RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - Apex used to be known as a sleepy bedroom community of Raleigh, but now the town of 42,000 has developed a reputation as a stand-alone desirable  place to live.

Money Magazine has named the Wake County town the No. 1 small town in which to live in the  United States. It has ranked in the top 15 for several years.

The magazine ranked small towns -- those with populations of less than 50,000 -- on employment opportunities, and qualify of life.

Money reported that Apex's proximity to high-paying jobs in the Research Triangle and its small-town charm helped catapult it to No. 1.