what makes a place top 10 worthy?

every now and lets say every other week Yahoo or some other place has a top 10 places to live or places to avoid. now i ask the question what exactly makes a place the best or the worst exactly again? funny thing is that i have never lived in a place in the united states that is considered top 10. always seeing a list makes me notice and then I go on. i can never figure out where they get people from around the nation to say look over here this is the best place to live. funny thing I can tell you places to avoid but it ain't the whole city or place but just a area where you shouldn't go. i often wonder the cost of living in a particular area is the reason? is it because of the Neighbors or the welcoming vibe and sentiments?? what exactly is the reason behind a selection? I bet cash money that there are people who live in those places selected and they might cringe at there city being picked or you got those folks who don't want the cat out of the bag about where they live and hope it stays just the way it is.