DENVER -- Money magazine is out with its annual Best Places to Live survey, and three Colorado cities have made the top 20.

Fort Collins was named the sixth best place to live in the United States, Highlands Ranch came in 12th and Broomfield was ranked 19th.

This year's survey focused on the nation’s small cities, those with populations of 50,000 to 300,000.

Money magazine said its reporters crunched reams of data to find the optimal combination of job opportunities, fiscal strength, top-notch schools, low crime, good health care, lots to do, and many other factors that help make a town great for raising a family.

Fort Collins was honored for its outdoor activities and steady economy. The minus for Fort Collins according to the magazine? School budget cuts. The magazine is concerned that Fort Collins's Poudre School District is laying off 139 full-time employees.

Here's what Money magazine said about Fort Collins:

"Bikers and beers. In most parts of the country, those two elements may be reasons to move elsewhere. But in the foothills of Colorado's Front Range, bikers mean cyclists: Fort Collins has 29 miles of well-used trails. As for beers, this town has become a high-end microbrew mecca. New Belgium Brewery (maker of Fat Tire) is based in this entrepreneurial town, and competitors are moving in. People here aren't slackers either. Bolstered by Colorado State University, which employs 7,000, "the Fort" is a center of economic activity. Hewlett-Packard, the city's second-largest employer, announced worldwide layoffs in June, but they won't affect Fort Collins. In fact, the company is adding jobs here."

Fort Collins was ranked #1 in the survey in 2006.

In 2010, top honors went to Eden Prairie, MN, followed by Columbia/Ellicott City, MD, Newton, MA, Bellevue, WA and McKinney, TX.