Tiny Varnell, Ga., spans just 2.5 square miles and its entire population could fit inside Chattanooga's AT&T Field nearly five times over.
But the little Whitfield County bedroom community has been ranked as the best place in Georgia to raise children by BusinessWeek.com.
Low taxes, good schools, affordable housing and a relatively high per capita income, as well as a location close to a larger city, factored into the ranking, according to the online article.
Other high scorersTennessee: HohenwaldAlabama: MontevalloNorth Carolina: StatesvilleSource: BusinessWeekSee complete list of rankings at BusinessWeek.com.
The ranking surprised the city's mayor, but he said Varnell has done much in recent years to make the community welcoming to families.
"I'm just amazed," said Mayor Dan Peeples. "But I'm very excited because I think it's because of the things we've done that are already paying off."
The city recently plunked down $500,000 on a community center. It has built sidewalks and added streetlights and walking trails to be even more family friendly, Peeples said.
For access to all that, plus police, fire and trash service, homeowners pay about $100 a year in city taxes if their home is worth about $150,000, Peeples said.
Whitfield County hasn't raised its property tax rate in nearly a decade, and it ranks as one of the lowest-taxing counties in Georgia.
"It's a very popular place for families," said Dalton Realtor John Morgan. "We see a lot of interest there because of the schools, the home prices and it being near Dalton and Chattanooga."
BusinessWeek.com said the city's per capita income is $69,000 annually, compared with $19,000 in Whitfield County and $25,000 statewide.
On top of that, it's near the Nob North Golf Course and is close to Prater's Mill, the site of an annual fall festival.
"Varnell is just a one-stoplight town, but the people really make the community," said Mike Wilson, who started a family with his wife there 12 years ago and now has two boys. "Everyone from the business and community leaders to the school principal are enthusiastic about Varnell."
Varnell Elementary School met federal Annual Yearly Progress standards last year and earns seven out of 10 stars from GreatSchools.org, a website that tracks and compares test scores among schools nationwide. New Hope Middle School earned eight out of 10 in the same ranking.
"We feel like our school is a true small-town school," said Varnell Elementary Principal Lisa Jones. "We really know our students and their families, and that makes the students comfortable to come to us when they have great accomplishments ... and when they are struggling."
The BusinessWeek.com article said Leesburg, a suburb of Albany, Ga., was a runner-up in Georgia. It also highly ranked Montevallo, Ala., just south of Birmingham; Hohenwald, Tenn., southeast of Nashville; and Statesville, N.C., near Winston-Salem.
The acknowledgment was big news in Varnell, and it brought accolades from the district's congressman.
"It's a proud day for Varnell and the 9th Congressional District," said Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga. "This national recognition is a testament to the quality of life that the community has fostered, as well as the genuine goodness of the people who live there."
Contact staff writer Adam Crisp at acrisp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6323.