Overland Park is a great place to call home.

From our low crime rate and excellent schools to attractions, such as the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead and the Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, OP remains a nationally recognized city.

Here is a snippet of the awards and honors the city has received in the last two years:

2012

• Overland Park among Top 11 cities in U.S. For Raising a Family - "The schools are better than good, there's no crime, and parents have a place to work..." said Movoto.com of Overland Park in picking the Top 11 Cities in the U.S. For Raising a Family.
• Overland Park Among Top 10 Best Places to Live - CNN Money Magazine rated Overland Park ninth (previously ranked seventh in 2010). In ranking the top 100 cities, CNN Money Magazine, said Overland Park had no lack of town spirit, residents rave about friendly neighborhoods, people flock to the biweekly Downtown Overland Park Farmers' Market, known as one of the best in the area, enjoy the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, Overland Park Soccer Complex and Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead. Overland Park is one of three cities in the nation to be consistently named in the Top 10 since 2006.
• Top 10 Soccer Cities in United States - Overland Park was ranked No. 1 by Livability in its list of the Top 10 Soccer Cities in United States. Livability cited the fact the Overland Park Soccer Complex was the only one of its kind in the nation. The 96-acre complex with 12 lighted regulation-size fields, all with synthetic turf, hosted the 2010 US Youth Soccer National Championships, and will host the 2013 US Youth Soccer National Championships.
• 10 Best cities for jobs in Financial Services - Overland Park was ranked No. 8 in the nation by AdvisorOne as one of the best cities to find a job in financial services, mortgage industry, engineering, transportation and manufacturing, and consumer products.

2011

• 25 Top Suburbs for Retirement - Overland Park was recognized by Forbes Magazine in its ranking of cities for various categories. Forbes noted that Overland Park has four hospitals, has about 175,000 residents, includes colleges, low crime, average home prices in the mid-$200,000 and a cost of living a "whopping 12 percent below the national average."

2010

• Heartland Tree Alliance Award - Overland Park's Legacy of Greenery Committee, the city's official tree board, was recognized by Bridging the Gap for protecting, preserving and increasing the metropolitan area's urban forest.
• Overland Park among the Top 50 safest cities in United States - CQ Press ranked Overland Park 44th out of 400 cities nationwide in its annual "City Crime Rankings."
• The Best Cities for Moms - The Daily Beast (blog) said Overland Park was No. 8 and had conditions to make mom happy and offers the best quality of life for mothers.
• Overland Park ranks among the top 100 Places to Live - RelocateAmerica.com said Overland Park was one of the best places to live after talking with local leaders, receiving resident feedback and reviewing data from the past year regarding the local economy, environment, education, crime, employment and housing. "Overland Park residents enjoy a cost of living below the national average."
• 10 Best Places to Reinvent Your Life in Retirement - U.S. News & World Report searched for places that provide plenty of recreational and cultural activities, including museums, concerts and outdoor space, ranking Overland Park No. 10. Further, it considered affordable housing and reasonable cost of living; generally open to hiring older workers, and especially sought after places that offer jobs in a relatively recession-resistant economy. Other factors considered education and health care.
• Overland Park Among Top 10 Best Places to Live - CNN Money Magazine rated Overland Park seventh (previously ranked ninth in 2008). In ranking the top 100 cities, CNN Money Magazine said Overland Park had outstanding schools, the 300-acre Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, the downtown Overland Park Farmers' Market and Overland Park Soccer Complex were outstanding community amenities.
• Where homes are affordable - CNN Money Magazine said Overland Park "is right in the thick of the Kansas City metro area scrum - and it has a history of being included in "best places" lists. For its size, the city has a disproportionate number of Fortune 500 company headquarters, which contributes to higher median income. The quality of life is high, with good schools and low crime. Plenty of nice, three-bedroom homes are on the market for less than $200,000."

2009

• Top five places to start a business - Fox Business News
• Best small town for startup businesses - BusinessWeek
• Top 10 best places to grow up in America - US News & World Report
• Top 26 "6-figure towns" - Money magazine
• Top 20 best places to raise your kids in America - BusinessWeek

2008

• Top 10 best places to live in America - Money magazine
• "Best Kansas City Place for Family Bonding," Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead - Nickelodeon's ParentsConnect
• Favorite "Free Place to Visit," and Finalist, Favorite "Day Trip," Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead - KC Parent Magazine
• Favorite "Family Walking Trail," Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, and Finalist, Favorite "Family Walking Trail," Indian Creek Hike/Bike Trail - KC Parent Magazine

For additional honors or more information, call 913-895-6000.