Nearest big city: New York City

If great schools, parks and easy access to the Big Apple are high on your priority list, then check out Clarkstown, a sprawling town nestled right along the Hudson River. The city’s home to three state parks, two National Blue Ribbon-winning high schools and an ever-growing list of celeb residents, including Bill Murray, Mick Jagger and Rosie O’Donnell.

Clarkstown also has quite the business scene, with plentiful jobs in healthcare, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing. Rockland Bakery — one of the largest bakeries in the Northeast — is also based there, boasting four distribution centers and a whopping 100 delivery trucks. Job opportunities in Clarkstown are expected to climb 15% by 2025.

The city’s crown jewel is its Congers Lake Memorial Park, where there’s a lake, playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, a dog park and, soon, a pickleball complex. Congers Lake also plays host to Clarkstown’s annual Winter Wonderland celebration, offering twinkling light displays, ice carvings, horse-and-carriage rides and, of course, visits with Santa. — Aly J. Yale

[money-bpl-stats population="84,734" income="$126,089" home-price="$450,663" unemployment="4.8%" location="Clarkstown, New York"]