(Radio Iowa) — A report from 24-7 Wall Street names the northwest Iowa community of Le Mars as the best place in the state to live. Le Mars Mayor Dick Kirchoff says he’s pleased to see others recognize Le Mars as a friendly, desirable community. Mayor Kirchoff says, “They were talking about the affordability category, the economy category, the quality of life in this town, the population, the number of entertainment and culture venues, restaurants and everything that we have here.”

The report says goods and services in Le Mars typically cost 15-percent less than the national average. It also says housing in Le Mars is particularly inexpensive, with the average household spending about $4,000 less than the average annual housing cost nationwide.  “This really puts the frosting on the cake in regard to what we’ve been trying to do and talk about,” he says. “We want to make this town a destination city.”

Kirchoff believes the recognition for Le Mars may help with the community’s economic development, attracting businesses and families. “The new people that are coming in here for jobs, particularly in our industries, quality of life is a very, very important factor, taking care of their families,” Kirchoff says. “It’s a big asset, what they’re looking at. We’ve been very fortunate to keep our quality of life program going very strong.”

The report shows Le Mars has a population of just under 10-thousand, and rising. It’s home to a Blue Bunny manufacturing plant which churns out more ice cream from a single company than any other city, earning Le Mars the nickname “The Ice Cream Capital of the World.”