Growing up in the shadow of Kansas City, Overland Park has found myriad ways to distinguish itself as an affordable community populated by well-educated professionals. In 2003 Overland Park was ranked 3rd in Money magazine's "Hottest Towns" with more than 100,000 people in the central region. The city was also nationally recognized in 2003 as one of "20 Best Places to Live & Work" ( Employment Review magazine). Other national honors indicate that Overland Park is a community that is child-friendly, welcoming and safe for women, and open for business. Overland Park is an urbane and thriving city in Kansas in the twenty-first century.