Their mission: to find the most livable places in the country.

The results of that survey were declared recently.

Saratoga, with a rank of 26, has now officially joined the list of the best places to live in the country. The only town that ranks higher in Northern California is Mill Valley in Marin County.

Robin Stoffers, a longtime Saratoga resident, is not surprised by the results.

"I think most people move here for the school system. We have great weather, too," she said.

Stoffers said that she likes Saratoga because of its size. "It is small physically," she said. "My children don't have to go very far if they want to meet up with a friend."

Saratoga's school system is one factor cited again and again by residents.

"People are very concerned about the quality of schools," said Mike James, managing broker at Coldwell Banker. "Saratogans should be proud of their city."

Susan Hong, who moved to Saratoga from San Carlos five years ago, said that besides the good schools, she likes the quiet and solitude.

"Some of the neighborhoods have a lot of trees. Our Realtor showed us a house with a large backyard. We simply could not refuse it," Hong said.

According to the survey, Moorestown, N.J., is the best place to live in the country right now. The study looked at such factors as housing prices, the quality of life and the risk from personal and property crime. In a related poll, Saratoga, with a median household income of $147,163, finished seventh in the country in the "Biggest Earners" category. Other survey categories include the safest places to live, the priciest homes and the most educated community.

City Manager Dave Anderson said Saratoga has always had a reputation as a great place to live. "This just confirms what we have always known," he said.

Josiah Sloane, chef and owner of Saratoga's Sent Sovi restaurant--a destination in its own right--said the city's quaint charm was its most endearing quality.

"This isn't a town that has strip malls for miles and miles. It's a cute place where you can go for a nice, pleasant walk," he said.

Sloane said Palo Alto, where he grew up, was once like Saratoga. "But it has become a huge bustling town," he said. "Places like Saratoga are a dying breed in California."

Living in Saratoga is like taking a small step back in time, he said.

Carol Burnett, a vice president at Alain Pinel Realtors, said that many people who move to Saratoga like it because it is more than 90 percent residential. "It's nestled against the mountains. San Francisco and Carmel are not too far away," she said.

Burnett said that it was hard to predict the impact of the survey on Saratoga or its reputation.

"We're not a destination town like Tahoe or Aspen," she said.

Harry Murray, vice president of Intero, another real estate company, said the poll will help increase interest in Saratoga.

"It's already a beautiful place. It will be known nationwide now," he said.

Pallavi Khokhani, whose family moved to Saratoga from upstate New York 19 years ago, said Saratoga's charm lies in being a bedroom community. "There aren't a lot of offices here," she said.

Khokhani said her family had moved to the Bay Area because of better job opportunities, but chose to live in Saratoga because of the schools.

"Schools were the biggest deciding factor for us," she said. "We looked at places from Morgan Hill to Fremont before we moved here."

The results of the survey are featured in the August issue of Money, on newsstands now. Results can be found online at www.money.com/bestplaces.