Based largely on its affordability, cultural and leisure activities, education options and quality housing, Pittsburgh is the ninth smartest place to set down roots, Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine said today.

The magazine studied data that also included the quality of healthcare, crime rates, weather and commute times in an effort to determine the 50 most fiscally sensible cities in America in which to live. Bert Sperling, co-author of the book Cities Ranked and Rated, assisted in the number-crunching. Reporters visited the top 10 towns.

The results are in the June issue of the magazine, and on its Web site.

Tops was Nashville, followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul and Albuquerque, N.M. Pittsburgh fell between Ithaca, N.Y., and Iowa City.

Cross-state rival Philadelphia ranked 22, and Cleveland didn't make the top 50.

"We gave extra weight to economic diversity and overall quality of life," said Janet Bodnar, the magazine's deputy editor and a West Homestead native who recused herself from any involvement in Pittsburgh's ranking. Coastal cities fared poorly because it costs so much to live in them, she said.

"Numbers don't lie. The affordability is there," said Mayor Bob O'Connor. "I'm hearing more and more young people wanting to come back to Pittsburgh because we have everything they've wanted."

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.