By U.S. News & World Report, Special for USDR
U.S. News & World Report today unveiled the 2016 Best Places to Live in the United States. The new list ranks the country’s 100 largest metropolitan areas based on affordability, job prospects and quality of life. Denver, Colorado, is named the No. 1 place to live on the inaugural list, followed by Austin, Texas, at No. 2. Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, take the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively. A second Colorado city, Colorado Springs, rounds out the top five.
The 2016 Best Places to Live ranking was determined in part by a public survey of thousands of individuals across the U.S. to find out what makes a place desirable to live in. The methodology also factors in data from the United States Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as U.S. News rankings of the Best High Schools and Best Hospitals.
“The Best Places to Live ranking accounts for the most important concerns people have about where to live, such as cost of living, employment opportunities and access to good schools,” said Miriam Weiner, product manager for Real Estate at U.S. News. “Top-ranked areas not only have steady job markets, but they also have attributes that contribute to a high quality of life – affordability, low crime rates, shorter commute times and quality health care.”
Roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population lives within one of the metropolitan areas on the Best Places to Live list. Among these cities, some smaller ones in the middle of the country make a notably strong showing.
With a close proximity to Denver and the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Springs ranks in the top 10 because it is viewed as a desirable place to live. Fayetteville, Arkansas, makes the list for being the most affordable, while Boise, Idaho, scores high due to a low rate of crime and high quality of life. Boise also has one of the lowest unemployment rates out of the top 10. The full rankings are available here.
Best Places to Live is part of the expanding Real Estate channel at U.S. News, which includes the Best Real Estate Agents and advice content to help individuals make important real estate decisions.
2016 U.S. News Best Places to Live Rankings – Top 10
*See the full rankings here.
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1. Denver, CO |
6. Boise, ID |
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2. Austin, TX |
7. Seattle, WA |
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3. Fayetteville, AR |
8. Washington, DC |
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4. Raleigh-Durham, NC |
9. San Francisco, CA |
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5. Colorado Springs, CO |
10. San Jose, CA |
For more information on Best Places to Live, explore Facebook and Twitter using #BestPlaces2016.
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion,www.usnews.com provides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. 35 million people visit www.usnews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
SOURCE U.S. News & World Report
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