Lawrence is back among the top 100 communities in the country to live, according to a Web site that matches people with places that fit their needs.

Relocate-America.com on Tuesday released its “Top 100 Places to Live” for 2006. Lawrence didn’t make the list a year ago, after first cracking the top 100 in 2004.

Communities are nominated by visitors to the site, then have several factors – quality of K-12 education, crime rates, employment data, median housing costs and real estate appreciation – reviewed by Relocate-America.com staffers.

The site assigns specific rankings only to the top 10 communities. This year Naperville, Ill., topped the list, while Boulder, Colo., ranked No. 3 and Columbia, Mo., came in at No. 8.

More than 5,000 communities were considered. Also making the list from Kansas were Overland Park and Wichita.

News of Lawrence’s ranking didn’t surprise Rob Hulse, president of the Lawrence Board of Realtors.

“This just further validates what we already know: We do have a great community,” said Hulse, a Realtor for Stephens Real Estate. “It’s schools. It’s education. It’s exposure to culture. It’s the great resource that is KU. It’s an educated work force. It’s good, Midwestern values in a progressive community.”