"In a troubled world, Happy Valley is the place to be," State College Mayor Bill Welch said.

Maybe that is one of the reasons State College was ranked No. 9 in a list of the 100 best places to live in 2006 by Relocate-America.com.

"You just have to take a walk through the downtown or across campus to know why this is one of the best places to live on the planet," Welch said. "We call it Happy Valley without a trace of irony."

The study done by the Web site -- which serves as a directory for people looking to relocate -- was based on surveys submitted by visitors to the site and data on various public information, said Tonja Deegan, communications director for Relocate-America. Naperville, Ill., was ranked No. 1.

"We look at responses and look for people really passionate about their communities and have compelling reasons of why they should be on list," Deegan said.

She added that data, such as crime statistics, the school system, cost of living, median home cost, rate of appreciation, environmental studies and air and water qualities are considered along with borough and school district Web sites.

Deegan said Relocate-America.com has been ranking the 100 best places to live since 1998, and this is the first year State College has been on the list.

Teresa Sparacino, Downtown Improvement District director, said the rank assures her that the work that has been done to improve the downtown and make it more attractive to many different kinds of people is paying off.

"We want to attract young professionals, empty nesters [and] retirees, and our goal for the downtown is that it is multigenerational," Sparacino said.

Cathy Dauler, State College Borough Council president, said she thinks there is a movement of people leaving suburbs and moving to more urban places where they are in the core of a community.

"We live in a very walkable community," Dauler said. "It's possible to live downtown or in older neighborhoods and take advantage of what the downtown has to offer."

Dauler said amenities such as the new Schlow Centre Region Library, 211 S. Allen St., and the renovation of the State Theatre, 128 W. College Ave., as well as plans for additional attractions, have taken many years of hard work that is now showing results in studies like this one.

"There are a number of these surveys, but it doesn't surprise me that we are considered a good place to live," Dauler said.

Sparacino said the university adds a lot to the demographic of the community with both alumni moving back to the area and people who are seeking employment with the university.

"Not only the quality of life here, but the quality of the university and what it means to have graduated from Penn State," Sparacino said.

Welch said the university is no longer the dominant entity that it was 50 years ago, and today there are a lot of people who work and lead lives here without any Penn State connection.

Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said the university has a strong impact on the community, but he thinks the rankings are a combination of a lot of things.

"Having Penn State as an anchor for the community adds a lot of vibrance and things that improve quality of life for folks who live here," Kendig said. "Certainly, the university has a strong impact on rankings."

Kendig said the area already sees the benefits through The Village at Penn State, a retirement community in Toftrees.

"It's a community where people are constantly learning," Kendig said. "They give back to the university through life experiences that they share with students."