For what used to be a working cattle ranch during most of the 20th century, the modern-day community of Fountain Hills has certainly earned its fair share of state and national accolades.

The most recent recognition came from Phoenix magazine in its May 2006 edition, naming Fountain Hills as the “number one” best place to live in the Valley.

The magazine looked at all 22 municipalities in the Phoenix metro area, examining such “quality of life” issues as crime rates, tax rates, home prices, schools, etc.

The accolades first started coming in the 1990s, when growth was accelerating in the community after the 1989 incorporation and economic boom throughout the Valley.

Because of the growing reputation Fountain Hills gained as a place for families, the community in 1993 was listed in the book “50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family." That tradition was carried on in 1997, when Parenting magazine named Fountain Hills as one of 10 “great” places to raise families from throughout the entire United States in a special 10th anniver­sary issue it published.

The community was even mentioned on an Oprah Winfrey show, prompting a slew of calls to the town’s Chamber of Commerce and other outlets.

Then in 1999, a Valley poll conducted by Phoenix CBS television affiliate KPHO Channel 5 showed that Fountain Hills is one of the more desirable places to live in the Phoenix metro area.

The poll examined such issues as quality of schools, low crime, air quality and favorable property value appreciation. Fountain Hills tied with Mesa for the second place position overall in the poll. In addition to ranking number two, Fountain Hills scored near the top in nearly all categories including the number one spots in the areas of low crime and low pollution.

As for the Phoenix magazine ranking, the issue describes the town as “a welcome oasis on the outskirts of a metropolis.”

For the second consecutive year, the magazine measured 22 Valley communities on quality of life factors.

Fountain Hills jumped from No. 5 last year to the top spot in 2006.

The same criteria came into play for best retiree locales. NeighborhoodScout.com is a Web site that lets visitors compare communities. Fountain Hills was ranked among the top 15 towns near a metro area to retire “if money’s no object.”

The profile describes Fountain Hills with a $61,619 median household income, $465,000 median home price and property tax rate of $9.08. Violent crimes totaled 12; non-violent crimes tallied 619.

The student/teacher ratio was reported at 13.1. The town has 8.6 million of square feet of retail and 3.6 park acres for every 1,000 residents. The town is 25 miles from Sky Harbor airport.

Selection of the top towns for retirees in the nation’s 15 largest metro areas is based on the concept that retirees want to live near a cultural center but like a low crime rate, vibrant mix of residents and “conveniences that are hard to replicate in most pastoral settings.”

These are towns where "you're in the metropolitan area or its hinterland and you would be able to go out to dinner in the central city on a Saturday night and still return home," said Andrew Schiller, a geographer and founder of NeighborhoodScout.com.