When considering moving to a new city, several factors may come to mind, including climate, cost of living, and job opportunities.
Another important aspect is quality of life.
U.S. News and World Report recently compiled a list of the 25 best places to live in terms of quality of life, and a Midwestern city snagged the top spot.
Listed as a “city of contrasts” by the publication, Ann Arbor, Michigan, home of the University of Michigan, is a community of about 120,000 located about 40 miles west of downtown Detroit.
“It’s both rural and urban, sporty and smart, outdoorsy and high-tech, counterculture and high society…” the website says. “Besides the university, excellent public schools and an increasingly diverse job market, a strong public park system and a low crime rate make Ann Arbor an attractive place for all ages.”
To establish its ranking, US News and World Report measured criteria such as crime, quality of education, average travel time and the quality and availability of health care. The cities were assessed using data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. News’ own internal resources, the website says.
Ann Arbor wasn’t the only Midwestern city to make the rankings. Madison, Wisconsin, took sixth place.
Several other area cities, including Kalamazoo, Michigan, and South Bend, Indiana, rounded out the list.
Find the full ranking below:
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Boulder, Colorado
- Boise, Idaho
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Portland, Maine
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Asheville, North Carolina
- San Diego, California
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Richmond, Virginia
- Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Washington, D.C.
- Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Spokane, Washington
- South Bend, Indiana
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Santa Barbara, California
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Albany, New York
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
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