2019’s Best College Towns & Cities in America
2:49 AMPosted by: Adam McCann
High school seniors face a laundry list of tasks when getting ready for college. Between standardized tests, essays and financial-aid applications, the final months before orientation can be difficult. One of the most important steps in the process is the campus visit, which often includes a tour of the city or town that will serve as the student’s home for the next several years. Experts have argued that a school’s geographical location is just as important as a strong curriculum and supportive school environment to a student’s academic success and personal development. As student living expenses can reach up to $26,200 for a 12-month period, students should try to find the most bang for their buck.
To help prospective college students narrow down their school choices and to follow up our report on 2019’s College & University Rankings, WalletHub compared more than 400 U.S. cities of varying sizes based on 30 key indicators of academic, social and economic opportunities for students. Our data set ranges from cost of living to quality of higher education to crime rate. Below are our findings, additional expert commentary and a full description of our methodology.
Overall Rankings Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/8974/geochart-college1.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2C3aZTJ>Best College Towns & Cities
| Rank (1=Best) | Large City Name (Score) | Rank (1=Best) | Midsize City Name (Score) | Rank (1=Best) | Small City Name (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin, TX (61.93) | 1 | Orlando, FL (61.89) | 1 | Ann Arbor, MI (59.77) |
| 2 | Tampa, FL (58.41) | 2 | Scottsdale, AZ (56.90) | 2 | Provo, UT (59.51) |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV (56.89) | 3 | Gainesville, FL (54.95) | 3 | Rexburg, ID (59.05) |
| 4 | Seattle, WA (55.99) | 4 | Salt Lake City, UT (53.99) | 4 | Stevens Point, WI (59.03) |
| 5 | Los Angeles, CA (55.61) | 5 | Madison, WI (53.44) | 5 | West Lafayette, IN (57.05) |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA (55.37) | 6 | Vancouver, WA (52.45) | 6 | Storrs, CT (55.88) |
| 7 | Miami, FL (55.23) | 7 | Irvine, CA (52.22) | 7 | Orem, UT (55.70) |
| 8 | San Diego, CA (54.95) | 8 | Reno, NV (51.95) | 8 | College Station, TX (54.21) |
| 9 | Columbus, OH (54.09) | 9 | Henderson, NV (51.71) | 9 | Starkville, MS (53.27) |
| 10 | St. Louis, MO (53.84) | 10 | Tempe, AZ (51.62) | 10 | Charlottesville, VA (52.99) |
| 11 | Pittsburgh, PA (53.52) | 11 | Knoxville, TN (51.61) | 11 | East Lansing, MI (52.53) |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC (53.21) | 12 | Pasadena, CA (51.47) | 12 | Athens, GA (52.43) |
| 13 | Tucson, AZ (52.78) | 13 | Cincinnati, OH (51.29) | 13 | Charleston, IL (52.43) |
| 14 | Minneapolis, MN (52.74) | 14 | Plano, TX (50.99) | 14 | Asheville, NC (52.22) |
| 15 | Nashville, TN (52.39) | 15 | McKinney, TX (50.02) | 15 | Berkeley, CA (52.07) |
| 16 | Dallas, TX (52.10) | 16 | Cary, NC (49.82) | 16 | Fayetteville, AR (51.77) |
| 17 | San Francisco, CA (51.78) | 17 | Charleston, SC (49.67) | 17 | Muncie, IN (51.77) |
| 18 | Sacramento, CA (51.35) | 18 | Overland Park, KS (49.66) | 18 | Oshkosh, WI (51.72) |
| 19 | Houston, TX (51.26) | 19 | Boise, ID (49.56) | 19 | Chapel Hill, NC (51.60) |
| 20 | Denver, CO (51.26) | 20 | Tallahassee, FL (49.45) | 20 | Logan, UT (51.22) |
| 21 | Long Beach, CA (51.07) | 21 | Sterling Heights, MI (49.33) | 21 | Oxford, OH (51.17) |
| 22 | Charlotte, NC (50.71) | 22 | Fort Collins, CO (49.33) | 22 | Athens, OH (51.05) |
| 23 | Chicago, IL (50.42) | 23 | Durham, NC (49.31) | 23 | Princeton, NJ (51.04) |
| 24 | Kansas City, MO (50.03) | 24 | McAllen, TX (49.24) | 24 | Santa Barbara, CA (50.86) |
| 25 | Jacksonville, FL (50.02) | 25 | Denton, TX (49.19) | 25 | San Luis Obispo, CA (50.84) |
| 26 | Mesa, AZ (49.89) | 26 | Carrollton, TX (49.14) | 26 | Bozeman, MT (50.79) |
| 27 | Philadelphia, PA (49.76) | 27 | Buffalo, NY (49.14) | 27 | Green Bay, WI (50.59) |
| 28 | San Antonio, TX (49.59) | 28 | Killeen, TX (49.12) | 28 | Bellingham, WA (50.58) |
| 29 | Washington, DC (49.57) | 29 | Chandler, AZ (49.09) | 29 | Blacksburg, VA (50.58) |
| 30 | Colorado Springs, CO (49.33) | 30 | Murfreesboro, TN (49.07) | 30 | Champaign, IL (50.51) |
| 31 | Phoenix, AZ (48.42) | 31 | Spokane, WA (48.90) | 31 | Wilmington, NC (50.06) |
| 32 | Boston, MA (48.37) | 32 | Rochester, NY (48.69) | 32 | San Marcos, TX (50.02) |
| 33 | Portland, OR (48.29) | 33 | Providence, RI (48.69) | 33 | Davis, CA (49.81) |
| 34 | Milwaukee, WI (47.99) | 34 | Port St. Lucie, FL (48.61) | 34 | Boone, NC (49.79) |
| 35 | New Orleans, LA (47.95) | 35 | Cape Coral, FL (48.51) | 35 | Bloomington, IN (49.66) |
| 36 | New York, NY (47.35) | 36 | Grand Rapids, MI (48.47) | 36 | Cambridge, MA (49.62) |
| 37 | Fort Worth, TX (47.26) | 37 | Irving, TX (48.47) | 37 | Flagstaff, AZ (49.48) |
| 38 | Indianapolis, IN (47.25) | 38 | Peoria, AZ (48.36) | 38 | Ames, IA (49.36) |
| 39 | Louisville, KY (47.25) | 39 | Eugene, OR (47.92) | 39 | Newark, DE (49.25) |
| 40 | Omaha, NE (47.24) | 40 | Waco, TX (47.76) | 40 | Isla Vista, CA (49.24) |
| 41 | Aurora, CO (47.12) | 41 | Lincoln, NE (47.73) | 41 | Rochester, MN (49.22) |
| 42 | San Jose, CA (46.95) | 42 | Roseville, CA (47.72) | 42 | Daytona Beach, FL (49.20) |
| 43 | Anaheim, CA (46.94) | 43 | Gilbert, AZ (47.42) | 43 | Ypsilanti, MI (49.16) |
| 44 | St. Paul, MN (46.89) | 44 | North Las Vegas, NV (47.38) | 44 | Moscow, ID (49.14) |
| 45 | Baltimore, MD (46.58) | 45 | Glendale, AZ (47.35) | 45 | Temecula, CA (49.14) |
| 46 | Lexington-Fayette, KY (46.53) | 46 | Salem, OR (47.18) | 46 | Ithaca, NY (49.07) |
| 47 | Albuquerque, NM (46.39) | 47 | Laredo, TX (47.09) | 47 | Mount Pleasant, MI (49.03) |
| 48 | Fresno, CA (46.21) | 48 | Amarillo, TX (46.91) | 48 | Pullman, WA (48.80) |
| 49 | Oklahoma City, OK (46.19) | 49 | Torrance, CA (46.77) | 49 | Urbana, IL (48.69) |
| 50 | El Paso, TX (46.17) | 50 | Richmond, VA (46.70) | 50 | Stillwater, OK (48.61) |
| 51 | Honolulu, HI (45.84) | 51 | Warren, MI (46.61) | 51 | Richardson, TX (48.55) |
| 52 | Riverside, CA (45.53) | 52 | Grand Prairie, TX (46.59) | 52 | Clemson, SC (48.49) |
| 53 | Santa Ana, CA (45.08) | 53 | Thornton, CO (46.53) | 53 | Santa Monica, CA (48.44) |
| 54 | Bakersfield, CA (44.90) | 54 | Sunnyvale, CA (46.47) | 54 | Statesboro, GA (48.39) |
| 55 | Tulsa, OK (44.59) | 55 | Chattanooga, TN (46.45) | 55 | State College, PA (48.37) |
| 56 | Arlington, TX (44.56) | 56 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA (46.40) | 56 | Amherst Center, MA (48.36) |
| 57 | Virginia Beach, VA (44.53) | 57 | Tacoma, WA (46.37) | 57 | Edinburg, TX (48.27) |
| 58 | Cleveland, OH (44.29) | 58 | Naperville, IL (46.35) | 58 | Morgantown, WV (48.08) |
| 59 | Corpus Christi, TX (44.23) | 59 | Bellevue, WA (46.31) | 59 | Dearborn, MI (48.02) |
| 60 | Wichita, KS (44.18) | 60 | Fremont, CA (46.29) | 60 | Moorhead, MN (48.01) |
| 61 | Memphis, TN (43.87) | 61 | Columbia, SC (46.27) | 61 | Eau Claire, WI (47.96) |
| 62 | Stockton, CA (43.63) | 62 | New Haven, CT (46.21) | 62 | Bryan, TX (47.93) |
| 63 | Detroit, MI (43.51) | 63 | Springfield, MO (46.20) | 63 | Lawton, OK (47.86) |
| 64 | Oakland, CA | 64 | Lubbock, TX (46.16) | 64 | Corvallis, OR (47.82) |
| 65 | Brownsville, TX (46.10) | 65 | Mankato, MN (47.70) | ||
| 66 | St. Petersburg, FL (45.95) | 66 | Boca Raton, FL (47.55) | ||
| 67 | Lakewood, CO (45.88) | 67 | Radford, VA (47.55) | ||
| 68 | Sioux Falls, SD (45.86) | 68 | Clovis, CA (47.43) | ||
| 69 | Syracuse, NY (45.86) | 69 | Whitewater, WI (47.31) | ||
| 70 | Des Moines, IA (45.85) | 70 | Iowa City, IA (47.16) | ||
| 71 | Corona, CA (45.83) | 71 | Laramie, WY (47.08) | ||
| 72 | Oceanside, CA (45.70) | 72 | Kalamazoo, MI (47.05) | ||
| 73 | Fontana, CA (45.67) | 73 | Huntsville, TX (46.99) | ||
| 74 | Fort Lauderdale, FL (45.66) | 74 | Boulder, CO (46.95) | ||
| 75 | Ontario, CA (45.56) | 75 | Evanston, IL (46.76) | ||
| 76 | Huntington Beach, CA (45.52) | 76 | Fargo, ND (46.65) | ||
| 77 | Garland, TX (45.40) | 77 | Conway, AR (46.61) | ||
| 78 | Modesto, CA (45.40) | 78 | Troy, NY (46.58) | ||
| 79 | Visalia, CA (45.08) | 79 | La Crosse, WI (46.57) | ||
| 80 | Huntsville, AL (45.00) | 80 | Albany, NY (46.49) | ||
| 81 | Mesquite, TX (44.96) | 81 | Edmond, OK (46.45) | ||
| 82 | Chula Vista, CA (44.78) | 82 | Harrisonburg, VA (46.40) | ||
| 83 | Fullerton, CA (44.75) | 83 | Stanford, CA (46.32) | ||
| 84 | Baton Rouge, LA (44.68) | 84 | Pearland, TX (46.27) | ||
| 85 | Cedar Rapids, IA (44.65) | 85 | Manhattan, KS (46.26) | ||
| 86 | Topeka, KS (44.56) | 86 | North Charleston, SC (46.26) | ||
| 87 | Kansas City, KS (44.52) | 87 | Auburn, AL (46.23) | ||
| 88 | Elk Grove, CA (44.46) | 88 | Kent, OH (46.22) | ||
| 89 | Alexandria, VA (44.40) | 89 | Somerville, MA (46.18) | ||
| 90 | Pomona, CA (44.28) | 90 | Stony Brook University, NY (46.16) | ||
| 91 | Olathe, KS (44.22) | 91 | Columbia, MO (46.11) | ||
| 92 | Greensboro, NC (44.15) | 92 | Murrieta, CA (46.06) | ||
| 93 | Birmingham, AL (44.03) | 93 | Merced, CA (45.96) | ||
| 94 | Savannah, GA (43.99) | 94 | Jonesboro, AR (45.87) | ||
| 95 | Santa Rosa, CA (43.88) | 95 | Bethlehem, PA (45.82) | ||
| 96 | Pasadena, TX (43.79) | 96 | Hattiesburg, MS (45.80) | ||
| 97 | Hollywood, FL (43.57) | 97 | Norman, OK (45.80) | ||
| 98 | Newport News, VA (43.50) | 98 | St. Charles, MO (45.76) | ||
| 99 | Garden Grove, CA (43.47) | 99 | DeKalb, IL (45.70) | ||
| 100 | Joliet, IL (43.39) | 100 | Lawrence, KS (45.62) | ||
| 101 | Macon-Bibb County, GA (43.20) | 101 | Carbondale, IL (45.49) | ||
| 102 | Hayward, CA (43.19) | 102 | Santa Cruz, CA (45.49) | ||
| 103 | Fort Wayne, IN (43.13) | 103 | Manchester, NH (45.45) | ||
| 104 | San Bernardino, CA (43.10) | 104 | Medford, MA (45.43) | ||
| 105 | Coral Springs, FL (43.07) | 105 | Duluth, MN (45.41) | ||
| 106 | Winston-Salem, NC (42.97) | 106 | Missoula, MT (45.37) | ||
| 107 | Aurora, IL (42.92) | 107 | Tuscaloosa, AL (45.32) | ||
| 108 | Mobile, AL (42.79) | 108 | Santa Clara, CA (45.21) | ||
| 109 | Newark, NJ (42.76) | 109 | Richmond, KY (45.21) | ||
| 110 | Hialeah, FL (42.67) | 110 | Burlington, VT (45.15) | ||
| 111 | Little Rock, AR (42.67) | 111 | Valdosta, GA (45.06) | ||
| 112 | Kent, WA (42.61) | 112 | St. Cloud, MN (45.03) | ||
| 113 | Santa Clarita, CA (42.60) | 113 | Lansing, MI (44.99) | ||
| 114 | Moreno Valley, CA (42.57) | 114 | Greeley, CO (44.98) | ||
| 115 | Dayton, OH (42.49) | 115 | Rialto, CA (44.92) | ||
| 116 | Lancaster, CA (42.44) | 116 | Chico, CA (44.92) | ||
| 117 | Concord, CA (42.41) | 117 | San Marcos, CA (44.89) | ||
| 118 | Palmdale, CA (42.37) | 118 | Kenosha, WI (44.80) | ||
| 119 | Clarksville, TN (42.25) | 119 | Lakeland, FL (44.79) | ||
| 120 | Stamford, CT (42.09) | 120 | Grand Forks, ND (44.77) | ||
| 121 | Worcester, MA (41.98) | 121 | Chino Hills, CA (44.73) | ||
| 122 | Metairie, LA (41.92) | 122 | Cedar Falls, IA (44.61) | ||
| 123 | Chesapeake, VA (41.89) | 123 | Bowling Green, OH (44.60) | ||
| 124 | Rockford, IL (41.83) | 124 | New Brunswick, NJ (44.55) | ||
| 125 | Glendale, CA (41.62) | 125 | Wichita Falls, TX (44.38) | ||
| 126 | Paterson, NJ (41.62) | 126 | Durham, NH (44.36) | ||
| 127 | Akron, OH (41.61) | 127 | West Palm Beach, FL (44.34) | ||
| 128 | Oxnard, CA (41.30) | 128 | Las Cruces, NM (44.32) | ||
| 129 | Lafayette, LA (41.25) | 129 | Costa Mesa, CA (44.32) | ||
| 130 | Anchorage, AK (41.21) | 130 | Springfield, IL (44.27) | ||
| 131 | Norfolk, VA (41.13) | 131 | Hartford, CT (44.27) | ||
| 132 | Simi Valley, CA (41.13) | 132 | Johnson City, TN (44.08) | ||
| 133 | Pembroke Pines, FL (40.99) | 133 | Bowling Green, KY (44.08) | ||
| 134 | Columbus, GA (40.76) | 134 | Lynchburg, VA (44.01) | ||
| 135 | Hampton, VA (40.65) | 135 | Norwalk, CA (43.75) | ||
| 136 | Fayetteville, NC (40.64) | 136 | Victorville, CA (43.74) | ||
| 137 | Salinas, CA (40.60) | 137 | Fairfield, CA (43.73) | ||
| 138 | Miramar, FL (40.54) | 138 | Arden-Arcade, CA (43.57) | ||
| 139 | Orange, CA (40.19) | 139 | Rock Hill, SC (43.53) | ||
| 140 | Escondido, CA (40.16) | 140 | Davie, FL (43.47) | ||
| 141 | Springfield, MA (40.12) | 141 | Greenville, NC (43.45) | ||
| 142 | Toledo, OH (39.90) | 142 | El Cajon, CA (43.43) | ||
| 143 | Montgomery, AL (39.65) | 143 | El Monte, CA (43.27) | ||
| 144 | Augusta, GA (39.45) | 144 | Hawthorne, CA (43.20) | ||
| 145 | Jackson, MS (39.42) | 145 | Rio Rancho, NM (43.16) | ||
| 146 | Thousand Oaks, CA (39.32) | 146 | Westminster, CA (43.11) | ||
| 147 | Jersey City, NJ (37.32) | 147 | San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA (42.89) | ||
| 148 | Yonkers, NY (37.20) | 148 | Terre Haute, IN (42.87) | ||
| 149 | Bridgeport, CT (36.45) | 149 | Lowell, MA (42.71) | ||
| 150 | Arlington, VA (35.45) | 150 | Sunrise, FL (42.68) | ||
| 151 | Shreveport, LA (34.37) | 151 | Erie, PA (42.67) | ||
| 152 | Tyler, TX (42.65) | ||||
| 153 | Waltham, MA (42.59) | ||||
| 154 | Nacogdoches, TX (42.56) | ||||
| 155 | West Covina, CA (42.37) | ||||
| 156 | College Park, MD (42.36) | ||||
| 157 | Alhambra, CA (42.34) | ||||
| 158 | Normal, IL (42.32) | ||||
| 159 | Antioch, CA (42.32) | ||||
| 160 | Vallejo, CA (42.26) | ||||
| 161 | Albany, GA (42.23) | ||||
| 162 | Scranton, PA (42.16) | ||||
| 163 | Abilene, TX (42.07) | ||||
| 164 | Inglewood, CA (42.07) | ||||
| 165 | Redlands, CA (42.04) | ||||
| 166 | Brandon, FL (42.03) | ||||
| 167 | Azusa, CA (41.98) | ||||
| 168 | Downey, CA (41.84) | ||||
| 169 | San Angelo, TX (41.81) | ||||
| 170 | Indiana, PA (41.79) | ||||
| 171 | Coral Gables, FL (41.79) | ||||
| 172 | Redding, CA (41.32) | ||||
| 173 | Peoria, IL (41.07) | ||||
| 174 | Brookings, SD (41.03) | ||||
| 175 | Davenport, IA (40.77) | ||||
| 176 | Elgin, IL (40.56) | ||||
| 177 | Compton, CA (40.53) | ||||
| 178 | Portsmouth, VA (40.45) | ||||
| 179 | Allentown, PA (40.42) | ||||
| 180 | Beaumont, TX (40.28) | ||||
| 181 | Pueblo, CO (40.20) | ||||
| 182 | Flint, MI (40.15) | ||||
| 183 | Huntington, WV (39.95) | ||||
| 184 | Whittier, CA (39.92) | ||||
| 185 | Burbank, CA (39.89) | ||||
| 186 | Carson, CA (39.80) | ||||
| 187 | Daly City, CA (39.80) | ||||
| 188 | Richmond, CA (39.51) | ||||
| 189 | Quincy, MA (39.34) | ||||
| 190 | Miami Gardens, FL (38.75) | ||||
| 191 | High Point, NC (37.96) | ||||
| 192 | Brookline, MA (37.90) | ||||
| 193 | Columbia, MD (37.74) | ||||
| 194 | East Los Angeles, CA (36.94) | ||||
| 195 | Towson, MD (36.67) | ||||
| 196 | Kendall, FL (35.87) | ||||
| 197 | Silver Spring, MD (35.30) | ||||
| 198 | Newton, MA (35.14) | ||||
| 199 | New Rochelle, NY (34.87) | ||||
| 200 | Germantown, MD (34.11) |
Colleges and universities drive their surrounding areas culturally, economically and intellectually, making those places an ideal place to live for both students and nonstudents. We asked a panel of experts to share their insight and advice on the various roles of college towns. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and responses to the following key questions:
- In deciding which college to attend, how important is the surrounding city/town?
- What are the benefits nonstudents get by living in a college city/town?
- Are college cities/towns a good option for retirees? What about families?
- How can parents prepare their children for managing finances in college (e.g., student loans, credit cards, etc.)?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of going to college in-state versus out-of-state?
- How can local authorities make their cities/towns more appealing to both new students and other potential residents?
Steven Bingham Professor in the School of Education at Gardner-Webb University
Mark M. D'Amico Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Carolyn L. Carlson Associate Professor of Education in the College of Arts and Sciences at Washburn University
Amanda U. Potterton Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies at the University of Kentucky College of Education
Steven Bingham Professor in the School of Education at Gardner-Webb University
Mark M. D'Amico Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Carolyn L. Carlson Associate Professor of Education in the College of Arts and Sciences at Washburn University
Amanda U. Potterton Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies at the University of Kentucky College of EducationIn order to determine the best college towns and cities in America, WalletHub examined 415 cities of varying sizes across three key dimensions: 1) Wallet Friendliness, 2) Social Environment and 3) Academic & Economic Opportunities.
We evaluated those three key dimensions using 30 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most favorable conditions for college students. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we used the square root of the population to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.
Finally, we determined each town and city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
In this report, including the above tables, “cities” refers to both cities and towns for simplicity. We limited our selection of cities to those with a university or college population of at least 7,500 students. Some cities that met the college-population criterion were excluded from the analysis due to lack of available data. The cities were categorized based on the following population-size guidelines:
- Large Cities: More than 300,000 people
- Midsize Cities: 125,000 to 300,000 people
- Small Cities: Fewer than 125,000 people
Please note that we considered only the city proper in each case and excluded any cities in the surrounding metro area.
Wallet Friendliness – Total Points: 25- Housing Costs: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)Note: This metric measures the price of a two-bedroom apartment rental.
- Adjusted Cost of Living for Young People: Double Weight (~6.67 Points)
- Share of Rental Units: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
- Average Monthly Fitness-Club Fee: Half Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Average Cost of Pizza & Burgers: Half Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Movie & Bowling Cost: Half Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Cost of Higher Education: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)Note: This metric measures the average tuition fee weighted by the number of students.
- Student Loan Debt per Person: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
- Students per Capita: Double Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Share of Population Aged 18 to 35: Full Weight (~1.61 Points)
- Share of Single Persons: Half Weight (~0.81 Points)
- Student Gender Balance: Half Weight (~0.81 Points)
- Nightlife Options per Capita*: Double Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Cafés per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.61 Points)
- Breweries per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.61 Points)
- Food Trucks per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.61 Points)
- Shopping Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.61 Points)
- Sports Clubs per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.61 Points)
- City Accessibility: Half Weight (~0.81 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of workers who bike, walk or use public transportation.
- Festivals per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.61 Points)
- Attractions: Full Weight (~1.61 Points)
- Crime Rate: Double Weight (~3.23 Points)
- Quality of Higher Education: Triple Weight (~15.00 Points)
- Earning Potential for College Graduates: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the median earnings of the population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Share of Part-Time Jobs: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Median Income of Part-Time Workers: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Entrepreneurial Activity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the four-year average net change in the number of businesses per capita.
- Brain Drain: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the annual change in the share of the population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Job-Growth Rate (2014-2017): Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Center for Education Statistics, Numbeo, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, TransUnion, TripAdvisor, Areavibes, Yelp and WalletHub research.
Image: Syda Productions / Shutterstock.com
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