Forbes Magazine names Midland, Mich., the 4th best small city to raise a family.

Midland City officials and community members say that's no accident and that they work hard to make midland one of the best places to live.

Forbes says Midland residents have it better than nearly every other community across the country.

The report says Midland's high school graduation rate, home ownership rate, income rate, and cost of living rank in the top five communities across the country.

Maureen Becker, principal at St. Brigid School in Midland, moved there from South Dakota in 1983 when her husband took a job at Dow Corning.

She says it's the relationships she's made that keeps her in Midland.

"We built friendships with people who are in similar situations. We would celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, the holidays with friends because family was too far away and so we've stayed for a lot of the friendships."

City officials say, they work hard to cultivate and continue an atmosphere of opportunity.

Midland Community Relations director Selina Tisdale says, "Midland is really blessed to have a lot of collaborative efforts in our community. Our government units work well together, our schools, employers, our major employers are generous to our community as well as our foundations and small businesses."

Midland wouldn't be Midland without Dow. It's Chemical, Corning, and Hemlock Semi-conductor headquarters take up roughly the same map-space as the city itself.

However, it's not just about chemicals and science.

"We've recently been recognized by U of M dearborn for our entrepreneurial programs that go on in Midland, those small businesses and innovators that support the larger Dow investments in our community," says Tisdale.

Dow is also recognized for its recreational opportunities.

Marquette, in the Upper Peninsula, was number three on the list.

Midland City officials say while Midland has a lot going for it, they want to attract and retain more young singles and recent college graduates.