Livability.com has released its second-annual Top 100 Best Places to Live list and Fayetteville was the only Arkansas town to make the cut at No. 83.
More than 2,000 cities were evaluated in the study. Researchers analyzed more than 40 data points in eight categories – economics, housing, amenities, infrastructure, demographics, social and civic capital, education and health care.
Cities with a population between 20,000 and 350,000 were considered. Sources included the best public and private data available from organizations like the U.S. Census Bureau, Walk Score, GreatSchools.com and Esri.
“Any of these cities would be a great place to live,” says Matt Carmichael, Livability’s editor. “This is a great time for America’s small to mid-sized cities that are trying to lure the huge Millennial generation of potential home-buyers. Creating a livable community is key to attracting businesses and movers, as well as for retaining residents.”
Fayetteville gained points for being largely a college town with a loyal sports following. Researchers also noted the city features an active arts and music scene with a strong health-care system.
“The cities at the top of the list were often home to a major institution like a university, hospital or state capital,” says Matt Carmichael, Livability’s editor. “Institutions like that help these smaller cities compete in terms of sports, culture, jobs and entertainment.”
The top 100 cities are featured on Livability.com.
No. 1 Madison Wisconsin
No. 2 Rochester, Minnesota
No. 3 Arlington, Virginia
No. 4 Boulder, Colorado
No. 5 Palo Alto, California