Resonance 2021 Americas Best Cities Report

America’s
A R A N K I N G O F U.S. P L AC E E Q U I T Y 2021
Where to live, work,

invest and visit in
America now
The Performance of America’s Best Cities: The Methodology — 06

Pc Pd Pg Po Ps Pm
America’s Top 100 Cities: Profiles — 08
America’s Best Cities: Performance by Category — 52 B E S T C I T I E S .O R G

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THESE ARE AMERICA’S
BEST CITIES NOW
Resonance is building the most comprehensive
city rankings on the planet. Here’s why the
performance and competitive identity of our
cities matters now more than ever.
As leading advisors in tourism, real estate and economic Our vital People category was also refined, and we added the
development for more than a decade, our team has “One-year % change in civilian labor force (Feb. 2020 – Feb.
conducted extensive research on the rise of cities, the key 2021) subcategory to track the unprecedented migration—to
trends propelling this growth and the factors that shape our the detriment of some cities and the benefit of others—during
perception of urban centers as desirable places to live, visit the past 18 months.
and invest.
This last data set is crucial. According to the U.S. Census
The COVID-19 pandemic has, of course, changed everything Bureau, domestic migration hit a new all-time low in 2019 of
about our business and our cities. It’s caused us to reexamine 9.8 percent of the population. This follows decades of steady
and rethink the way we’ll want to live, work and play in the declines. During the 1960s, 20 percent of Americans moved
future. If there’s one thing that social distancing and working to a new residence each year. In 2019, less than 10 percent
from home has taught us, it’s that the shared spaces we of Americans did. As a result, wealthy, vibrant U.S. cities had
were asked to close and avoid—from restaurants to sporting institutionalized their future access to talent and economic
venues, museums and galleries—are what we cherish most domination. But the pandemic has kick-started mobility not
about the cities we live in or love to visit. seen in decades, contradicting all previous behavior during
a recession in which people stayed put.
American cities—defined in our 2021 ranking as the principal
urban centers in an MSA area with a population of more than The legacy leading cities are forecasting billions of dollars
500,000 people—face imminent and myriad challenges that of annual property tax revenue losses, at least temporarily,
will define their next decade and beyond. To say a reinvention while renters celebrate the first rent decreases they’ve ever
is upon us is an understatement. seen. Of course cities like New York, L.A. and Chicago will
always be magnets for those seeking big deals and economic
To capture this reality in our rankings—now in their seventh
opportunity, but even a drip of talent and capital in their
year—we have also expanded and evolved. We have added
economic firehose can irrigate dozens of smaller urban
several new subcategories to our six performance pillars to
centers in the country. Places like Ogden, Utah, and Boise,
capture the economic performance of cities amidst this crisis,
Idaho are blooming. So are dozens of other mid-size cities
because it will be economic resiliency that will grease the
that have risen in our rankings this year.
gears of recovery.
While it remains to be seen what the long-term effects of the
For our Prosperity category, we have added “One-year %
pandemic will be on our cities both large and small, they will
change in unemployment rate” between Feb. 2020 and Feb.
recover. In fact, many will thrive. And our team at Resonance
2021 to measure the impact of the pandemic on employment
will be following them closely, identifying the Best Cities to
in each city. The related “One-year % change in median family
live, work and visit now, and in the years to come.
income” category measures a family’s earning power before
and during the pandemic. Relatedly, our “One-year % change
in median home prices” subcategory explores the cities that
have held (or in some cases increased) their perceived value in
the eyes of citizens and newcomers.
Chris Fair, President & CEO

Resonance Consultancy
[email protected]
RESONANCECO.COM 03
IT TOOK A WHILE, BUT
AMERICAN CITIES ARE BACK
American urban centers of all sizes are forever changed
by the past 18 months. Accessibility has opened up in
some places, while others are coveted like never before.
Regardless, there’s never been a more important time for
our cities—one that will define them for a generation.
How many of you know someone who left a major city for In New Orleans, new hotels are popping up at a furious clip,
a suburb, a mountain town, a seaside retreat in the past from the French Quarter to the Lower Garden District; in
year? It’s understandable—outdoor space was at a premium, Texas, the massive three-day Austin City Limits music festival
hospitals were strained, and big-city throngs felt threatening announced it would return in October. Full-show passes sold
in a new and unfamiliar way. Those who remain wonder: Will out almost immediately. These cities are making up for lost
those residents ever come back? And, if not, who will arrive in time, and travelers are eager to make up for lost trips.
their stead?
According to Destination Analysts’ American Traveler
There’s talk of a new era of bohemian creativity and bonhomie Sentiment Study, about 87% of American travelers expect to
in New York City, where talent across creative industries— take a trip this summer, be it a vacation, a trip to see friends
who might have previously been priced out—can now afford or relatives, or even business travel and conferences. Social
those studios and one-bedrooms in Manhattan. You can feel distancing may be a way of life for years to come, but cities
the energy, the unbridled joy, week to week as more people have responded by enhancing their green spaces, developing
get vaccinated against COVID-19. As restaurateur Danny creative year-round outdoor dining and promoting lesser-
Meyer said in an April press conference hosted by NYC and known experiences, events and cultures. The effects of
Company, the city is “in a crouched position,” waiting for the pandemic will linger long after the world has received
things to feel safe, and “being in a crouched position for too a shot against the coronavirus, but that shot brings hope
long, you’re bound to leap forward.” and promise. With the right frame of mind, it will bring a
reinvention of cities and an opportunity to be a better host—
A staggering 80% of travel to New York City comes from
and guest.
domestic visitors, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio, and the
recently completed overhaul of LaGuardia Airport and newly
revealed Moynihan Train Hall (updating Penn Station) are
ready to welcome those travelers right now.
Pre-pandemic, Washington, D.C., had 10 million domestic
visitors annually, which helped to support more than 80,000 Laura Dannen Redman
jobs. Now, as long-shuttered Smithsonian museums have Digital Content Director, AFAR Media
begun a staggered reopening in May, the nation’s capital looks
to court the 50 million people living within a four-hour drive of
D.C. until international borders truly reopen.
RESONANCECO.COM 04
MOSCONE CENTER BRIDGE, SAN FR ANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
CONTENTS
The Performance of America’s Best Cities: The Methodology — 06

America’s Top 100 Cities: Profiled — 08
America’s Best Cities: Performance by Category — 52
THE PERFORMANCE OF AMERICA’S BEST CITIES:
THE METHODOLOGY
Resonance Consultancy ranks America’s cities (principal cities of metropolitan areas with
populations of more than 500,000) by using a combination of statistical performance and
qualitative evaluations by locals and visitors in 23 areas grouped into six core categories.
Principal cities are defined as the largest city in each metropolitan statistical area.
THE SIX CORE CATEGORIES
Pc PLACE Pg PROGRAMMING Ps PROSPERITY

Pd PRODUCT Po PEOPLE Pm PROMOTION
Pc PLACE Pd PRODUCT
Our most layered category quantifies a city’s physical This is a ranking of the “hardware” of a city—often the
sense of place. To score a city within our Place category, most difficult metric for cities to get right. Our product
we evaluate the perceived quality of its natural and built category studies a city’s key institutions, attractions and
environments. From how often the sun shines to the infrastructure. A city’s infrastructure and institutions
safety of the streets, several readily measurable, oft-cited shape its identity via the quantity, quality and reputation
factors influence our perceptions. of these “products.” Expensive and difficult to develop
Weather Average number of sunny days and maintain, exceptional, recognizable products are
(WeatherBase.com) often found only in large, cosmopolitan cities.
Safety Homicide rate (Federal Bureau of Investigation Airport Connectivity Number of direct destinations
national data sources) served by the city’s airports (FlightConnections.com and
FlightsFrom.com)
Sights & Landmarks Number of quality neighborhoods
and landmarks recommended by locals and visitors Attractions Number of quality attractions recommended
(TripAdvisor.com) by locals and visitors (TripAdvisor.com)
Parks & Outdoors Number of quality parks and Museums Number of quality museums and arts institutions
outdoor activities recommended by locals and visitors recommended by locals and visitors (TripAdvisor.com)
(TripAdvisor.com) University Ranking Score of the top local university
(U.S. News Best National University Rankings)
Professional Sports Teams Number of professional-
league sports teams in a city (multiple sources)
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Pg PROGRAMMING Po PEOPLE
This category measures the experiential pillars of a Human capital is often a city’s most valuable resource.
great visit: food, shopping and nightlife. If our Product To evaluate the relative strength of human capital from
category is the “hardware” of cities and destinations, one city to the next, we consider the education of the
the mosaic of cultural programming and lifestyle city’s population, as well as the one-year change in the
experiences they offer is the “software” that makes them civilian labor force. After all, a city’s ability to attract—
run. While such programming initiatives are individually and keep—their workforce even during the most difficult
insignificant, their sum fosters a community’s connection situations is something of proven importance when it
to place. comes to attracting future talent.
Dining Number of quality restaurants and culinary Educational Attainment Percentage of the population
experiences recommended by locals and visitors with higher education (U.S. Census, American Community
(TripAdvisor.com) Survey)
Shopping Number of quality shopping experiences Change in Civilian Labor Force One year % change in
recommended by locals and visitors (TripAdvisor.com) civilian labor force (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Nightlife Number of quality nightlife experiences Feb. 2020–Feb. 2021)
recommended by locals and visitors (TripAdvisor.com)
Ps PROSPERITY Pm PROMOTION
In general, beliefs about the wealth and prosperity of A city’s ability to tell its story (and help others do the
a city are shaped by statistics such as employment, same) depends on how it incentivizes and rewards
average household incomes and the presence of sharing of experiences by locals and visitors. The number
large, recognizable corporations —despite the fact and frequency of media coverage, online articles,
that start-ups and innovation increasingly drive a references and place-based recommendations influence
city’s development and economic growth. This year, our perception of cities, whether the news is good or
our prosperity ranking also tracks changes in home bad. Today, residents, businesses and visitors promote a
prices to reflect the effect the pandemic has had on the city to the world more than city marketers or chambers
desirability of a city as a place to work and live. of commerce. Resonance ranks a city’s Promotion
Fortune 500 Companies Number of Fortune 500 performance based on the number of stories, references
corporate headquarters (Fortune.com) and recommendations shared online about each city.
Change in Unemployment Rate One year % change in Facebook Check-ins Number of Facebook check-ins in
unemployment rate (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, each city (Facebook.com)
Feb. 2020–Feb. 2021) Google Search Number of Google search results per city
Change in Home Prices One year % change in median name (Google.com)
home prices (Zillow.com, Feb. 2020–Feb. 2021) TripAdvisor Reviews Number of TripAdvisor reviews
Change in Family Income One year % change in median (TripAdvisor.com)
family income (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Instagram Hashtags Number of Instagram city name
Development, 2019–2020) hashtags used (Instagram.com)
Google Trends Popularity on Google Trends in the past
12 months (Trends.Google.com)
RESONANCECO.COM 07
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
America’s
TOP 100
CITIES
PROFILES
American cities are the engines of the nation and
the badges of human ingenuity. Yes, they’ve been
hobbled over the past 18 months, exposing the long-
ignored foundational and institutional problems that
manifested on their streets and in their hospitals and
seniors homes. But they’re also leading—like they
always have—the recovery and future-defining next
stage of human innovation. The 100 cities that we
profile over the next 50 pages will likely be at the
heart of that renewal.
THE STREETS ARE ALIVE AGAIN
1
NEW YORK NY
POPULATION
METRO 19,294,236
HIGHLIGHTS
If New York City forgot about The gruesome pandemic events
1 P LACE how bad life can get for its in America’s city of superlatives
was, like everything in this global
citizenry, the past 18 months microcosmopolis, a proxy for our
1 P ROGRAMMING were a hellish reminder. collective headspace. It was where
so many of the common threads of
the crisis were weaved together and
The greatest city in America—lauded
worn wearily by those who, unlike
and crowned in our ranking for the past
hundreds of thousands with the means
six years and countless others for many
to head upstate, or to Connecticut, had
more—was a ghastly reminder during
nowhere to hide. By the unprotected
the pandemic of the vulnerability of even
essential workers trying to keep the
the colossal, the seemingly all-powerful;
world together, like a shredded Peter
we saw here what awaited the rest of
Parker with the subway in Spider-Man
the country. And the world. As early
2, sacrificing himself for the good of his
cases spiked, Gotham became the
fellow New Yorkers.
nation’s nightmarish coronavirus core.
Statewide, more than 18,000 COVID-19 It was this city-scale tragedy that first
patients were in hospitals at one point. landed in the crosshairs of the sniping
Daily deaths peaked at 799 in April 2020, haters declaring that the big, vibrant,
totaling more than 53,000 by mid-May cheek-by-jowl city experiment was
2021. There have been more than 2 finally over. But for resilient New Yorkers,
million infections in this city alone. those attacks of course merely rallied
the city’s citizens amidst the death, the
protest and malaise.
LIT TLE ISLAND PARK ON THE HUDSON
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PEDESTRIAN PLA ZAS OF TIMES SQUARE
According to NYPD data, murders in Even the gateways into town have been
the city rose to 462 last year, up nearly renovated: LaGuardia’s redesigned
45% from 319 in 2019. The city recorded Terminal B features 35 new gates, along
1,531 shootings in 2020—almost double with retail, restaurants and amenities
from 2019. that more than double the previous
offerings. Newark Liberty International
But despite this unprecedented
Airport’s Terminal A opens in 2022 with
everything, some solace from the
33 gates.
beforetime.
No fewer than a dozen high-profile
“New York City is reawakening, with
hotels have opened or are opening in the
infrastructure upgrades, a packed
next 18 months—from the Ace in Boerum
cultural calendar, world-class hotels, a
Hill to the Pendry near Hudson Yards.
new outdoor dining scene, multicultural
neighborhoods to explore and many And it looks like Deno’s Wonder Wheel
more vibrant offerings on display across Amusement Park in Coney Island will
Jerry Seinfeld penned the now famous
all five boroughs this year,” Fred Dixon, be able to celebrate its centennial this
Times opus “So You Think New York is
president and CEO of NYC & Company, summer with proper crowds, along
‘Dead’,” in which he channeled all of us
told Resonance in May. He was two with the new Phoenix Family Thrill roller
in declaring, “The last thing we need
weeks removed from a late-April press coaster to mark the occasion.
in the thick of so many challenges is
conference—almost a year to the day
some putz on LinkedIn wailing and Even Broadway is projected to return
when the city touched 800 deaths in 24
whimpering, ‘Everyone’s gone!’” In what this fall, with brand-new shows
hours—where he and Mayor de Blasio
would be a prescient middle finger to debuting, including Thoughts of a
announced the largest-ever marketing
the oncoming onslaught of Dear John Colored Man, Diana and Mrs. Doubtfire.
campaign for New York City tourism
letters from those who decided it was
recovery, at $30 million. The leaders When it’s your turn to return to America’s
over, Seinfeld continued: “He says
spoke excitedly about the forecasted best city, do yourself a favor and
‘Everyone’s gone for good.’ How the hell
36.4 million visitors expected in 2021, dedicate two hours to view the recovery
do you know that? You moved to Miami.
more than half of the 2019 record; they from Summit NYC’s newest observation
Yes, I also have a place out on Long
spoke about how 110,000 hotel rooms deck and the highest vantage point
Island. But I will never abandon New
are expected to be available for booking in Midtown. Stare eye level with the
York City. Ever.”
by the end of the year, and how the city Chrysler Building, the Empire State
While the vast majority of New Yorkers will start setting records again soon, Building and north to Central Park. Then
never abandoned their fortress, most with almost 70 million annual visitors walk the glass floor ledges that overhang
of the 66.6 million people who visited expected by 2024. Madison Avenue. Then feel a deep
in 2019 (a numerical omen, perhaps, gratitude for this place and its people.
But, for now, there’s a sea of pent-up
but also a visitor record) had no
demand to catalogue and prime,
choice but to shun it, obliterating the
beginning with NYC Summer Restaurant
hospitality industry and the $46 billion
Week, starting July 19 and running until
in annual spending that it generated
mid-August.
before the pandemic. More acutely, the
evaporation of the visitor economy also
obliterated hundreds of thousands of
jobs in a matter of weeks. If previous
pandemics are any indication, these vital
jobs will be the last to return.
The economic scars are all over the
city’s 2021 rankings. New York still has
the most Fortune 500 headquarters
in the nation, but its ranking in this
year’s Change in Unemployment Rate
subcategory is so low that it now ranks
out of the Top 100, at #107.
The city still ranks #1 in our Place
category—tops in the subcategories
it has always dominated, like Sights
& Landmarks and Top 5 for its natural
environs and parks. But its Safety
subcategory, which tracks homicides—a
point of pride for the city and its
boosters in recent years—slipped to #7.
WONDER WHEEL, LUNA PARK IN CONEY ISLAND
RESONANCECO.COM 10
THE CIT Y SPRINGS BACK TO LIFE IN SANTA MONICA
2
LOS ANGELES CA
POPULATION
METRO 13,249,614
HIGHLIGHTS
The City of Angels fell all nonessential businesses,” the mayor
2 P RODUCT from great heights. But pointed out back when people were
still calling this the flu. Combine that
Angelenos are helping L.A. foresight with California’s fast action
2 P ROMOTION take flight once more. on lockdowns, and the result is a state
that boasts the lowest infection rate
in the country as of mid-May 2021. By
In a city famous for hyperbole, it’s not
that month, Los Angeles County had
an overstatement to declare that L.A.
consecutive days in which it didn’t
teetered on the verge of the COVID-
record a single COVID-19 death.
19 abyss multiple times in 2020 and
early 2021. The numbers are grim, of Spring and early summer arrived with
course, with the city’s 11,633 cases and the anticipated news that the city had
233 deaths per 100,000 people triple met infection and vaccine thresholds
the COVID-19 toll of San Francisco, to allow indoor bars to welcome people
and terms like “infection epicenter” on again, crowds to cheer on the Dodgers
the lips of global media for the better and expanded capacity at restaurants,
part of the year. But as the COVID-19 theaters, amusement parks and, to the
crisis launched L.A.—and Mayor Eric delight of many in this town, gyms.
Garcetti—into the spotlight, the city
But the city has a long, long way back.
avoided the unthinkable by taking swift
As of February 2021, the unemployment
action and biting the economic bullet
rate was almost 10%, which is up 5.6
early. L.A. was the first metropolis in the
points since the same time last year and
U.S. to demand almost full closure, “and
is significantly higher than the national
the biggest city to go to full closure of
THE BROAD CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM
RESONANCECO.COM 11
VENICE BEACH SK ATEPARK
average of just 6.2%. This is among the produce and an audience of Angelenos
worst numbers of all large U.S. cities, who celebrate creativity and you’ve
and the city sits toward the bottom of got L.A.’s formula for being the most
this year’s Change in Unemployment exciting food city,” said Stacey Sun,
Rate subcategory. executive director of the city’s dineL.A.
program. Unsurprisingly, the city trails
But given the pent-up demand to
only NYC nationally in our Restaurants
get past this nightmare and on with
subcategory.
California dreaming, breaking tourism
records and rolling out one multi- Speaking of locally grown, when it
billion-dollar infrastructure project after opens on Olvera Street at LA Plaza
another, L.A. will not be down for long. Village, LA Plaza Cocina will be the
first museum and teaching kitchen
Let’s start with the business of getting
dedicated to Mexican food in the U.S.
the city back to its culinary ascent.
Through an array of exhibitions, cooking
Los Angeles has always had star power, classes, lectures, workshops and
of course, but when Michelin announced culinary festivals, the multidisciplinary
in June 2019 that 24 Greater Los Angeles venue aims to educate visitors and
area restaurants had been awarded celebrate Mexico’s culinary heritage.
The new SoFi Stadium, the largest in the
with its most prestigious accolade in The city’s Mexican heritage is also
National Football League at 3.1 million
its inaugural Michelin Guide California leading the bounty of new restaurants
square feet, officially opened last fall to
selection, it suddenly meant more than opening their doors. Cha Cha Chá is
host the NFL’s Rams and Chargers home
just A-listers and cinema cachet. Chef Alejandro Guzman’s new outdoor
games. In February 2022, it will host the
rooftop hotspot, featuring tacos,
Indeed, of the seven new two-star Super Bowl.
tostadas and more, all inspired by his
distinctions in the Guide, six were in
Terraza Cha Cha Chá in Mexico City. Adding to L.A.’s #2 Museums ranking
L.A., further cementing its standing as
Alma at the Grove is Grupo Hunan’s first is the opening of the visually stunning
“the most exciting food city in America,”
U.S. restaurant, with a menu filled with Academy Museum of Motion Pictures,
according to the guide.
fresh and local ingredients, highlighting punctuated with temporary exhibit of
“Los Angeles is a literal melting pot a rich culinary history in a traditional acclaimed artist Hayao Miyazaki.
of talent with chefs hailing from a hacienda space.
Amazingly, all nine of LAX’s terminals
mosaic of cultures who are open to
The city is also tightening its grip on its are in the midst of a $14.3-billion
experimentation and innovation.
#2 Product ranking. modernization that includes the
Mix in access to the country’s best
automated people mover (APM) train,
scheduled to open in 2023. Mobility
also makes it into the city with the
new, $1.7-billion Regional Connector
Transit Project, featuring a 1.9-mile
underground light-rail system that
will provide a one-seat ride across Los
Angeles County. Imagine traveling from
the Metro Gold Line to Long Beach and
from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica
without transferring lines. It’s forecasted
to open in 2022.
Given everything to experience in the
City of Angels, it’s a good thing that
there are more than two dozen hotels
in the pipeline, with many recently
opened, ranging from Venice Beach’s V
Hotel, converted from a 1915 beachfront
landmark, to the Minoru Yamasaki-
designed luxury Fairmont Century Plaza.
You’ll be hearing a lot more about L.A.
this fall, when the city’s inspiring “Your
Comeback Starts Here” campaign
is rolled out nationally, a first for the
destination marketer and an initiative
that will further secure the city’s #2
ranking in our vital Promotions category.
NEW SOFI STADIUM IN INGLEWOOD
RESONANCECO.COM 12
THE CHICAGO RIVERWALK
3
CHICAGO IL
POPULATION
METRO 9,508,605
HIGHLIGHTS
America’s great Midwest In the last few years, the Windy City
2 A IRPORT metropolis has an abundance pursued and acquired some big-ticket
CONNECTIVITY draws, including the NFL Draft, the
of programming and culture, James Beard Foundation Awards and
with the deep infrastructure the Laver Cup. It also bolstered tourist-
2 N IGHTLIFE friendly attractions like the Riverwalk,
and affordability that
along with events that showcase
eludes many other cities. Chicago’s craft beer scene.
Its #3 ranking in our Programming
Few American cities fell harder in visitor category—including #5 in Shopping,
numbers in recent months than Chicago. #3 in Restaurants and #2 in Nightlife—
Whether for business or pleasure, the speaks to the plentiful buzz that Chicago
city had been attracting tourism at was perfecting before everything
record-breaking levels year after year. ground to a halt.
Indeed, when Rahm Emanuel won And what a far fall it’s been, with the
the mayorship in 2011, an estimated city’s residents and prosperity hit the
39 million people a year were visiting hardest. Chicago suffered the worst
Chicago. By the time he wrapped up one-year change in median family
his final term in 2019, that number had income between 2019 and 2020 in the
ballooned to nearly 58 million annual Top 10, and ranks among the bottom
visitors—an impressive tourism feat and of all 100 cities on our list. While
perhaps the biggest success story of real estate prices were left relatively
Emanuel’s mayoral tenure. unscathed in cities like San Diego,
THE NEW PENDRY CHICAGO HOTEL
RESONANCECO.COM 13
EVENING EVENT AT PRITZKER PAVILLION
Art on theMART, which bills itself as the

largest permanent digital art projection
in the world and features contemporary
artwork across the 2.5-acre river-facing
facade of theMART, is one pre-pandemic
cultural home run eager to reclaim
its momentum. Some 32,000 people
attended the launch event in September
2018. “We are already becoming an
integral part of the cultural fabric of the
city and an iconic public art platform
that amplifies what is important to
Chicagoans and the world,” noted
Cynthia Noble, executive director of
Art on theMART.
Museums are also reopening, with
ambitious exhibitions such as Immersive
Van Gogh at Lighthouse ArtSpace
Chicago, Frida Kahlo: Timeless at
the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and
Mandela: Struggle for Freedom at
Phoenix and San Jose, Chicago hits near green space expansion. Another Greek
the Illinois Holocaust Museum and
the lowest in our rankings for one-year addition is Papagus Taverna, serving
Education Center.
change in median home prices between classic Greek dishes available for
February 2020 and February 2021. It’s a carryout and delivery downtown. Of course the biggest news is the legacy
surreal real estate plunge for America’s of one family of proud Chicagoans: the
Also leading Chicago’s culinary rebirth
Top 3 city. Obamas. The Obama Portraits is on
is the city’s youngest Michelin-starred
display at the Art Institute of Chicago
The hardship of the past 18 months only chef, Donald Young, who has debuted
on the first stop of its U.S. tour. The First
means the city is spring-loaded to return Venteux, a French brasserie located
Lady recalls visiting the Art Institute
to its quiet productivity—and even in the new Pendry Chicago hotel. The
frequently with her family when she was
stronger than ever, with the second- Pendry, located in the landmarked
growing up on the South Side, and the
most Fortune 500 headquarters in the Carbide & Carbon Building, is just one
museum was also the site of the couple’s
country, only behind New York. of a dozen bold hotel openings, joining
first date. The portraits are on display
anticipated projects like the Sable Hotel
Even amidst the pandemic, Chicago was until August 15 and are an opening act to
(a Hilton Curio Collection Property)
named the top metro area for corporate this year’s groundbreaking of the Obama
at Navy Pier, and the debut of the St.
investment for the seventh consecutive Presidential Center in Jackson Park, a
Regis Chicago in Jeanne Gang’s highly
year in 2020 by Site Selection magazine, marquee attraction on Chicago’s South
anticipated Vista Tower, projected to be
a business publication that tracks real Side. “I think President Obama’s library
the third tallest skyscraper in the city.
estate and corporate development. can do for tourism what McCormick
The flurry of openings follows a Place has done for business travel in
The city’s strong performance in our
pre-pandemic boom in which seven the city,” Emanuel noted during his time
important Programming category, which
hotels debuted in the city’s central as mayor. The city’s future rankings for
measures a city’s shopping, culinary
business district alone. Among them Museums nationally will surely improve
and nightlife chops, will only improve in
was the 21c Museum Hotel Chicago, as a result.
future years with all the investment back
which combines a restaurant with a
on the table as Chicago comes back
297-room boutique hotel and multi-
from the pandemic.
venue contemporary art museum. The
And that #3 ranking for Restaurants in much-anticipated Japanese-inspired
the country will give it a head start. At Nobu Hotel Chicago is finally online,
the heart of that food culture? Chicago’s with its rooftop lounge perch and front-
Greektown cuisine, honed over a row view of America’s most spectacular
century by the best sampling of Greek architectural bounty.
heritage outside of Athens.
Chicago also ranks #3 in our vital
Decorated local chef Doug Psaltis Product category, comprising the
opened Andros Taverna earlier this subcategories of Airport Connectivity
year, a new contemporary Greek (#2), University (#4), Museums (#4) and
restaurant in Chicago’s vibrant Logan Attractions (#5).
Square neighborhood, adjacent to
Both museums and attractions figure
the city’s forthcoming public park and
heavily into the Windy City’s return.
ART ON THEMART
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4
SAN FRANCISCO CA
POPULATION
METRO 4,701,332
VIEW OF SALESFORCE TOWER AND THE TRANSBAY TRANSIT CENTER ROOFTOP PARK
HIGHLIGHTS
2 S IGHTS &
LANDMARKS
3 E DUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENT
Job opportunities and

infrastructure buildout
pave the way as the world
continues to rush in, despite
the haters.
San Francisco has embraced seekers

since the Gold Rush days. Along the way,
these immigrants have sowed the seeds
for the city’s open-minded attitude
toward, well, everything. The result
is a place that doesn’t just welcome
differences, but actually encourages
and celebrates them. No wonder it
ranks #3 in the nation in our Educational
Attainment subcategory. The promise of
high salaries brings a torrent of global
workers, who fuel the city’s ambition
and ideas and drive its #6 ranking
for Fortune 500 companies. The Bay
Area’s entrepreneurialism is uniquely
connected to its world-renowned
universities, with Stanford University and
the University of California, Berkeley,
able to accommodate local knowledge
and skills gaps and broker funding for
nascent start-ups. Guidance and capital
are rarely an issue for the right idea. Association. Total spending by visitors San Francisco’s quick action and
was down 77.7% from a record high of methodical inclusivity during the
Still, the city has been deeply wounded
$10.3 billion in 2019. The pandemic pandemic ensured the city took care
by the pandemic. Companies are
shredded massive plans for 2020, of its own over the past 18 months—
leaving for Austin and Miami, and San
including monumental anniversaries from COVID-19 patients to the swelling
Francisco now sits near the bottom
like Golden Gate Park’s 150th and San homeless population—stemming any
nationally (#96) in our Change in Civilian
Francisco Pride’s 50th. The Asian Art of the significant, long-term outbreaks
Labor Force subcategory. In what could
Museum’s impressive expansion, in that overwhelmed so many other
be viewed as a silver lining, house
which 13,000 square feet of additional urban hospitals in the country. But the
prices have dropped significantly—
exhibition space and a 7,500-square- problems of homelessness and poverty
the year-over-year plunge has been
foot rooftop art terrace were added, have only grown. City leaders appear
among the steepest in the country.
shut as quickly as it reopened. ready. “We’re the city of St. Francis, and
Tourism, a golden goose that set if we don’t lead on this, then shame on
But all of these delays have only
records for the past decade, plunged us,” said Joe D’Alessandro, CEO of San
filled a pipeline that will bring a flood
61%, from 26.2 million visitors in Francisco Travel. “As a DMO we’re taking
of openings and opportunities this
2019 to just over 10 million in 2020, a leading role on this... looking for small
summer. Total visitation is anticipated to
according to the San Francisco Travel fixes until we can figure it out federally.”
return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023.
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5
BOSTON MA
POPULATION
METRO 4,832,346
HIGHLIGHTS
of course—the country’s top school (and continent’s largest university town,
1 U
NIVERSITY RANKING a big reason why the city is #1 in our by the tens of thousands every year
University subcategory and scored #4 and become smitten with the crooked
in our overall Product category, which narrow streets and storied pubs,
2 P EOPLE measures hard-to-build infrastructure blended with American optimism and
in subcategories like Airport East Coast connections. The city’s
Connectivity)—as well as to Boston’s ranking in our Museums subcategory
density of other world-class universities is also more than respectable, at #13.
and colleges. The city is bursting with In addition to the bounty of museums
America’s oldest big city has
lecture halls, labs and classrooms for you’d expect to see in one of the nation’s
never been more current. the more than 75 institutions of higher oldest cities (from the grandeur of
learning, and is energized by the the Museum of Fine Arts to one of the
estimated 200,000 post-secondary nation’s first museums dedicated to
A hub of higher education and home to
students creating stories, ideas, African American history), Boston just
the fourth-best-educated workforce in
solutions and technologies that will keeps opening temples of creativity,
the nation, Beantown produces a steady
help drive the economy and incubate history and reflection. The city’s newest,
stream of new talent to help attract
innovation districts nationally and free contemporary art museum, the
start-ups and established companies
globally in the coming decades. New MassArt Art Museum, opened in early
alike. Future talent gravitates to Harvard,
students flock here, to arguably the 2020, just before lockdown. MAAM,
as it has become known, is distinct,
even among the city’s cultural density,
with imaginatively curated exhibitions
featuring influential, emerging and well-
known artists from around the world.
Given this devotion to celebrating
human potential, it’s no wonder
Boston ranks an impressive #2 in our
People category, including #4 in our
Educational Attainment subcategory,
which measures a city’s percentage
of the population with postsecondary
education. And in further confirmation
that locals here are fiercely loyal to their
city, Boston performed third-best this
year in our Change in Civilian Labor
Force subcategory among all Top 10
cities—and middle of the pack among
our Top 100—meaning the big urban
exodus we all read about last year didn’t
hit Boston quite so hard.
With the pandemic (relatively) in the
rearview, the city can get back to its
ambitious buildout as America’s newest
(oldest) urban destination. In early 2020,
hotel inventory in Boston was projected
to grow by almost 5,000 new rooms in
the next five years alone, a 20% increase
in supply. More than half of those
rooms are planned for the South Boston
Waterfront near the Boston Convention
& Exhibition Center, while the area
south of North Station will undergo
transformative projects not seen in
decades. Boston strong, indeed.
VIEW OF PARK STREET CHURCH FROM BOSTON COMMON
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6
SAN DIEGO CA
POPULATION
METRO 3,316,073
HIGHLIGHTS
in our deep Place category—with an opening of its $69-million children’s zoo,
3 P LACE impressive finish for Parks & Outdoors, to be named after Denny Sanford, a local
at #7 in the country. And, of course, philanthropist who donated $30 million
there’s its weather. to this endeavor, the largest single gift
7 ATTRACTIONS the San Diego Zoo has ever received.
San Diego is as naturally endowed as
any place has a right to be—its sublime The city’s bounty of attraction, ranked
263 full and partly sunny days annually #7 in the country, will also reopen, eager
help rank it in the Top 10 for Weather to show off millions in infrastructure
Southern California’s urban nationally, while the 23 beaches—70 investment.
ideal offers free sunshine miles of them—within city limits make
SeaWorld, which reopened in the spring,
it synonymous with SoCal surf culture.
and keeps a good thing After a festive 2019 celebrating its
will unveil a new 17-acre Sesame Place-
themed park this year on the site of the
going—across two borders. 250th, the city is now pausing somewhat
current Aquatica San Diego, SeaWorld’s
to reap the fruits of an intense few years
waterpark. Sesame Place San Diego will
of development. Of course, with the
You could say that San Diego is where open as a Certified Autism Center (CAC),
COVID-19 outbreak and California’s
California began. It was here that mirroring its Philadelphia sister park,
stringent shelter-in-place orders, San
Spanish settlers established the region’s which was the first theme park in the
Diegans don’t really have a choice. But
very first mission in 1769—252 years ago, world to achieve this designation.
given that San Diego fared better than
on a hillside overlooking what is now
L.A. through much of the pandemic, the LEGOLAND California Resort, reopened
known as Old Town San Diego.
sacrifices worked for the most part. in May, had announced the largest
Two and a half centuries later, this city addition in the park’s history right before
When residents do get back out of the
of 1.4 million (with an MSA population the pandemic hit in early 2020.
house and into their beloved city, they’ll
approaching 3.5 million) is one of the
beeline for the famous eponymous The San Diego Symphony’s permanent
fastest-growing in the U.S. It ranks #3
zoo—which is one year closer to the bayside concert venue, The Shell—
with its architecturally striking and
acoustically optimized stage—also
opens this year within Embarcadero
Marina Park South.
The Mingei International Museum in
Balboa Park is reopening, too, along with
a $52-million project that transformed
the museum along Plaza de Panama and
created a newly designed community
gathering space, education center and
quiet, spacious upper level galleries
devoted to exhibitions (complete with
a library open to visitors). Restored
historic spaces include the museum’s
upper terraces, which will be opened to
the public for the first time in decades,
offering views of the Plaza de Panama,
El Prado and California Tower. The
museum’s historic Bell Tower will also be
opened and accessed by a new grand
staircase.
And in what will surely be the
exclamation point announcing that San
Diego is back, Comic-Con will resume
as an in-person event, just in time for
the much-anticipated opening of the
Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park’s
former Hall of Champions building.
LA JOLLA COVE
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7
WASHINGTON DC
POPULATION
METRO 6,196,585
DC WHARF DISTRICT
HIGHLIGHTS
2 E DUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENT
5 M USEUMS
America’s intriguing capital

city has the world’s attention
and is working to keep it.
The ubiquity of D.C. in dramas on screens

small and large, combined with the
shocking events of the past year—from
the most-watched presidential election
campaign in history to the insurrection
at the U.S. Capitol—means we’re all
thinking about America’s capital city.
In fact, powered by its ranking as
the most-Googled U.S. city and the
seventh-most checked-in on Facebook,
Washington ranks #4 in our Promotions
category this year. Given its residency
in global consciousness and resonance
in the zeitgeist, there are few cities so
poised to build on the exposure of the
past year and surpass its record 24.6
million total visitors arriving in 2019.
The winning of Amazon’s coveted HQ2
in nearby Arlington, Virginia, dominated
local chatter over the past three
years—the 25,000 jobs created will be Food and dining is also helping D.C. Hotel with 131 rooms, a 1.5-acre park,
located in what Amazon calls National pursue equity, starting in the city’s Ward 95,000 square feet of retail space and
Landing, a newly minted place brand 7 and Ward 8, where the predominantly 547,000 square feet of office space.
for the neighborhood near Reagan African American residents have had
Visitors will also benefit from all this
National Airport known as Crystal City. only three major grocery stores serving
investment, and the city’s #5 ranking in
The jobs will improve D.C.’s already a population of 150,000. That’s about to
our Sights & Landmarks category will
impressive economic footing, powered change with Market 7, a sprawling food
only improve in the coming years, as
by its #7 national spot for Fortune 500 hall touting Black-owned businesses.
will its current #5 Museums ranking. The
companies located here.
The jewel in the city’s culinary crown Lincoln Memorial Rehabilitation adds
Before COVID-19, 2020 was going is the $250-million RiverPoint, two new services and design to enhance the
to be one of the busiest ever for D.C. blocks from Audi Field, between visitor experience, including activating
development, and a lost year will only Capitol Riverfront and the Wharf, with the space below the monument, and
accelerate the planned $10 billion in the piers, waterfront activity and plans for construction continues on a dedicated
city-building pipeline. new restaurants. With all this culinary U.S. WWI memorial to commemorate the
investment, the city’s #17 Restaurants 100th anniversary of the war’s end. The
First to open is Capitol Hill’s The Roost,
ranking will surely improve. memorial’s 58.5-foot bronze sculpture
a 12,500-square-foot community-based
will be the highest free-standing bronze
food hall, with a diverse collection of As for D.C.’s much-promoted Wharf, the
artwork in the Western hemisphere and
food, beer, wine and spirits purveyors. Southwest Waterfront development is
is expected to be completed in 2023.
on to Phase 2, which will add a Pendry
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8
DENVER CO
POPULATION
METRO 2,892,066
UNION STATION AND TRANSIT CENTER

HIGHLIGHTS
1 P EOPLE
4 A IRPORT
CONNECTIVITY
Light rail, legal pot and

buzzing ’hoods put Denver
on the fast track—and
on the radar of urban
wanderers looking for a
new post-pandemic home.
Since its Wild West early days,

Denver has attracted people from a
variety of cultures who’ve created a
rich tapestry and a diverse cultural
heritage. Today, with its secondary-city
affordability and epic location tucked
at the foot of the Rocky Mountains,
Denver is an increasingly wealthy,
healthy Millennial magnet of a place.
But the city is no undiscovered
secret, ranking #1 in the country in
our People category, which analyzes
a combination of residents with at
least a postsecondary degree (#10
nationally), as well as the one-year
change in the civilian labor force
(between Feb. 2020 and Feb. 2021), 300 days of sunshine a year and its second permanent installation
for which Denver ranks #4. surrounded by mountains, hiking paths here this year, and the Denver Art
and numerous indoor/outdoor spaces, Museum’s Martin Building (formerly
The pattern here? Smart people
the city is in the vanguard of the growing North Building) is undergoing an
standing by their city in a time of crisis—
trend toward office wellness. Lest we extensive, multi-year renovation.
and the Fortune 500 companies in town
forget, cannabis is legal in the Mile High
(which include Western Union, health Of course the street-level creativity
City, and in the entire state of Colorado.
care giants DaVita and Centene, and flows out from the River North Art
Molson Coors Beverage) keeping things Increasingly Denver’s creative scene District, known locally as “RiNo” and
running. Denver ranks #15 nationally for is something to behold. Afar Magazine the neighborhood “where art is made.”
Fortune 500 companies headquartered even declared it the “Street Art Its blend of urban charm and unique
here. Perhaps not surprisingly, Capital of the Country” recently—as industrial revival housing jazz bars,
the city remained economically good a title as any for post-pandemic restaurants, brewpubs, art galleries and
resilient through the pandemic, destinations welcoming tourists back working studios attracted significant
ranking #12 nationally this year for slowly and, for the most part, outdoors. investment in 2019 with the North
Change in Median Family Income. Wynkoop development, a 14-acre
Plans are afoot for an arts explosion
mixed-use project, and the opening of
But it’s not just an abundance of over the next year. Meow Wolf, the
the Mission Ballroom, a 4,000-person
jobs and a lower cost of living that’s artist collective responsible for
venue that will only add to Denver’s
attracting a highly educated and Santa Fe’s immersive art exhibit
reputation as a fast-rising creative hub
in-demand workforce. Blessed with the House of Eternal Return, opens
and top destination for live music.
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9
PHOENIX AZ
POPULATION
METRO 4,761,603
HIGHLIGHTS
downtown core—helping the city to The soon-to-be-opened Epicenter
6 W EATHER its #13 ranking nationally in our diverse at Agritopia, southeast of the city, is
Place category, which measures a going all-in on local restaurants like
city’s sights and landmarks, quality Matt’s Big Breakfast and enchilada
11 HANGE IN CIVILIAN
C of nature and parks, and safety. favorite Gadzooks, in addition to
LABOR FORCE many other opportunities to try the
The city certainly wasn’t idle during
locally brewed, distilled and grown.
the lockdown, as places like the
Retail and residential add to all the
Pemberton PHX, a historic downtown
new development that’s shining
Latin soul, daring home made over as a design-focused
a light on the Gilbert suburb.
architecture and a reverence community hub that opened earlier
this year, are powering Phoenix’s Despite the built environment’s
for the outdoors blends a urban renaissance, further bolstering ascent, Phoenix is still an outdoor
heady mix in the heart of its already impressive #12 national city, year-round, and ranks #29 in
the American Southwest. ranking in our Shopping category. the nation for its Parks & Outdoors.
Take a close-up look at Camelback
No fewer than 10 hotels have opened
Mountain, where summit trails are not
or will be opening in town this year,
A thriving desert metropolis, Phoenix for the faint of heart, especially in 100°
with downtown leading the way. The
offers some of the best Mexican Fahrenheit heat—though the base of
13-story urban-inspired boutique AC
food this side of the border, a the mountain also offers easier and
Hotel Downtown is the post-pandemic
growing roster of fine museums, equally beautiful trails for beginners.
destination the city needs, pouring craft
a vibrant artist community and
cocktails, and featuring an outdoor patio Phoenix’s subdued balance of city living
300 days of sunshine—with the
with fireplaces and city panoramas. has insulated it somewhat from the
#6-ranked Weather in the nation.
economic ravages of the pandemic. The
The city is also embracing its
Get a street-level view of the city’s city ranks #2 nationally for Change in
understated culinary tradition and Latin
increasingly considered urban planning Median Home Prices, trailing only Boise,
roots with places like BarCoa, a spot that
with a stroll through Roosevelt Row Idaho. Locals are also staying put (which
elevates the tasting and discovery of
Arts District, or RoRo, as locals have means so are the jobs), with Phoenix
tequilas and smoky mezcals. A street-
taken to calling it. Art galleries, studios, ranking #11 nationally in our Change
level cantina and locally owned taco
restaurants and bars sit side by side in Civilian Labor Force subcategory.
trucks round out the authenticity.
in this walkable creative district in the
VIEW OF PHOENIX SK YLINE
RESONANCECO.COM 20
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SAN JOSE CA
POPULATION
METRO 1,987,846
HIGHLIGHTS
The bounty of universities is a The city’s 2014 adoption of the Diridon
1 E DUCATIONAL performance driver all its own, creating Station Area Plan to create a mixed-use
ATTAINMENT symbiotic integrations with local tech urban destination near public transit
companies and offering access to was predicated on Google bankrolling
funding and innovation like few others. things to bring the vision to life. The
3 P ROSPERITY Given the optimal conditions of a project, being built out over the next few
lauded, coveted school and the on-ramp years, promises hundreds of thousands
it provides to jobs in the city, San José of square feet of office space next to an
will continue to stock its talent pipeline. intermodal transit station that, if transit
Talent, smarts and money
The region, home to Google, Facebook, and rail funding stars align, will be a
are a potent mix that has Cisco Systems, eBay and PayPal, is #3 transportation hub for the state.
insulated San José from for Fortune 500 companies, trailing
In addition to the tantalizing prospect
only New York and Chicago, and each
economic devastation of high-speed rail links to San Francisco
is already ravenous for graduates as
while allowing its citizens and the Central Valley, Diridon Station
recovery plans hit full speed.
is also planned to be the hub for San
to be bold with recovery. But the massive number of corporate Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit when
offices in San José doesn’t just provide the connection is finished at the end of
jobs: it’s reshaping the very city—and this decade.
It’s fascinating what a well-educated,
region—where those offices are based.
well-paid and diverse population can
do for a city’s rankings. In the case of
San José, the economic, cultural and
political capital of Silicon Valley and
California’s oldest civilian Spanish
settlement, it’s everything. The city’s
talent has propelled it to a Top 10 overall
finish in 2021, even amidst the pandemic
and the crescendo in tech circles that
“everyone is leaving the Valley.”
Despite crushing housing costs and a
temporarily battered tech sector, San
José still boasts the most educated
populous in the country, ranking
tops in our Educational Attainment
subcategory. An undeniable area of
concern, however, is the fact that the
city performs poorly this year among
both our Change in Civilian Labor
Force subcategory, as well as in its
unemployment rate (both in the bottom
20th percentile).
But San José doesn’t intend to lose its
people—or jobs—for long. There’s just
too much support from America’s titans
of industry and innovation.
The institutional prosperity in the
city has minimized the economic
devastation of the pandemic seen
almost everywhere else in the nation,
with San José ranking #13 in this year’s
Change in Median Family Income
subcategory, part of the city’s overall
Top 3 finish in our Prosperity category.
SHOPPING ON SANTANA ROW
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11
PHILADELPHIA 12
DALLAS 13
ATLANTA
PENNSYLVANIA TEXAS GEORGIA
POPULATION METRO 6,079,130 POPULATION METRO 7,320,663 POPULATION METRO 5,862,424
HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS
10 PRODUCT 7 PRODUCT 5 AIRPORT CONNECTIVITY
11 PROGRAMMING 12 PROMOTION 7 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES (TIE)
The City of Brotherly Love Dallas-boosters like to say that “Big Affluent, charming and dripping
gives locals and visitors Things Happen Here,” and as the with history, this giant of the
plenty of Americana. city climbs up our rankings year American South is creating
after year, we’d have to agree. the future on its own terms.
Given its deep roots in the creation of
the Union 240 years ago, Philadelphia It’s not only city sloganeering that’s big Long a progressive beacon of diversity
is a dense, cataloged embodiment of in Dallas. It’s an economic reality, too— in Georgia, Atlanta’s rich legacy of
American values and traditions, easily The Big D is home to more than 10,000 American civil rights—the city lays claim
accessible and eagerly shared. Small corporate headquarters—the largest as the birthplace of Martin Luther King
wonder, then, that it ranks an impressive corporate head office concentration Jr.—powered the long-conservative
#6 nationally in our Sights & Landmarks in the U.S.—and ties with San Jose for state to flip to the Democrats in the
subcategory, ahead of places like third- most Fortune 500 companies 2020 election. The eyes of the world
Boston and San Diego, and Top 10 in our located in the city. Of course, a city were on the Atlanta in November and
sprawling Product category (comprised with lots of corporate headquarters is January and saw the city’s embrace of
of difficult-to-build big city infrastructure a city that’s easy to get to: Dallas tops a rich, living history, from the must-see
like airport connectivity and museums). the nation in our Airport Connectivity Center for Civil and Human Rights to
Speaking of which, the city ranks #7 subcategory. The Dallas/Fort Worth the King Center for Nonviolent Social
in our Museums subcategory. Joining International Airport’s planned $3-billion Change. Small wonder, then, that ATL
icons like the Liberty Bell Center this Terminal F project is on hold until performed well in our Promotions
year is 90,000 square feet of new travel rebounds, which, given the city’s category, including #6 nationally for
public and exhibition space at the trajectory pre-pandemic, shouldn’t Google Searches, Google Trends, and
Philadelphia Museum of Art, as part take long. But Dallas isn’t just big on Instagram Hashtags. This bodes well for
of the Frank Gehry-led expansion. money; it’s big on fun and culture, too. the city once travel returns.
This is the home of America’s sixth-
The city is also investing outdoors, with Atlanta has always been a crossroads—
largest LGBTQ+ community, with bars
the central section of the Delaware River open to new ideas, and to the new
and restaurants concentrated in Oak
Trail opening this year for those not arrivals who came to this lush, hot,
Lawn, and to the Dallas Arts District, the
ready to mingle quite yet. No wonder rolling land when the city rose as a
largest contiguous urban arts district
National Geographic and Condé Nast railroad terminus.
in the nation. On 20 square blocks of
Traveler are heaping accolades.
mixed- use space, institutions like the Today, it’s still a transportation hub, with
The City of Brotherly Love ties with Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Museum Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International
Seattle for the 12th-most Fortune 500 of Asian Art and the renowned Nasher Airport one of the busiest airports in
companies in the country and features Sculpture Center—as well as theaters, the world (80% of the U.S. population
a growing population—somewhat symphony and opera venues, plus resides within a two-hour flight). It’s
waylaid by a pandemic exodus—and a restaurants and bars—all contribute to why the city ranks Top 5 for Airport
glittering skyline heading ever upward. a #16 ranking for Programming. Connectivity nationally.
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14
SEATTLE 15
AUSTIN 16
LAS VEGAS
WASHINGTON TEXAS NEVADA
8 PROGRAMMING 7 PEOPLE 1 WEATHER
9 PEOPLE 13 PROGRAMMING 2 ATTRACTIONS
America’s boomtown is playing The home of SXSW and the This pulsing destination has never
the long game to keep the purported best live music scene been quieter than in the COVID-19
(supervised) party going. on the planet is quickly becoming reality. Its resilience and response
America’s new hometown. will define it for decades.
Seattle’s self-reliance and dedication
to taking care of its own has fostered The rebellious Texas city—forged with The story of Las Vegas blossoming
over 150 years of city-building on the Longhorn State’s can-do persistence into a “real city” has been told of late
the far-flung northwest, setting the cut with a university town’s political with breathless praise for its economic
stage for its nearly decade-long activism and social diversity—has long success. Tourism—the #1 economic
run as America’s boomtown. attracted the misfits who don’t quite fit driver for Southern Nevada—has long
into the American south’s expectations. paid for Las Vegas’ roads, parks, school
That resilience was on display after
Today, it’s attracting everyone else— construction and teachers’ salaries.
the city became among the first in the
from Silicon Valley, New York—even According to the Las Vegas Convention
U.S. to experience runaway COVID-19
Seattle. The result is a housing boom and Visitors Authority, more than 41%
outbreaks. But as the New York Times
(#11 in our Change in Home Prices of Southern Nevadans are employed
noted this past March, “One year later,
subcategory), and a net gain in Change directly or indirectly because of
the Seattle area has the lowest death
in Civilian Labor Force (#34). tourism. But this single reliance on
rate of the 20 largest metropolitan
the visitor economy also means that
regions in the country. If the rest of As a result, the city ranks #7 in our
the COVID-19 outbreak decimated Las
the United States had kept pace with People category, including #9 for
Vegas like few other American cities.
Seattle, the nation could have avoided Educational Attainment. A lot of the
House price decline and the exodus
more than 300,000 coronavirus deaths.” brainpower arrives for the #22-ranked
of the labor force here both list in the
University of Texas at Austin, and many
Sea Town reverse engineered its success. bottom 10% of our 2021 ranking.
never leave. That foundation of thinking
Keeping the talent pipeline stocked
differently drew dreamers for decades. But this is Vegas, baby, home of the best
has always been Seattle’s secret—and
Local marketer Visit Austin trademarked weather in the nation and the second-
it’s paid off. Today, it ranks #9 in our
the city as “the Live Music Capital of best attractions, and America—and
important People category, and #11 for
the World.” Post-pandemic, the city’s the world—can’t wait to return. Need
Educational Attainment of its citizenry.
entertainment districts will be fêted proof? The city is in the Top 5 in our key
The reopening will showcase the like never before. South by Southwest, Promotions category, with the second-
city’s ascent in our Programming the annual summit of business, music most TripAdvisor reviews and third-
category, including #6 in the Shopping and creativity, has seeded the area’s most Facebook check-ins during a year
subcategory and #9 for Nightlife. The magnetism for new ventures. As such, when travel was cancelled. It also ranked
#15 Product ranking will also improve monikers like “Silicon Hills” have #5 for Google Trends, signaling deep
with new museum openings and followed campus openings by Apple, intent. The city is ready, with dozens of
the debut of the National Hockey Facebook, Google, Oracle, Dell, Cisco massive new openings that will entice
League’s Seattle Kraken this fall. and Hewlett-Packard. visitors back for the next decade.
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17
HOUSTON 18
COLUMBUS 19
BOISE
TEXAS OHIO IDAHO
POPULATION METRO 6,884,138 POPULATION METRO 2,077,761 POPULATION METRO 710,743
4 DINING 8 PROSPERITY 4 PROSPERITY
4 GOOGLE TRENDS 16 PEOPLE 4 SAFETY
Smart, skilled and soulful, Houston A business heart beats strong, One of the fastest-growing cities
is the American city of the future. which means plenty of money in the country entices with the
to support innovative city promise of plentiful jobs and
International immigration has contributed design and local commerce. after-work outdoor adventure.
to explosive population growth here,
making Houston one of the most Setting it apart from many Midwest Boise, with an almost 20% population
ethnically diverse big cities in America, metros, Ohio’s capital and largest city spike in the past decade, is an American
with more than 145 different languages is one of America’s fastest-growing West boomtown, where access to
spoken at home, according to the latest places—a forward-thinking economic the outdoors, a strong economy
census—about even with New York. powerhouse that’s also home to one (thanks to its booming tech sector),
of the largest college campuses, Ohio and a lower cost of living than many
No wonder its dining is ranked #4
State University (#26 in our University other cities similar in size is drawing
in the country, with a flurry of post-
subcategory). And Buckeye football people in from all over the country.
pandemic launches happening now—
isn’t the university’s only contribution
from food halls like Railway Heights It’s also the highest-ranking city in our
to local culture: with more OSU
and farmers’ markets to elevated Texan index with the smallest population,
graduates deciding to stay in town,
at Wild Oats. The fifth-largest city in so it’s clear things are only starting
Columbus is an emerging tech mecca
the U.S. is also home to the fourth- to roll for what many are calling the
with a thriving arts scene. The city
largest concentration of Fortune 500 “Austin of the North.” It ranks #4 in
earns a remarkable #8 ranking for
companies in the country, and ranks an our Prosperity category, led by the #1
Prosperity nationally in 2021, powered
impressive Top 5 nationally for HQs that ranking in the nation in our Change in
by historically low unemployment
call it home. Home Prices subcategory. No other U.S.
and its #19 ranking in our Change in
city’s real estate has appreciated more
But the city’s ambitious plans are driving Civilian Labor Force subcategory. Even
during the pandemic than in Boise.
rebirth. amidst the pandemic, locals stayed
put and insulated, as evidenced by the That makes it not so surprising that
The recent development of the Houston
city’s #8 ranking for Change in Family the city ranks #16 in our Change in
Spaceport, a hub for innovation,
Income between 2019 and 2020. Civilian Labor Force subcategory.
education and commercial spaceflight,
The city is a net attractor of the urban
is the future of the region’s space The well-rounded economy, it seems, is
exodus from other urban centers.
industry—and brings us closer to space resilient—buoyed by a growing number
Boise’s tech scene has a lot to do with
tourism. For now, Houston’s 22.3 million of start-ups, as well as top employer
this population boom, anchored by
annual visitors (2018)—of which 3.28 Ohio State and Fortune 500s (for which
the tech giant Micron Technology
million were international travelers— Columbus shares a #21 ranking) like
and blossoming in all sorts of
arrive and depart by more conventional Nationwide Insurance and L Brands
interesting start-ups. Also adding to
means—at least they did before the
its allure are mountains, a desert and
city’s #6 most connected airport ground
a river all within striking distance.
to a halt last year.
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TUCSON 21
PROVO 22
TAMPA
ARIZONA UTAH FLORIDA
POPULATION METRO 1,027,207 POPULATION METRO 616,791 POPULATION METRO 3,097,859
10 PROSPERITY 3 PEOPLE 8 SAFETY
16 WEATHER 3 SAFETY 10 ATTRACTIONS
Arizona’s second city is An outdoor paradise prepares Florida’s outdoor wonderland

ascending fast, with bold city for take-off. has a taste for the finer things.
leadership and placemaking.
With the Wasatch peaks to the east In Tampa, the natural and built
Fast-growing Tucson is buoyed by its and Utah Lake to the west, Provo— environments are as in sync as Brady
sense of place, ranking #10 in both which punches high in our rankings and The Gronk. The city has low crime
our Weather and our Parks & Outdoors for its small population—is an outdoor (an impressive #8 in the nation), pleasant
subcategories. The city is poised to enthusiast’s playground. It’s home to weather in its 361 days of sunshine per
ascend up future national rankings, Brigham Young University (ranked #34 in year, and sprawling, diverse outdoor
due to new investment in all manner of our University subcategory) and forms attractions, including, of course,
green and common space. Its new Sun part of Silicon Slopes, Utah’s start-up nearby beaches like De Soto Park and
Link LRT is sure to improve quality of life, and tech community. Its easy access Clearwater. Chief among the parklands
creating a focus on fewer cars and more to hiking, river rafting, mountain biking is the Tampa Riverwalk, a 2.6-mile
walkability that’s designed to pull the and ski resorts, plus the city’s own 53 continuous waterfront corridor along
sprawling population together, closer green spaces (totaling 2,000 acres, the banks of the Hillsborough River and
to downtown. Urban innovation that plus 33 miles of trails), earned Provo the Garrison Channel. It’s bookended
taps its outdoor bounty by increasing an impressive #12 overall ranking in our by the Florida Aquarium and the
access to it is not a hard sell for a town Place category. Provo also ranks Top 3 popular Ulele restaurant; in between,
where almost 25% are aged between among the nation’s safest cities. there’s the Tampa Bay History Center,
20 and 34. You can thank the University the Florida Museum of Photographic
But the real driver of is the city’s
of Arizona (ranked #42 nationally in our Arts, the convention center and other
talent and economic performance.
University subcategory) for the swagger. stops of interest that contribute to
Technology, healthcare, and education
Tampa’s #10 ranking in Attractions.
The desert city is also blooming are among the city’s major industries,
economically. House prices are rising with an economy propelled by a highly The pandemic hasn’t slowed the city’s
fast as the post-pandemic migration educated population: Provo ranked #15 investment into its visitor economy or
from larger urban centers powers for Educational Attainment (with nearly its cultural infrastructure. The newly
Tucson to a Top 5 ranking in our Change 43% having earned a bachelor’s degree opened Peninsularium is a multi-artist,
in Home Prices category. Citizens are or higher). Supported by its #2 ranking multi-million-dollar effort to provide
also hanging in despite the pandemic’s in our Change in Civilian Labor Force Tampa with its first and only permanent,
economic impact, ranking #21 in our subcategory, Provo ranked #3 in our immersive arts installation experience.
Change in Family Income subcategory. People category. And talent continues Tourism numbers are rebounding
All this places the city in the Top 10 in to stream in, as indicated by Provo’s #7 quickly, too. Good thing, considering
our overall Prosperity category. Good ranking in our Change in Home Prices more than 1,000 new hotel rooms were
thing, too, given that the local shopping subcategory. Good thing the city has added since 2019, and another 1,000 are
ranks an impressive #17 nationally. invested in Google Fiber and a recent coming online over the next two years.
$40-million airport terminal expansion.
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PORTLAND 24
RALEIGH 25
MIAMI
OREGON NORTH CAROLINA FLORIDA
8 PARKS & OUTDOORS 6 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 2 INSTAGRAM HASHTAGS
10 PROGRAMMING 9 SAFETY 5 DINING
America’s Left Coast runs A booming economy and global Miami’s creativity is fueled by
deep in this ambitious city on intellect poise this Carolina its arms-wide-open acceptance
the edge of the wilderness. powerhouse for the future. of new immigrants—both
international and domestic.
Portland’s blissful isolation, ambivalence The City of Oaks checks all the boxes
toward established norms and legacy for a bright, ambitious city of the new Miami’s natural attributes have always
of cooperation and neighborliness—to American South. Raleigh is part of North captured the world’s imagination and
hew trees and carve out one’s place Carolina’s Research Triangle, one of the crystalized the city’s hedonistic brand.
among the encroaching wilderness— country’s largest and most successful But it’s Miami’s openness to immigrants
makes this one of the most earnest research parks—think high-tech and (and, more recently, the LGBTQ+
cities in America. It’s also one of most biotech, along with advanced textile community, and, even more recently
beautiful, ranking #11 for Sights & development. than that, Silicon Valley migrants) that
Landmarks and #8 for Parks & Outdoors. has Miami ranking #6 in our Promotion
Ranked #6 in our People category, with
category. From prominence on
The city’s people have always set the sixth-smartest citizenry in the nation,
Instagram (#2 nationally) to trending
Portland—and its livability and Raleigh has been magnetic for talent,
on Google (#7), the city where more
performance—apart: its citizenry ranks delivering on its promise of competitive
than 100 languages are spoken across
#17 for Educational Attainment. After a salaries for most of the past decade. But
its households also wants to be the
healthy population growth pre-COVID like in so many high-flying urban centers,
place where the new distributed
(almost 8,500 people moved to town the pandemic hit the region hard.
workforce comes to work from home.
in 2018 and 2019), the city held on to
Fortunately, the region is well-positioned
those citizens during the pandemic, Take tech-lusting mayor Francis Suarez:
for recovery, with its three research
ranking #38 nationally in our Change last year he helped erect a billboard near
universities getting back to recruiting
in Civilian Labor force category. Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters
young talent to Raleigh; there’s also
that read “Thinking of moving to Miami?
Portlanders work hard to play hard. The been a flurry of hiring in the area,
DM me.” Below was his handle.
city ranks Top 10 in the country for its including Amazon as it looks to bring
lively Programming, including its restless its new delivery facility in nearby Cary Miami’s historic embrace of a
restaurant scene. But Stumptown online. It’s also a great hometown, Top crossroads of the Americas has long
(referring to Portland’s logging past) isn’t 10 in the nation for Safety and boasting provided a business advantage few
a hedonistic pacifist. As the eyes of the a vividly imaginative culinary scene: cities claim. It’s home to one of the
world focused on the city’s battle against Bon Appétit granted one of its coveted largest concentrations of international
shadowy federal military deployed Top 10 America’s Best New Restaurants banks in the U.S., as well as North
there to quell Black Lives Matter and for 2017 to a quirky and beautiful America’s largest hub—outside of
social justice protest, Portlanders combination brewery, bookstore, flower Mexico City, New York and L.A.—
once again forged their reputation shop and dim sum restaurant called of Spanish-language media.
as an uncompromising citizenry. Brewery Bhavana.
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CHARLESTON 27
CHARLOTTE 28
SALT LAKE CITY
SOUTH CAROLINA NORTH CAROLINA UTAH
POPULATION METRO 774,508 POPULATION METRO 2,545,560 POPULATION METRO 1,201,043
2 PARKS & OUTDOORS 7 AIRPORT CONNECTIVITY 8 CHANGE IN HOME PRICES
9 MUSEUMS 18 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES (TIE) 20 AIRPORT CONNECTIVITY
The Holy City boasts European Affluent and easy to love for The Great Outdoors are calling,
elegance by day, and all its southern charm, North and Salt Lake is doing its
kinds of revelry by night. Carolina’s biggest city is open best to keep you in town.
for business and pleasure.
A beguiling fusion of built environment Combining spectacular natural and
and coastal transition landscapes— The Old South is up to new tricks built environments, Salt Lake City
golden islands, channels and marshes— in Charlotte, a global banking is no longer just a gateway to the
Charleston is one of North America’s powerhouse (the second-most great outdoors but also a welcoming
most architecturally significant important in the U.S. after New destination with a high cool quotient.
destinations. York) and tied for the #18 spot in our The transformation began with the
ranking for Fortune 500 companies arrival of the XIX Olympic Winter Games
This easy yet kinetic seaside American
in town. Locals in the Queen City are in 2002, as the city thawed its reputation
treasure draws pilgrims from all over
smart, too: Charlotte ranks #36 in our for über-conservative Mormonism and
the world, propelled by the promise of
Educational Attainment subcategory. presented a slew of quaint cafés and
legendary Southern hospitality from
The prosperity is easily accessed and stylish restaurants. SLC continues to
another time. In 2020, that hospitality
distributed, powered by Charlotte’s pour millions into development projects
was put to the test: Charleston’s
#7 ranking for Airport Connectivity. and the beautification of its downtown,
unemployment rate soared while
and the city has matured into an urban
housing prices ended their rapid ascent. People call their downtown Uptown,
experience as much as an outdoor
The Holy City holds strong, though: it but the good news is that it’s all
one. Of course, the proximity of the
comes in at just outside the Top 25. walkable. Beneath its bankerly surface,
Wasatch Range’s stunning canyons and
Charlotte offers unexpected attractions:
The city comes in at #9 in our important 11,000-foot peaks is the reason many
the NASCAR Hall of Fame, for instance,
Place category, including an incredible adrenaline junkies travel and move here.
where you can trace the sport from its
#2 for Parks & Outdoors—trailing only
moonshine-running roots to today’s And they work as hard as they play:
Honolulu among all American cities
multi-billion-dollar powerhouse. Glory Salt Lake ranks #13 in our overall
(with hundreds of thousands fewer
Road is a banked ramp featuring historic Prosperity category, led by its relative
residents). A city rich in cultural, natural
cars and tracks, and racing simulators resilience to the pandemic’s economic
and military heritage, Charleston
let you become a pitstop crew member devastation. The city is in the top
nabs a Top 10 spot in our Museums
and see the world from the driver’s 10% in our Change in Home Prices
category (#9). Set to open next year,
point of view. An impressive #22 ranking subcategory and ranks #26 for Change
the International African American
in our Restaurants subcategory will in Family Income. It’s citizenry brings
Museum will illuminate the influential,
improve further once the more than the smarts as much as the snowboards,
under-reported histories of Africans and
three dozen new eateries open in ranking #38 globally for Educational
their descendants in South Carolina,
town, including Vaulted Oak Brewing, Attainment. The University of Utah
highlighting their diasporic connections
appropriately housed in a former bank. ensures the brainpower keeps flowing,
throughout the nation and the world.
with its #42 ranking University ranking.
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NASHVILLE 30
MINNEAPOLIS 31
KANSAS CITY
TENNESSEE MINNESOTA MISSOURI
8 UNIVERSITY RANKING 9 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES 12 PEOPLE
12 NIGHTLIFE 12 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 24 GOOGLE TRENDS
Music City lets you worship your Culture, affordability and a low The Paris of the Plains is growing
idols, and toast them frequently. pre-pandemic unemployment rate into an affordable, artsy tech
make Minneapolis a talent magnet. hub with a taste for barbecue.
Nashville and its citizens have always
taken care to invest their money As the site of the George Floyd murder Affordable yet packed with culture,
wisely, including for the preservation at the hands of local police that sports and plenty of delectable food,
of historic buildings and to revitalize sparked a global movement against Kansas City offers a perfect balance
neighborhoods like Germantown, systemic racism and police violence, of big city amenities like great jobs
which was established in the 1850s by Minneapolis has become a household and a healthy economy combined
European immigrants. Such focus on name. In addition to their vital role in with an easygoing Midwestern vibe.
placemaking and tactical urbanism a fight for justice, residents have long Routinely ranked as one of the best
will put the city on the map globally in advocated for their city, the results of cities for working women, KC boasts
future years. Until then, the music scene which can be seen in numerous parks, strong showings in healthcare
thrives here, particularly as a younger bike trails and placemaking along a and government, but it also has a
generation of musicians—Jack White prime location on the Mississippi. burgeoning tech scene, which is in
and the Black Keys come to mind—have large part thanks to it being the first
With 18 Fortune 500 companies,
chosen to live and set up recording home of the Google Fiber network.
Minneapolis scores an impressive #9
studios in town.
in our Fortune 500 subcategory. The Economic resilience helped avoid the
With a #18 ranking for Programming, the highly educated workforce (ranked pandemic’s full impact on its labor force.
city is finally getting the recognition it #12 for Educational Attainment) enjoys Kansas City ranks #33 in the nation
deserves for its long but subtle influence easy access to the rest of the world via for Change in Unemployment Rate
on the American fabric. Should you Minneapolis–Saint Paul International and an impressive #13 in our Change
need a respite from culture and the Airport (#13 for Airport Connectivity). in Civilian Labor Force subcategory,
#12-ranked Nightlife, Nashville also offers meaning locals stayed in the city.
With a #30 ranking for Programming
a sprawling park system with more than
(including #23 for Nightlife), the city’s This city is tough to leave, and reopening
12,000 acres to explore by bike (B-Cycle
heart still belongs to beloved hometown means opportunities to visit the Nelson-
rental stations are located at greenway
recording artist Prince, whose suburban Atkins Museum of Art or the American
trailheads), or by kayak and canoe on
home and studio, Paisley Park, opened Jazz Museum. Besides the good weather
the Harpeth River. With a Top 10-ranked
as a museum in 2016. The city has (#33), Kansas City also makes a perfect
university (Vanderbilt sits at #8 in the
a long way back to recovery, with nesting spot for young professionals
nation), Top 25 ranking for Fortune 500
its ranking in our Change in Civilian and families of all shapes and sizes due
companies in town, and its high COVID-
Labor Force subcategory sitting in to its affordability, increasingly diverse
19 infection rates in its past, Nashville
the bottom 10% nationally, and the population and world-class universities
is poised to return to its pre-pandemic
subsequent sag in housing demand like Kansas City Art Institute and UMKC.
upward trajectory.
pushing real estate prices lower. The city ranks #27 for educated citizenry.
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SACRAMENTO 33
COLORADO SPRINGS 34
ALBUQUERQUE
CALIFORNIA COLORADO NEW MEXICO
POPULATION METRO 2,315,980 POPULATION METRO 723,498 POPULATION METRO 912,108
13 WEATHER 8 PEOPLE 10 PARKS & OUTDOORS
25 PEOPLE 12 PARKS & OUTDOORS 16 SHOPPING
Green, bountiful and affluent, A haven that fuels the appetites Where transcendent natural
California’s capital is big on of both adventure seekers beauty and a lifetime of
local stewardship and valuing and culinary hounds. outdoor pursuits meet.
what it already has.
Situated at the base of Pikes Peak, Diverse cultures, authentic art and
California’s state capital is peaceful Colorado Springs is a wonderland dynamic traditions have helped shape
and beautiful, ranking well for its for those who love adventure, a centuries-old story in Albuquerque.
natural attributes, including epic unsurprisingly ranking #12 for Parks There’s the vintage neon glow
weather (#13). Although traditionally & Outdoors. After hiking the Garden of Route 66, the pink hues of the
one of the Golden State’s wealthiest of the Gods or biking Cheyenne Sandia Mountains at sunset and the
cities, the pandemic has ravaged it Mountain State Park, there are plenty of cottonwood bosque of the Rio Grande.
economically. The city ranks #83 in opportunities to refuel. Today, the fare ABQ ranks #46 in our Product category—
our Change in Unemployment Rate is increasingly raised and grown locally, indicative of deep infrastructure and
subcategory and, not surprisingly, and the long-standing brewing tradition local investment—including a #19
household income plummeted (ranking adopted by start-ups is thriving. Even ranking in the Museums subcategory.
#68 in Change in Family Income). the springs in Colorado Springs are
In a city rich in cultural heritage, the
being marketed for their terroir.
The City of Trees—residents claim cuisine is also influenced and inspired by
more trees per capita here than It all comes together—or will come a colorful (and spicy) palate: green and
anywhere besides Paris—isn’t a back together once social distancing red chiles are staples—even in desserts.
stranger to cataclysms: the Great is relaxed—during mornings at Ivywild Despite this daring gastronomy, people
Conflagration of 1852 burned 40 School, a local community marketplace still won’t believe you when you tell
square blocks of the fledgling city. for groceries or coffee to go, and during them that Albuquerque ranks #38 for
evenings at new spots that seem to open Restaurants in America. ’Burque, in local
Some help from Mother Nature—
monthly pre-COVID-19, and will once parlance, is also a cultural hot spot,
and tourism—has stewarded the city
again. The city is also magnetic, even stacked with more than 100 galleries,
toward declaring itself America’s
during—or more likely because of—the a symphony orchestra, theaters and
“Farm to Fork Capital,” surrounded by
pandemic’s urban exodus from larger even an opera scene that’s getting
fertile farms. Sacramento’s restaurants
centers, ranking Top 3 in the country national attention. Its shopping, ranked
are only happy to tap the localism.
in our Change in Civilian Labor Force #16 in the country ahead of places like
Taste it for yourself at La Cosecha in
subcategory and #12 in house price Boston and D.C., may be even more
Cesar Chavez Plaza and discover why
increases during that time. That’s what surprising than the culinary scene.
Time magazine recently declared
happens when a citizenry had some of Small wonder new residents are pouring
Sacramento “America’s most diverse
the lowest COVID-19 infection rates in in, pushing ABQ’s ranking for Change
city.” With its highly educated citizenry,
the country. in Home Prices to #17 nationally, just
California’s capital ranks an impressive
slightly ahead, and directly influenced
#25 in our key People category.
by, the #14-ranked Weather.
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DURHAM 36
NORTH PORT 37
CINCINNATI
NORTH CAROLINA FLORIDA OHIO
POPULATION METRO 626,695 POPULATION METRO 803,709 POPULATION METRO 2,201,741
7 UNIVERSITY RANKING 2 SAFETY 7 PROSPERITY
8 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 5 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 27 DINING
A leading college town is New homes and opportunities are From “Banks of the Ohio” to
growing from within while springing up in abundance in this Over the Rhine, from baseball
welcoming the world. naturally stunning Florida city. to music to beer, Cincinnati
is most entertaining.
Durham is one of America’s top Sarasota County’s North Port has the
college towns and at the heart of it distinction of being the only metro in Cincinnati has been simmering just
is Duke, a private research university Florida to have an entire state forest under the surface of mainstream urban
that has a global academic reach and within city limits. When they’re not vibrancy for a few years now, but in 2018
counts among its game-changing hiking, biking or horseback riding in the it leapt into the coveted New York Times
alumni Melinda Gates and Apple Inc. 8,600-acre Myakka State Forest or in 52 Places to Visit list. It ranked high in
CEO Tim Cook. Duke ranks #7 in our the city’s other 400 acres of parkland, our 2021 report as well: the city is #32 for
University category. In a city that ranks residents are canoeing or kayaking Programming, led by #27 for Restaurants
#8 for Educational Attainment and along the Myakka River or North Port’s and #28 for Nightlife.
#35 for Weather, it’s not surprising 80 miles of freshwater canals. Then
The architecturally glorious 140-year-
that the 55-acre Sarah P. Duke there’s Warm Mineral Springs Park, a
old Music Hall recently reopened and
Gardens and lively neighborhoods peaceful pond with up to 51 minerals
is home to the symphony, ballet and
like Rockwood and South Square are and a year-round temperature of 85
opera; it joins an expanded Ensemble
mere steps away from campus. degrees. Combine North Port’s natural
Theatre Cincinnati and a new home for
attributes with a balmy clime (ranking
And just as Duke University connects the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company to
#46 for Weather), plus one of the lowest
Durham to the world, Raleigh-Durham give the Over the Rhine neighborhood
crime rates in the nation, at #2, and the
International Airport, a 20-minute real cultural chops.
Sunshine State city lands in our Top 25
drive from campus, puts it on the flight
for the important Place category (#16). The city ranks #31 for Attractions and,
paths of nine carriers. With 400-plus
post-pandemic, it’s poised for continued
nonstop flights per day to more than Its finances are healthy: the 2019
ascent, starting with the new home of
50 destinations (before the pandemic) opening of CoolToday Park, the
MLS team FC Cincinnati in the West
and its Refresh improvement program in Atlanta Braves’ spring training facility,
End as the anchor for a destination
full effect, this facility earns Durham the is expected to pump millions into
neighborhood—a new Wrigleyville or
#29 spot among American cities in our the economy over the next decade,
D.C.’s The Wharf. The city’s impressive #7
Connectivity subcategory. Middle of the while the West Villages community
Prosperity ranking nationally proves the
pack in terms of Fortune 500 companies is an economic mainstay. The city is
power to deliver on its new hometown
that call the city home, Durham a mini economic dynamo, ranking #5
aspiration, led by the 10 Fortune 500
performed admirably amidst the for Change in Unemployment Rate
companies that call it home and that
pandemic lockdown, ranking #19 in our (basically adding jobs during the darkest
help rank Cincinnati #16 in that category.
Change in Family Income subcategory days of the pandemic), while growing
and in the top half of the country for incomes (ranking #9 for Change in
Change in Unemployment Rate (#46). Family Income).
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38
ALBANY 39
PORTLAND 40
MADISON
NEW YORK MAINE WISCONSIN
POPULATION METRO 880,736 POPULATION METRO 532,075 POPULATION METRO 653,725
2 CHANGE IN FAMILY INCOME 9 PARKS & OUTDOORS 4 PEOPLE
11 PEOPLE 13 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 22 UNIVERSITY RANKING
Central, prosperous and Enviable streetscapes and Some cities win the lottery, and
sophisticated, New York State’s plentiful arts and culture help this oft-cited example of livability,
capital knows its worth. this Maine gem punch above its job creation and Millennial
weight for talent attraction. magnetism is no exception.
Anchored on the shore of the Hudson
River, Albany holds the political power In 2014, Portland, Maine, decided to Madison’s enviable position as both
despite being overshadowed by officially declare what pretty much capital of Wisconsin and the site
that other New York city downriver. everyone knew. “Yes. Life’s good here” is of the state’s largest university has
Incredibly connected by road, rail and a patented city brand that some might certainly fueled its livability in previous
the #63-ranked airport in America, interpret as a little smug, if it weren’t for rankings, buoyed by high-paying
Albany offers a prosperous place to put the fact that Portland keeps on working work, middle-class power and low
down roots, resulting in the second- to make life even better. It being the unemployment. Unfortunately the city
best national ranking in our Change smallest city, by population, among the has been decimated by the pandemic,
in Family Income subcategory. Not Top 50 in our ranking is just one more tumbling out of the Top 100 for our key
surprising, the state capital attracts confirmation. Prosperity category (#102), skewered by
an educated citizenry (#24 in our falling family income and subsequent
The city ranks #9 for Parks & Outdoors,
Educational Attainment subcategory). falling home prices. The good news
as part of its #42 ranking for Place,
It has also attracted talent throughout is that most of the population has
a measure of the natural and built
the pandemic, likely from New York remained in the city, riding out the
environment. There are six unfairly
City, which ranked it #14 nationally in nightmare in a place that had one of the
picturesque local lighthouses, and the
Change in Civilian Labor Force. But nation's lowest urban infection rates
city’s weathered wharfs, cobblestone
Albany is not all politics, though—it’s in the early days of the pandemic.
passageways and historic buildings
also a capital of culture, and it boasts
thrive in the fresh salt air, so much The students will be back for the start
an enviable central location, with the
so that its waterfront Commercial of the 2021 school year, and this hive
Berkshires, Adirondacks and burgeoning
Street was declared one of the 10 best of healthcare, IT and manufacturing
Finger Lakes Wine Region—and, yes,
streets in the country by the American powered by pipelines of talent out of
the Big Apple—all just a few hours away.
Planning Association. That this classic the University of Wisconsin (and the
Running the Empire State may be big
American urbanism can be enjoyed symbiotic, sustainable relationship
business, but Albany’s also a college
without looking over your shoulder (the between academic infrastructure and
town, home to a State University of
city ranks #22 for Safety) just adds to economic performance it creates) will
New York campus that helps the city
Portland’s magnetism. And people are resume its ascent. Indeed, Madison
earn a #26 ranking in our University
coming, even during the pandemic. has always boasted among the most
subcategory. Albany prides itself on its
This mighty mite ranks #12 nationally in educated citizens in the country.
history, and its 18th- and 19th-century
our diverse Prosperity category despite This year, the city ranks #7 nationally
homes and compact, walkable core
a lack of Fortune 500 companies, and for Educational Attainment.
mean big things post-pandemic.
home prices are rising (#14 nationally).
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ORLANDO 42
SAN ANTONIO 43
MILWAUKEE
FLORIDA TEXAS WISCONSIN
1 ATTRACTIONS 6 ATTRACTIONS 21 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES
3 TRIPADVISOR REVIEWS 8 DINING 25 NIGHTLIFE
With its tourism superpower Rich in distinctly Texan A sudden destination city
depleted by the pandemic, Orlando attractions, San Antonio is a place pre-pandemic, Milwaukee rebuilds
tries reopening by focusing on for all seasons (and reasons). with everything at stake.
being a better hometown.
The genius of San Antonio is that, ever According to the Wisconsin Department
Being the largest city in a region that since 1941, it has sagely leveraged, of Tourism, some 23 million tourists
generates more than $60 billion in grown and enhanced its greatest asset visited the Milwaukee area in 2016—
tourism-related revenue every year and attraction: the River Walk. The and it’s been climbing ever since
(2020 and ’21 being the notable idyllic pedestrian promenade along (pandemic excepted), which resulted
exceptions) gets you plenty of lift from the San Antonio River, extended from in an economic impact of more than
a rising tide. That’s a lot of visitors three to 15 miles in 2013, is a scenic $3.7 billion for the city in 2018 alone.
with a story to tell if you give them the urban lifeline that connects visitors to
So what’s been luring these millions
means to tell it. Orlando knows how to everywhere they want to be and anchors
to this urban center in the American
get people talking. Its Top 10 ranking the city’s #6 ranking for Attractions
Heartland? Wisconsin’s largest city
in our Promotion category drove its among American cities. On one end of
combines cherished traditions and
overall ranking, including collecting the the River Walk, there’s the five colonial
modern attitude. It celebrates its beer
third-most TripAdvisor reviews of any missions, a UNESCO heritage site and
brewing heritage and offers a vibrant
American city. key players in a #17 finish in our Sights
farm-to-table culinary scene—an
& Landmarks subcategory. On the other,
Orlando plans buzzy product releases obvious asset to a city with a century
the San Antonio Zoo, and in between,
with military precision—and suffered of feeding and brewing for a continent.
the San Antonio Museum of Art, the
deeply when confronted with an The city will fight hard to return to its
Texas Golf Hall of Fame and dozens of
invisible enemy it couldn’t defeat ascent as a cruise ship destination. In
other curiosities, eclectic stops and
quickly. The city has also expanded 2019, 10 passenger ships docked here,
riverside cafés. Increasingly, Pearl is
its attention beyond family fun. The more than double from 2018. Plans
a destination within the destination: a
new Exploria Stadium houses the local to expand the downtown Milwaukee
mixed-use space in a former brewery,
MLS men’s and women’s teams, with convention center (the Wisconsin
it’s a beguiling blend of retail, dining,
seats for 25,500 fans, with plenty of Center) are moving forward, with
offices, a riverside amphitheater, events
placemaking rising around the emerging construction expected to begin in
and a campus of the Culinary Institute
neighborhood. 2022. The project hopes to accelerate
of America. Around the esteemed
a downtown renewal kickstarted
The road back to its visitor economy school, a host of grads and chefs have
by the Northwestern Mutual Tower
glory will be a long one for Orlando, clustered, creating a smorgasbord of
& Commons in 2017, Fiserv Forum
as the one-year change in the choices from Italian to ’cue to bakery to
(the home of the NBA Bucks) in
city’s housing prices (#101) and vegetarian cuisine. San Antonio ranks a
2018 and, most recently, the BMO
unemployment rate (#85) are both open stealthy #8 nationally for its restaurants.
Tower, which will house the city’s
wounds from the city’s pandemic battle.
#21-ranked Fortune 500 companies.
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ST. LOUIS 45
INDIANAPOLIS 46
EL PASO
MISSOURI INDIANA TEXAS
10 UNIVERSITY RANKING 13 ATTRACTIONS 7 PLACE
16 MUSEUMS 26 PEOPLE 18 CHANGE IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE
One of the world’s top music Indy is rich in experiences and A border town taps into its
cities is an energetic crossroads events, but its housing affordability strategic attributes to create
of the American dream. is the real reason to fall for this a prosperous sanctuary.
Midwest gem.
America’s gateway to the West has Safe (the “Safest City in America!” if you
always been an understated city of It’s difficult to overestimate the powerful listen to former mayor Dee Margo, even
neighborhoods (ranking #19 in our influence a strong sports brand can though we have it at #5), progressive
Sights & Landmarks subcategory) and have on the perception and profile of and increasingly basking in the fruits
cultural elegance. It performs well a city. Indianapolis might owe its fame of its 2012 $500-million bond initiative
(#18) for nightlife action in bars and to the century-old auto race known as that funded a children’s museum, new
clubs (not surprisingly, Miles Davis the Indianapolis 500, but this Midwest arena, cultural center and more—all
is a native son), and ranks #23 for metropolis has plenty to offer, even if you downtown—the city is also cooking in the
Programming, led also by a #21 finish for don’t have a need for speed. Come for literal sense, ranking #39 for its culinary
Restaurants. There’s often a correlation the sparkling airport, world class cultural scene. But the boom is tapping El
in the rankings between good nightlife institutions and bustling nightlife, stay Paso’s history, too. “The city mothballed
and prosperity, and St. Louis is no for affordable neighborhoods and its streetcar system in the 1970s,”
exception—it ranks #16 for Fortune 500 family-friendly entertainment. True to said Destination El Paso CEO Bryan
companies that call the Gateway to the its reputation as the capital of speed, Crowe. “We brought back the perfectly
West home. The city’s strategic plans Indianapolis is home to workers who preserved streetcars to service our newly
to bolster its ability to attract meetings fuel a diverse economy anchored by expanded medical schools.” Today the
and events—devastated by the past 18 three Fortune 500s—ranking it at a tie streetcar travels a 4.8-mile route in two
months—received good news recently for #31 nationally—and some of the loops through El Paso’s uptown and
when the AC Next Gen Project that shortest commutes of any metro area. downtown areas. Fortified by its roots
will update and expand the America’s Indy has plenty of attractions to call its as a cowboy town, El Paso is leveraging
Center Convention Complex downtown own. Destinations like the picturesque its regional pride by enticing scattered
received approval last summer for $105 Canal Walk promenade, the Indianapolis locals back home, while embracing its
million in bond funding from the city. Museum of Art and the Children’s border-city advantage. A #18 ranking
Museum of Indianapolis (the largest in our Change in Civilian Labor Force
But humankind can’t live by nightlife
institution of its kind in the world) helped subcategory points to a growing
alone, especially if children are
earn Indy an impressive #13 rank in the population. The city also benefits from its
involved, so there’s always the zoo,
Attractions subcategory. Urban vibrancy direct ties to Mexico and Latin America,
and there must be a visit to the mind-
gets a boost with the $300-million with its population mostly of Hispanic
blowing (for any age) City Museum.
Bottleworks District, featuring the new origin (80%). It doesn’t get more Tex-Mex
Not surprisingly, St. Louis ranks #16
Bottleworks Hotel and a new home than here, where many residents
in our Museums subcategory.
to Indy’s best coffee roasters, florists, speak a foreign language—in this case,
brewers, food purveyors and artisans. overwhelmingly Spanish—at home.
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BALTIMORE 48
PITTSBURGH 49
CAPE CORAL
MARYLAND PENNSYLVANIA FLORIDA
6 UNIVERSITY RANKING 16 UNIVERSITY RANKING 1 SAFETY
12 MUSEUMS 18 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES (TIE) 3 PARKS & OUTDOORS
Baltimore is far more than what America’s city of industry is America’s safest city is no
you know about it from television. gearing up to supply the global longer overlooked in favor of
And that’s a very good thing. economy all over again. glowing neighbors Sanibel
Island and Fort Myers.
Less than an hour’s commute from It’s Steel City, City of (440!) Bridges,
Washington, D.C., Baltimore offers a Andy Warhol’s hometown and birthplace Sure, there’s Southwest Florida’s
slower pace of life and significantly of the NFL’s “Stillers.” In fact, sports first Westin property—coming off a
cheaper housing than its hyper-charged tourism is huge in Pittsburgh, home also $15-million remodel—and a big reno just
neighbor to the south. But the time to the Penguins and Pirates. According completed at Boca Grande’s historic
to buy into one of Baltimore’s diverse, to a study done by the three sports Old Florida Gasparilla Inn. But people
historic communities may just be right franchises, over the last five years sports are coming here to live. It’s not only the
now—home prices in the city reached a tourism led to numerous jobs, $6 billion safest city in the nation, it’s also one
10-year record in July 2020. Its world- in direct or indirect spending and $73 of the most beautiful, ranked #3 in our
class institutions like Johns Hopkins million in state and local tax revenue. Parks & Outdoors subcategory. What
University (ranked #6) and the National The city knows how to kick back, too: Cape Coral lacks in sandy beaches of
Aquarium, as well as a quirky culture it ranks #29 for great nightlife and #31 its neighboring islands it more than
makes Charm City distinct. Johns for its culinary scene, making it a place makes up for in riverfront vistas and
Hopkins is Baltimore’s largest employer, of work and play. The city is also home outdoor pursuits. It’s also one of the
and while it may be lacking Fortune to Carnegie Mellon and the University most accessible, with Southwest Florida
500 company (ranking #70 nationally), of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which International Airport (RSW)—ranked
Maryland boasts a $35-billion aerospace helps explain its #16 University ranking #35 nationally for Connectivity—a mere
industry, and the defense contractor and an overall sense of practicality 30-minute drive after baggage claim.
Northrop Grumman is a Top 5 employer and stewardship (and why urbanist The city is attractive to students, too,
of Baltimore residents. The city ranks and author Richard Florida launched who are drawn to the easy lifestyle
an impressive #15 for Educational his career here). Case in point: the city and a dozen colleges and community
Attainment. It also earns a #12 ranking for held severe COVID-19 outbreaks at colleges within 50 miles of city center.
Museums, and many—from historic ships bay and quietly was among the best- Increasingly, graduates are putting
to the highly acclaimed Port Discovery performing large U.S. cities from a down roots. According to Yahoo
Children’s Museum—are clustered public health perspective. Economically, Finance, more than 50% of Millennials
around the Inner Harbor, which for the city was middle-of-the-pack in the region own homes—the third
50 years has served as a nationwide during the devastation of the past 18 highest rate in the nation. A post-
model for the reuse of post-industrial months, from its one-year change in pandemic wave of next-level dining and
waterfront. With impressive airport unemployment rate (#47) to its change drinking options—ranging from elevated
connectivity (#21) and established in median family income (#59). cuisine at the Bohemian to Ceremony
urban infrastructure, Baltimore is Brewing—is sure to improve the area’s
#19 in our vital Product category. #70 Restaurants ranking in the future.
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RIVERSIDE 51
OGDEN 52
NEW ORLEANS
CALIFORNIA UTAH LOUISIANA
3 WEATHER 4 CHANGE IN HOME PRICE 2 SHOPPING
10 CHANGE IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE 5 CHANGE IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE 5 TRIPADVISOR REVIEWS
Prosperity, great weather and A city prospers off the outdoors. Few cities of this size radiate the
multiculturalism make Riverside a lore that New Orleans does.
city of opportunity like few others. Sitting nearly 4,300 feet above sea level
along the northern end of the Wasatch In the face of poverty and injustice—
They call it the City of Arts and Mountain range just 35 miles from and environmental catastrophes
Innovation, but Riverside, on the Salt Lake City, Ogden appeals mightily compounded by both—NoLa has
outskirts of Los Angeles, also lays claim to the avid outdoor set. But it has an created a culture of presence, music and
to being the birthplace of the California urban wild side, too, with events like the festivals that may pale in size to others
citrus industry, a fact honored at the annual Witchstock fest (complete with in the world, but never in intensity.
248-acre California Citrus State Historic a Zombie Crawl) and the family-friendly It’s why the city ranks #7 nationally for
Park. The city boasts one of the nation’s Harvest Moon Celebration. Outdoor Programming, our category spanning
most ethnically diverse populations, products form one of the city’s key shopping, dining, and after-hours
with citizens of Hispanic descent industries, along with IT and life sciences vibrancy. Given the need to celebrate,
making up 53% of the local population, (specializing in biopharmaceuticals and to seize the day, to revel in all that fusion
while nearly 44% of citizens speak a medical devices). Another is aerospace of humanity and culture and sweaty new
non-English language. Like a reflection and advanced manufacturing, the people and ideas, the city ranks #5 in our
of the community around it, University city being situated in the heart of the Nightlife category.
of California, Riverside (ranked #39 sector’s cluster two miles from Hill Air
After all, the party only begins in the
in our University subcategory), is one Force Base. Combine these powerful
French Quarter. It grows more refined
of the nation’s most ethnically varied industries and you get one of the most
and local as it weaves into Marigny,
postsecondary institutions. Riverside well-off—and, at #104 in our Promotion
Bywater or the timeless jazz seduction
also performs well in our Place category category, overlooked—cities in the
of Frenchmen Street. NoLa also shines
(#17), which includes Safety (#34) and nation. But the secret is out. Between
in our Shopping category, trailing only
the third-best weather in the country— February 2020 and 2021, the city earned
New York City nationally, helped by
that is, only if you enjoy 277 days of a #5 ranking for Change in Civilian Labor
the intoxicating treasures of Magazine
sunshine annually. The city has also Force. Few smaller cities are feeling the
Street convincing visitors that their finds
fared very well during the pandemic, impact of the big-city urban outflow as
are only available here and now. And
attracting residents in the work-from- much as Ogden. Not surprisingly, the
they often are. In the last few years, the
home new normal and raking Top 10 city’s housing is booming, and it ranks
city has been renovating and expediting
nationally in both our Change in Civilian #4 nationally in our Change in Home
projects languishing since the Hurricane
Labor Force and Change in Family Prices subcategory. City building is also
Katrina rebuild.
Income subcategories. ongoing, including a new, $91.9-million,
5.3-mile rapid bus transit line from Having been gutted by one of the
downtown to Weber State University and highest COVID-19 infection rates among
McKay-Dee Hospital. American cities, New Orleans is once
again getting up off the mat.
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KNOXVILLE 54
JACKSONVILLE 55
OMAHA
TENNESSEE FLORIDA NEBRASKA
POPULATION METRO 853,337 POPULATION METRO 1,503,574 POPULATION METRO 931,779
11 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 10 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 13 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
21 PARKS & OUTDOORS 25 PARKS & OUTDOORS 22 PARKS & OUTDOORS
Knoxville’s tradition of Florida’s fastest growing The discreet economic

collaboration is now creating a city is the next destination powerhouse of the Midwest lives
food and drink scene to watch. for talent and tourists. large while keeping it small.
An urban walker’s paradise, downtown Young professionals love JAX for jobs Nebraska’s largest city has always
Knoxville is a treasure trove to explore as well as for its low cost of living. The worked overtime to carve out its
and discover, from vibrant murals city boasted Top 10 unemployment place on the banks of the Missouri
to local music venues, historic sites rates last year, even with a raging River in pretty much the middle of the
and museums. Instead of playing pandemic. With just a short drive to (contiguous) country. Billionaire Warren
second fiddle to nearby Asheville and beaches and the country’s largest urban Buffett’s decision to stay in Omaha—
Chattanooga, Knoxville is finding its own parks system (it ranks #25 for Parks where he lives in a modest home he
groove as an increasingly prominent & Outdoors), Jacksonville isn’t a bad bought for $31,500 more than 60 years
destination for food lovers of all tastes— place to hang your beach hat. Boosting ago—has always been a source of
the state’s first James Beard Award– the city’s outdoor chops is the newly curiosity. But the Berkshire Hathaway
winning chef, Joseph Lenn, operates consolidated and easier-to-access 7 CEO’s hometown loyalty doesn’t
J.C. Holdway right downtown. What Creeks Recreation Area, with longer surprise Omaha locals, who know that
makes the food scene so spectacular trails, more recreational opportunities their city is one of the best spots in the
is the collaboration of local chefs with and a total of 5,600 uninterrupted country to start a business, raise a family
other chefs, brewers, distillers and wine acres of preserved wildlife that and let your hair down on a Saturday
makers. Group efforts, like a long-table represents one of the most expansive night. Thanks in no small part to Buffett,
dinner along the middle of a downtown new networks of parks in the U.S. Omaha ties at a #24 ranking for Fortune
street in 2017, have resulted in a number 500 firms in town, boasting the most
With top jobs in aerospace, financial
of unique culinary experiences for (eight) of any city with less than a million
services and IT, Jacksonville is home
which demand has been spring-loaded people. The city has also been notably
to companies like Bank of America
post-pandemic. Knoxville’s superpower economically resilient in the face of
Merrill Lynch, Mayo Clinic, JP Morgan
isn’t just pocket urbanism: the city the pandemic, ranking #13 nationally in
Chase, Citi, Johnson & Johnson and
features more than 150 miles of trails Change in Unemployment Rate. But it’s
Aetna, giving the city high marks in our
and greenways, paddle-friendly rivers, not just stalwarts like Mutual of Omaha
Fortune 500 Companies subcategory
and forest hiking, all within a quick that keep this city bustling: a growing
(tied for #38). Jax also has bragging
bike ride or drive. No wonder it ranks tech sector has earned Omaha the
rights to a diverse workforce, making
#21 in America in our Parks & Outdoors nickname “Silicon Prairie.” It’s important
it more inclusive and welcoming for
subcategory. The secret is out among to note that Omahans work to live,
all types of workers. With 22 miles of
Americans seeking a new hometown with too, as evidenced by its #31 ranking
beaches and access to the winding St.
plenty of opportunity, especially one with for Nightlife and #39 for Shopping in
Johns River, Jacksonville is filled with
the #11-best Change in Unemployment the country (pre-COVID-19, anyway).
natural amenities to enjoy nearly all
Rate in 2020 and early 2021.
year round in the Florida sunshine.
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FAYETTEVILLE 57
HONOLULU 58
PALM BAY
ARKANSAS HAWAI'I FLORIDA
12 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 1 PARKS & OUTDOORS 10 SAFETY
31 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES (TIE) 8 SHOPPING 22 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
An outdoor gem in the Ozarks There’s the unparalleled natural Open natural spaces inspire
is powered by its university and beauty, of course, but there’s entrepreneurs ready for take-off
the diversity of its citizens. innovative shopping and dining, too. on Florida’s Space Coast.
Situated in the Ozark Mountains with As a global vacation destination, visited From the fishing pier and sandy
more than 200 days of sunshine a by more than six million tourists last beach at Castaways Point Park to the
year, Fayetteville has plenty of outdoor year—up 16.2% in five years, according fully handicapped and special needs
play to offer. Home to the University of to local numbers, Honolulu is trying accessible playground at Inspiration
Arkansas and its nearly 28,000 students, to heal an economy devastated by Park, Palm Bay values its 29 green
the Natural State municipality is also the pandemic. It has among the spaces. Combine those with the
considered the entertainment capital highest rates of unemployment in 200-acre Fred Poppe Regional Park,
of northwest Arkansas, with everything the country (ranking #109 in Change golf courses, Turkey Creek Sanctuary
from live music to street performances. in Unemployment Rate), and a long and beaches, and there was a lot of
The city is financially solid, with a Top 25 struggle back to rebuilding its visitor- park space to make riding out the
overall ranking for Prosperity in America, focused workforce. Things were going pandemic a little easier here. Combine
including a tie at #31 for Fortune 500 in the right direction for the state at the that natural endowment with one of
Companies, and seemingly pandemic- beginning of 2020, with visitation and the country’s lowest crime rates (#10)
proof employment numbers. The city spending up 5% year-over-year as late as and the result is a #35 ranking overall
ranked #12 in the country in our Change February. But with the pall of COVID-19 for Place, a category that also includes
in Unemployment Rate subcategory. falling swiftly and mercilessly, month- Sights & Landmarks and Weather.
Its performance in our Prosperity over-month visitor spending dropped
Manufacturing thrives here, led by
category is even more impressive when as much as 80% in 2020 and 2021, with
defense and semiconductor firms.
you consider that the city is one of the almost 10,000 jobs lost in the city as a
Being four miles to the Florida Institute
smallest, by population, in our ranking. result. But Honolulu will be back—it’s
of Technology and 48 miles to the John
Key industries include education and getting increasingly difficult to find a
F. Kennedy Space Center, the Space
technology, with civil engineering about place to lay your towel in Waikiki again,
Coast city also has a growing technology
to get a major boost: the U of A’s new and rehiring has commenced. It’s also
industry. The economic firepower
$13.8-million, 37,4000-square-foot Civil simply too coveted as both a destination
means the city ranks #22 nationally in
Engineering Research and Education and a hometown to be down for long.
our Change in Unemployment Rate
Center at the Arkansas Research and The city ranks #6 in the nation in our
subcategory. Looking ahead to the
Technology Park, due for completion layered Place category, including #1 for
area’s recovery, Palm Bay is planning to
soon, will enable testing of large-scale Parks & Outdoors, with its verdant, knife-
revitalize its Bayfront district adjacent
structural systems and will be a hub for edge topography exploding into the blue
to Indian River Lagoon, a plan that
research, academic, government and sky from rolling hills every few miles.
would include an accessible public
industrial partners throughout the state.
waterfront, with a recommended
budget of $29 million, by 2024.
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MEMPHIS 60
FRESNO 61
LEXINGTON
TENNESSEE CALIFORNIA KENTUCKY
20 CHANGE IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE 8 WEATHER 26 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
27 MUSEUMS 9 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 31 PROSPERITY
Two centuries of creativity The urban heart of central The energetic metro races to expand.
and civil rights poise Memphis California is also the state’s
for a bright future. breadbasket—with an impressive There’s more to the Horse Capital of the
restaurant scene big on local bounty. World and the Bluegrass Region metro
Tennessee’s second-largest city is than thoroughbreds. The birthplace of
an American icon that’s been quietly Fresno, the largest inland city in bourbon made our Top 50 for Nightlife,
adding to the national lore from the California, is much more than a at #48, with everything from party-
bank of the Mississippi River for more farming town. The city is also a hub bike bar hopping to the Bluegrass Trail
than 200 years. The heart of the Delta for manufacturing, education and for craft beer lovers. With Kentucky’s
Blues and famously home to Graceland, healthcare. Its central location, largest mall, the city ranked #60 for
it is the lesser-known Music City, about halfway between Los Angeles Shopping. Those two subcategories
USA, when compared to Austin and and Silicon Valley, has long drawn contributed to Lexington’s overall #58
Nashville. But those two can’t hold entrepreneurs seeking connection to spot for Programming. “Lex” is also
a guitar to Memphis’ contributions California’s power centers. It’s perhaps relatively big on TripAdvisor, ranking
to the Civil Rights Movement. Or its why the city has one of the best #54 for total reviews, which helped
barbecue. With so many stories, the unemployment numbers in the country its #67 Promotion ranking. Lex can
city ranks an impressive #27 nationally (#9) and, even during the pandemic, toot its own horn for the $220-million,
in our Museums subcategory—home the ranking for Change in Family 800,000-square-foot mixed-use City
to the aforementioned Graceland and Income between 2019 and 2020 is Top Center downtown, in the final stages
the National Civil Rights Museum, 15 nationally. Of course, farming has of opening with two hotels and luxury
and #37 for Sights & Landmarks. It’s contributed to the economic resiliency. condos. Then there’s the $275-million
not surprising that others are telling Fresno County’s economic output expansion to Lexington Convention
the city’s stories these days: Memphis from agriculture adds up to $8.3 billion Center’s Rupp Arena at Central Bank
ranks a notable #27 in the nation for annually, providing ample opportunity Center, slated to be fully open by
TripAdvisor Reviews. But the city is also for its large foreign-born population. The next year. The economic pipeline has
an ascendant business center, with city’s revitalizing downtown is poised resulted in this small but mighty city
legacies like the country’s first Black to transform even more within the next being incredibly resilient, even during
millionaire, J.E. Walker, and ties at #31 decade with the arrival of California’s the pandemic, ranking #20 in Change
for Fortune 500 Companies, with FedEx high-speed rail system and hundreds in Unemployment Rate between 2020
and AutoZone headquartered here. of new condo and loft units. For now, and 2021, as well as #26 for Change in
Affordable housing—and new downtown it’s the center of a vibrant farm-to-table Family Income. Lex already ranks #26 in
investment—make Memphis a city to restaurant scene (#43), with a slate of the nation for most educated residents.
watch, especially given its #20 ranking for restaurants, breweries and even a long- It’s likely going to attract many more.
Change in Civilian Labor Force, indicating anticipated downtown wine bar sure to
the city is drawing post-pandemic improve the city’s culinary scene.
residents able to work from anywhere.
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OKLAHOMA CITY 63
SANTA ROSA 64
SPOKANE
OKLAHOMA CALIFORNIA WASHINGTON
17 CHANGE IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE 11 SAFETY 1 PROSPERITY
20 WEATHER 18 WEATHER 26 PARKS & OUTDOORS
Oklahoma City is building on a good Prosperous, safe and well- Impressive in nightlife, culture
thing and shoring up its future. educated, Santa Rosa is as and shopping, Spokane is drawing
resilient as it is beautiful. priced-out West Coasters and
As a long-time business center for the growing prosperous as a result.
energy, biosciences and aerospace After suffering untold tragedy during the
sectors, this is a city where linear Tubbs wildfire in 2017 and, you know, the Seattle’s real estate gold rush has as
thinking just doesn’t cut it. Yes, a new pandemic, Santa Rosa—“the urban heart many losers as winners, and those who
$288-million convention center opened of Sonoma County,” 55 miles north of San missed out are headed to the beacon
downtown recently, boasting 200,000 Francisco—is poised to face the future across the Cascade Mountains, sparkling
square feet of exhibition space and a more resilient. Just consider that the city with big-city amenities and ambition,
35,000-square-foot ballroom. But there’s is the smallest—by population—in our from breweries to placemaking.
also the only urban whitewater rafting Top 100 ranking to better appreciate its
Few places in the nation have benefited
facility in the world. Already designated middle-of-the-pack finish. As the largest
from the work-from-home movement
as an official Olympic and Paralympic city in Northern California’s Wine Country,
more than this Eastern Washington city. It
training site, Oklahoma City is creating Santa Rosa enjoys amenities both human
ranks Top 3 for Change in Unemployment
the finest rowing racecourse in the and natural. The city ranks #11 for Safety
Rate (more people are working, even
world while investing $25 million in a and #18 for Weather. Its wealth means
during the pandemic), as well as in our
public whitewater kayaking facility for that even throughout the pandemic,
Change in Home Prices subcategory
all skill levels. This builds on the 2016 the city ranked #3 in the nation in our
(prices are rising and fast—20% over the
opening of the city’s whitewater rafting Change in Family Income. America’s
past year with a still-affordable average
facility, Riversport OKC, one of only 34th-most educated citizenry knows how
of $330,000). It’s also #11 for Change
six man-made whitewater courses in to preserve wealth. They also know how
in Family Income (2020 vs. 2019). All
the country. OKC was also one of four to enjoy the fragile majesty around them.
this good news means the city ranks #1
communities to receive a multi-year grant As the New York Times wrote about
in the nation in our coveted Prosperity
from the Outdoor Foundation, which Santa Rosa in its annual 52 Places to
category. Spokane. In the middle of
aims to make getting outside part of the Love in 2021: “Everything is within reach,
Eastern Washington state. Believe it.
fabric of peoples’ lives by facilitating including the rough, beautiful Sonoma
outdoors access for kids and families of County coastline. The region brings The nightlife (#50 in the country)
all backgrounds. This openness to take together so many different experiences: matches a feisty and growing
care of business and livability is getting manicured vineyards, a wonderful culinary scene. Spokane is the urban
noticed by the rest of the country—the downtown with breweries and coffee heart of Washington’s Walla Walla,
city is increasingly a new hometown shops, dark-green forests and snaking Yakima and Columbia wine regions.
for thousands of families, indicated by rivers, mountains and big agricultural Nearby Yakima produces 75% of the
its #17 ranking in our Change in Civilian valleys.” Also within reach: a SMART train country’s hops—more than enough
Labor Force subcategory (between station that will connect the city to Marin to justify Spokane’s craft beer boom
February 2020 and February 2021). County and ferries to San Francisco. that today includes 31 breweries.
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OXNARD 66
AUGUSTA 67
MCALLEN
CALIFORNIA GEORGIA TEXAS
3 WEATHER 19 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 7 CHANGE IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE
14 SAFETY 21 SAFETY 21 PLACE
Rich, rugged and sunny, There’s more to life than golf in this An economic dynamo,
Oxnard’s future as a coveted poised hometown of the future. fueled by Mexican-American
hometown is looking bright. talent and culture.
Internationally famous for hosting the
Oxnard, sandwiched between more Masters golf tournament each spring, A border city with a strong automotive
famous Malibu and Santa Barbara, is Augusta was rocked last year when industry, McAllen has seen a recent
an increasingly poorly kept secret. This the city’s largest event was cancelled economic bump with the ratification
California city has too much going for for only the second time ever due to of the USMCA trade deal. The metro
it to stay under the radar. Its gorgeous the COVID-19 outbreak. (The first time area hosts 42 automotive suppliers
weather ranks #3 in the country, and was World War II.) Still, this layered employing 40,000 people, mostly
its direct access to beaches and the and beautiful city of stately avenues high-skill workers. McAllen has recently
coastal mountains means a Top 10 that share the urban grid with the focused on attracting companies from
finish in our deep Place category. The Savannah River and the Augusta Canal across the border, and saw a major
city’s diversified economy, including (and the iconic train tracks) seemed success with the opening of a new
agriculture, oil, shipping, and business to be holding up well, ranking #19 in facility for the Mexican manufacturing
and financial services, makes Oxnard our Change in Unemployment Rate company Tetakawi. This diverse city
a magnet for both high-income and subcategory (and #37 in the nation for welcomes its foreign-born population,
educated households and foreign-born our main Prosperity ranking). Once the attracting residents from near and
residents, giving the city a #65 rank pandemic passes, the city can continue far due to its strong manufacturing
overall in our vital People category. its economic ascent—and not just from economy. And it’s reaping what it
the return of the 200,000 golf fans, sows: McAllen ranks a remarkable #7
But the pandemic did hit this California
pros and media annually. Augusta is in the nation in our Change in Civilian
dream town hard. The city ranked in
a military center and already houses Labor Force subcategory. Even during
the bottom 20 percent nationally in
Fort Gordon and its 20,000 employees. the pandemic, the city’s citizens held
Change in Family Income (#99) between
Things will really take off in the next few fast, finishing #16 in Change in Family
2019 and 2020, and for Change in
years with the announcement of a U.S. Income (2019 vs. 2020). New residents
House Prices (#80). Still, proximity
Army Cyber Command facility. Combine are coming for the quality of life that
to L.A. and Port Hueneme, right next
the expected job growth with median locals love. McAllen ranks #21 in our
door—the only major navigable port in
housing prices around $100,000 and a deep and vital Place category, with its
California between Los Angeles and the
#21 ranking in our Safety subcategory excellent weather and low crime rate
San Francisco Bay—means the city’s
(and #40 for Weather) and you have one (both ranking #16 nationally). The city
economic fortunes will turn sooner than
compelling home town. Small wonder, has a vibrant theater scene, including
later. The California coast’s allure, after
then, that the city is Top 25 in the nation local troupes and touring Broadway
all, has always bounced back. Especially
in our Change in Civilian Labor Force productions, which are sure to thrive
in places as safe (#14) and idyllic as
subcategory. again once social distancing is lifted.
Oxnard.
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68
GREENSBORO 69
PROVIDENCE 70
ROCHESTER
NORTH CAROLINA RHODE ISLAND NEW YORK
POPULATION METRO 762,063 POPULATION METRO 1,618,268 POPULATION METRO 1,072,877
14 PROSPERITY 8 UNIVERSITY RANKING 17 PEOPLE
48 WEATHER 26 CHANGE IN HOME PRICES 29 UNIVERSITY RANKING
History and the land’s bounty run Fresh air and fresh faces rule The faded industrial Great Lakes
deep in this North Carolina gem. in America’s smallest state. titan still has a lot working for it.
A quest for diversity is part of The smallest state in America has a Look back through its history far enough
Greensboro’s past, and events that capital city with plenty of big ideas, a lot and you’ll discover that Rochester, just
transpired in the city helped shape of very smart and creative people and a shade above a million in population
African American legacy. The city that a happening nightlife. Home to an Ivy today, was one of the country’s first
draws history buffs, antique furniture League college, one of the best design boom towns. The fertile Genesee River
shoppers and foodies. In North Carolina, schools in the country and a major Valley fueled torrid entrepreneurship
fertile farmland is a great source of culinary institute, Providence sure packs and massive wealth in flour mills,
pride, and Greensboro residents have a big punch. The city boasts Brown then manufacturing, then again with
a strong connection to the land and University, ranking #8 nationally in the world-rattling innovation, from Kodak
it bounty. Locals and visitors come University subcategory. It also boasts to Western Union to Xerox. Today, the
together around food—at markets like plenty of fresh air to go along with the third-largest city in New York State may
Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, which fresh perspectives of academia. Start no longer boast the head offices it once
has been around since 1874, and at your ramble at the Rhode Island School did, but the redbrick, old-world charm,
unique experiences like The Barn Dinner of Design Museum of Art, which offers stately homes—now so affordable, at an
Theatre. While the town may be steeped a collection featuring some 84,000 average price of $180,000 but up 12.5%
in historical significance, it continues to artifacts from ancient Rome, Egypt as of April year-over-year, according to
look forward, especially as it tends to its and Greece, as well as modern Eames Zillow—remain. And so does the city’s
#66 Restaurants ranking. Greensboro’s furniture and Frank Lloyd Wright stained- legacy of research and development.
downtown nightlife (ranked #62) offers glass windows. Brown University’s Several of the region’s universities
a special kind of American sensibility historic campus on 18th-century College (including the University of Rochester
and charm, thanks to street corners Hill is not far, and you can wander the and Rochester Institute of Technology,
humming with buskers and bands, tree-lined streets, where an impressive ranked #18 nationally in our University
and cafés vibrating with acoustic collection of beautiful Georgian-style subcategory) have renowned research
performances. homes sit side by side. No wonder the programs. This pipeline of talent could
city ranks #41 in the country for Sights & turn the trickle of new companies
But the city is also an economic engine
Landmarks. And with a #35 ranking for into a torrent as the war for a highly
of the region, one that ranks #5 in the
Safety, exploring this endlessly walkable educated workforce intensifies. The
country in our Change in Family Income
city is the best way to discover its city already has an enviable foundation
(comparing 2019 and 2020), as well
low-key appeal. of industries ranging from Kodak
as #29 for Change in Home Prices
legacies like optics, photonics and
(comparing median prices between
imaging, to biotech, energy innovation
February 2020 and February 2021).
and IT services. To say nothing of its
Overall, the city finished an impressive
#36 Educational Attainment rank.
#14 in our main Prosperity category.
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71
COLUMBIA 72
VIRGINIA BEACH 73
GREENVILLE
SOUTH CAROLINA VIRGINIA SOUTH CAROLINA
16 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 6 SAFETY 9 CHANGE IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE
44 WEATHER 24 ATTRACTIONS 45 MUSEUMS
Economic stewardship and Big-city amenities lap the golden With a location as beautiful
urban investment power South sand in Virginia’s largest city. as it is central, Greenville is
Carolina’s stealthy state capital. open for business—and it’s
Few East Coast American cities blend the investing in infrastructure
Like most state capitals, South Carolina’s urban with the natural as beautifully as
to keep that momentum.
Columbia is an economically diversified, Virginia Beach. With 38 miles of coastline
highly livable jewel too often overlooked at the mouth of the Chesapeake This compact city nestled up against the
by tourists and potential residents. While Bay, Virginia Beach has long been a Blue Ridge Mountains is doing a lot of
Columbia’s #61 ranking in our Promotion vacation destination for folks looking things right, and its #58 ranking in our
category isn’t exactly making the city to escape the sweltering summers Product category proves it has invested
blow up online, its #57 in TripAdvisor of Washington, D.C. But Virginia’s well in its institutions and attractions.
Reviews means that people who know largest city is coming into its own, From the Museum and Gallery at Bob
are regularly talking about this city. with a growing Millennial population Jones University, one of America’s finest
So what’s the (nascent) buzz? Well, drawn by a strong economy, affordable collections of paintings from Italian
there are plenty of perks to being in the housing and thriving local food scene. masters like Giotto di Bondone, to the
capital and the State House is a splendid Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and
Recapturing hundreds of millions from
tribute to Greek Revival architecture, Baseball Library that invites visitors
domestic and international tourists, plus
situated in a sprawling garden filled into the home where the baseball
the tens of thousands of hospitality-
with monuments. The Riverbanks Zoo legend lived and died, Greenville ranks
related jobs that evaporated with the
& Garden extends for 170 acres along #45 for Museums. While Falls Park
lockdown, will be key to the city’s
the Saluda River and features an on the Reedy is a lovely natural oasis
rebound. Fortunately, new investment
aquarium, zoo with more than 2,000 in the center of the city (resulting in
is afoot, with everything from 1865
animals. Four-year-old Segra Park a #48 ranking for Parks & Outdoors
Brewing Co., the first Black-owned
(formerly Spirit Communications Park)— subcategory), the artfully cantilevered
brewery in Hampton Roads, to the
shut down just a few years after opening Liberty Bridge next door is an equally
recently unveiled Apex Entertainment,
due to the pandemic—is set to host both impressive destination—a pedestrian
an 85,000-square-foot amusement
minor league Fireflies games and get walkway above the falls. The city is
center. Expect VB’s #24 ranking for
locals out to shows and public events peppered with such gems, ranking
Attractions nationally to improve shortly.
once more. Speaking of residents, an impressive #47 in our Attractions
they’ve held fast through a challenging The pristine, endless sandy beach, subcategory. Locals know they have a
year and a half, ranking #16 nationally charmingly framed by a three- good thing going, which is why most
in our Change in Unemployment Rate mile, 140-year-old boardwalk, is stayed put during the past year and
and #35 for Change in Family Income. the city’s top draw, earning Virginia a half, resulting in the Greenville’s #9
The University of South Carolina, ranked Beach a Top 25 ranking in our Place ranking in our Change in Civilian Labor
#47 in the country, adds a youthful category, powered by its sixth- Force subcategory (measured between
dynamism to the historic urban stock. lowest crime rate in the country. February 2020 and February 2021).
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74
STOCKTON 75
WINSTON-SALEM 76
DAYTON
CALIFORNIA NORTH CAROLINA OHIO
8 WEATHER 17 UNIVERSITY RANKING 21 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
12 PROSPERITY 1 CHANGE IN FAMILY INCOME 22 CHANGE IN HOME PRICES
From agricultural center to Few small cities in America punch The arts fly high in this
bedroom community to downtown above their economic and creative aerospace hub.
hot spot, Stockton is a city to weight as much as Winston-Salem.
watch in the Golden State. The first thing Dayton might bring to
To localize what’s happening in the heart mind is airplanes, being the place where
A once-sleepy agricultural town, of North Carolina, just look at the city’s the Wright brothers developed and
Stockton has recently gained kudos as a Wake Forest Innovation Quarter—or, as manned the world’s first flying machine.
more affordable bedroom community for of last year, just “IQ.” The downtown- You can immerse yourself in all things
Silicon Valley. But there’s plenty going based research park encompasses 90 aviation at spots such as Huffman Prairie
on within its city limits. Healthcare and companies, more than 1,000 residences, Flying Field and the National Museum
education are the city’s largest sectors, five academic institutions, and 20 of the U.S. Air Force. However, the Gem
thanks in large part to the University of miles of connected greenways and City is also the state’s epicenter of the
the Pacific, which helps support a #49 parks. This in addition to restaurants, arts. The Bach Society, Dayton Opera,
ranking in University. Manufacturing coffee shops, and locally dedicated Dayton Ballet, Dayton Philharmonic
and logistics are also major parts of the restaurants, breweries and purveyors. Orchestra, Dayton Contemporary Dance
economy, providing opportunity for With the last of the historic buildings Company and the Dayton Playhouse
Stockton’s diverse population. Despite renovated in the area, the next phase are just some of the organizations that
being an inland city in California’s is to build new to capture the sudden thrive here. The Contemporary Dayton
Central Valley, Stockton has the unique interest in the city’s relentless pursuit and Dayton Art Institute are but two of
advantage of being home to a deep- of innovation and making—continuing several galleries. Dayton performs well
water port connected to the San on its 300-year history of textiles, in our Museums subcategory, at #62.
Francisco Bay. Its revitalizing downtown manufacturing and, of course, tobacco.
Along with a #68 ranking for Nightlife,
just welcomed its tallest building, a
The city’s current industries and the the city hit #80 for Programming. With
California Superior Courthouse, and,
investment that comes with being home strong manufacturing, healthcare
until social distancing went into effect,
to Wake Forest University (#17 in the and IT sectors, Dayton is the state’s
played host to numerous outdoor
nation in our rankings) has catapulted aerospace hub today and in the future,
festivals and concerts that take
Winston-Salem to #6 in America for with investments like the Air Force Life
advantage of the excellent weather (#12).
Prosperity, led by its #1 ranking for Cycle Management System’s recently
Residents rode out the pandemic by Change in Family Income during the awarding the University of Dayton
staying put, indicative of Stockton’s #6 pandemic. That kind of performance Research Institute a 10-year contract
ranking in our Change in Civilian Labor gets noticed quickly, and the city’s #40 worth $28.5 million for F-15 sustainment
Force subcategory. Given the city’s Top ranking in our Change in Home Prices engineering studies. The city stayed
10 ranking in our Change in Home Prices subcategory will likely climb given the on course during the pandemic,
subcategory (tracked between February wealth of beautiful, historic single-family ranking #21 in the nation for Change
2020 and February 2021), it seems a lot homes priced well under $200,000. in Unemployment Rate and #22 for
more people are arriving post-pandemic. a Change in Home Prices.
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77
AKRON 78
DETROIT 79
MODESTO
OHIO MICHIGAN CALIFORNIA
8 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 2 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 11 WEATHER
38 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES (TIE) 15 INSTAGRAM HASHTAGS 18 PROSPERITY
Water and wealth distinguish The world seems to be rooting Already sunny and diverse,
the Ohio metropolis. for Comeback City. It’s got a new Modesto’s strategic location to
arena, culture, streetcar... and Silicon Valley has the city ready
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens was once its unshakeable local pride. for take off.
the family home of F.A. Seiberling,
cofounder of the Goodyear Tire & Detroit has been on top of the world, The Central Valley city has plenty of
Rubber Company. With five buildings it’s been as low as you can go. How sun (with a #11 ranking nationally)
dating back to 1912, including the low? It wasn’t until 2018 that Detroit making it a unique hub for warm-
Tudor Revival Manor House, and 10 emerged from the bankruptcy it had weather agricultural products, including
gardens on 70 acres, it’s Akron’s first been struggling through since 2013. almonds, tomatoes and grapes. All that
National Historic Landmark and the agricultural labor has attracted a large
And there were encouraging words for
nation’s sixth-largest historic home foreign-born population, while the
the tourism industry—which, before the
open to the public. We bring this up city’s close proximity to Silicon Valley
pandemic, welcomed 19 million visitors
because the estate is symbolic of the gives it a relatively high household
annually who spent more than $6 billion.
wealth that still persists in Akron today. income, with a #18 ranking in the nation
The city even ranks #15 for Instagram
One of the world’s leading polymer for Prosperity. Modesto performed
Hashtags—pandemic year and all. The
centers, the city is home to eight well, economically speaking, during
6.6-mile QLine streetcar—named after
Fortune 500 companies, tying for the pandemic, ranking #18 nationally
Quicken Loans, which bought naming
#38 in that subcategory nationally. in our Change in Family Income
rights—has been operational on the
subcategory, which was related to the
Not surprisingly, Akron’s strongest Woodward Corridor for a few years. Yet
city’s relatively stellar performance
category performance is in Prosperity, more than $7 billion in investment has
in keeping unemployment low.
at #29. The city is making the single poured into the corridor route since
largest infrastructure investment in 2013. More than 200 development In the coming years, the commute
its 189-year history. Akron Waterways projects have are under construction, from Modesto to the world’s largest
Renewed is a $300-million project planned or completed throughout tech companies will get a lot easier
that includes the nearly $200 million, Downtown, Midtown, New Center and with a new rail service that takes
6,000-foot-long Ohio Canal Interceptor the North End. The city’s #14 ranking advantage of the city’s historic train
Tunnel, an integrated plan that could for Fortune 500 Companies should station and will serve as a catalyst for
be in the works all the way to 2040. In improve with all the new infrastructure. downtown development. Modesto’s
other development news, downtown’s already high Place ranking (#33) is
Already improving in an almost
Bowery Project, a $42-million renovation set to ascend with a new downtown
unthinkable ascendancy for a city written
of six historic buildings, is projected vision prioritizing pedestrian access.
off by everyone but the true believers?
to create 2,000 jobs and $245 Given its focus on restaurants, shops
The city’s #26 Prosperity ranking in
million in revenue over 20 years. and nightlife, the city’s poor ranking
the nation, including #2 in Change in
in our Programming category (#106
Unemployment Rate. Comeback, indeed.
nationally) will improve as well.
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80
CHATTANOOGA 81
BUFFALO 82
HARRISBURG
TENNESSEE NEW YORK PENNSYLVANIA
4 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 23 PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAMS (TIE) 37 SAFETY
18 PARKS & OUTDOORS 24 SIGHTS AND LANDMARKS 52 PEOPLE
Affordable living amidst Understated urban revival This small Pennsylvania dynamo
an outdoor bounty. amidst one of America’s has economic horsepower to spare.
architectural bounties.
Tucked at the base of Lookout Mountain The state capital on the banks of
on the banks of the Tennessee River, Long and erroneously viewed as a faded Susquehanna River with views of
Chattanooga has earned its Scenic Rust Belt afterthought overshadowed the Appalachians’ Blue Ridge is
City moniker, as well as its “Best Town by Toronto’s global ascent and the the economic heart of about 400
Ever” accolades by Outside magazine tourist magnetism of Niagara Falls, surrounding communities, including
in 2015. The town certainly boasts the Buffalo has quietly gone about its Hershey. With government as the main
adrenal bonafides: from climbing the work of reinvention. The second most employer, other key sectors include
Tennessee Wall to river and trail running, populated city in the state behind health services and technology. Home
and mountain biking just outside of city New York City had invested too much to City Island, a mile-long, 63-acre oasis
limits. To say nothing of craft breweries capital—intellectual, economic and accessible by car or walking bridge that
like Heaven & Ale to speed recovery especially architectural—over the past was used as a resting spot for soldiers
time. No wonder it ranks #18 for Parks & two centuries to not strive for its former during the Civil War, historic Harrisburg
Outdoors. Gig City also boasts internet prosperity as home of the Erie Canal and is also home to an impressive group of
speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second one of America’s largest steel, grain and Fortune 500 companies (tied at #38).
supplied by the publicly owned Electric banking centers. It is still the only city in
The city also landed at #52 for People,
Power Board (EPB). It’s also possible to America where the country’s three most
a category that includes Educational
drive to Nashville and Atlanta in under iconic architects still have buildings
Attainment (#60) and Change in Civilian
two hours. Companies with deep talent standing: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin
Labor Force (#45). Harrisburg’s safety
needs in town include Volkswagen House, plus the recently restored Frank
(#37) and Convention Center size—
and Blue Shield of Tennessee. The city Lloyd Wright houses of Graycliff; Louis
the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex
is also nurturing business start-ups Sullivan’s Guaranty Building (today an
and Expo Center boasts more than
with the biggest business incubator office building and bank); and, perhaps
a million square feet of exhibition,
in Tennessee, as well as the biggest most impressive, the Henry Hobson
meeting and banquet space—make it
downtown innovation district of any U.S. Richardson-designed “Buffalo State
poised to capture the regional tourism,
city its size. Oh, and the median price Asylum for the Insane,” with grounds
meetings and conventions rebound to
for a single-family home is $249,000, by landscape architect Frederick Law
further bolster its economy at a pivotal
according Redfin, up 17% annually and Olmsted. The complex’s 13 buildings
time. Harrisburg University is getting
rising quickly. The city ranks Top 20 in are slowly being repurposed—into a
a major lift, too: a new $130-million,
the country for Change in Home Prices, luxury hotel and co-working spaces
386,208-square-foot building set to
tracked between February 2020 and to start. Buffalo already ranks Top
open this fall and will house its Health
February 2021, and an incredible #4 for 25 (#24) in our Sights & Landmarks
and Science Education Center, as
Change in Unemployment Rate over subcategory and will only improve.
well as a hotel and restaurant.
that same time.
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83
RICHMOND 84
WICHITA 85
WORCESTER
VIRGINIA KANSAS MASSACHUSETTS
18 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES (TIE) 28 WEATHER 16 CHANGE IN HOME PRICES
27 SIGHTS AND LANDMARKS 29 CHANGE IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE 20 SAFETY
Mellow and understated by design, Development takes off in the A city characterized by deep
Richmond’s is a quiet influence on cultural hub of Kansas. thinkers and bold designers.
the union. And not just because it’s
a direct 90-minute drive from D.C. The Air Capital of the World (named Higher education thrives in Worcester,
because of the manufacturing of aircraft, home to 10 colleges and universities
Richmond may radiate a “genteel and its pro-aviation business environment and more than 35,000 students. New
understated nature” as the New York and the largest concentration of England’s second-largest city ranks an
Times observed, but things happen here. aerospace manufacturing employees impressive #31 for Clark University, with
It’s a wealthy city, ranking #18 for the in the nation) performs consistently Worcester Polytechnic Institute also
presence of Fortune 500 companies in across all our categories, with Product drawing students nationally. Given the
town. But the pandemic has wreaked (#66) and Programming (#67) being academic chops, it’s not surprising the
havoc on the city’s otherwise enviable notable. The former includes Attractions city ranks #41 for Educational Attainment
prosperity, even though it started the (#56) and Museums (#53), and Wichita by citizens (more than 30% of residents
crisis strong in mitigating job loss has draws such as Sedgwick County hold a bachelor’s degree or higher).
initially. Richmond ranks among the Zoo, the Mid-America All-Indian Center,
With manufacturing, education
bottom 20% in the nation in our Change Ulrich Museum of Art and the Kansas
and healthcare driving economic
in Unemployment Rate (#94), tracked Aviation Museum. The city scores
performance, Worcester is investing in
between February 2020 and February well for Programming, too, with 1,200
its future with multiple major projects in
2021. As such, the city ranks toward restaurants and 30 food trucks together
the works. One CitySquare is a part of a
the bottom of our index for Prosperity, ranking #56 in the country. Rounding
multiphase, $565-million redevelopment
at #85. The economic situation means out this small cultural powerhouse are
downtown, with housing, hotels,
the Top 25 most-educated citizenry in big-city icons like the Wichita Grand
parking, a hospital expansion and more.
America is leaving the local workforce— Opera and Ballet Wichita. Development
Main Street Reimagined is an $11-million
and even the city. The city ranked out is occurring all over: in the Historic
overhaul to increase walkability and
of the Top 100, at 101, in our Change in Delano District and downtown, where
placemaking downtown.
Civilian Labor Force subcategory. the new $75-million Riverfront Stadium
for Minor League Baseball opened in The investments are prudent,
Still, a city this established, central and
April 2021 and where developers are as Worcester is poised, as many
storied will not be down for long. It
turning vacant buildings into a hotel, educationally endowed second cities
still weights Top 50 in our deep Place
health school, culinary college and around the country are, to capture new
category—with a #27 ranking for its
student housing. Wichita performed well residents looking for more affordability,
Sights & Landmarks, a subcategory that
in our Change in Civilian Labor Force, room and safety (for which Worcester
tracks neighborhoods.
ranking #29, with sweet isolation, urban ranks Top 20 in the country) away from
And the restaurants (ranking #41 in the amenities and America’s 28th-best urban centers. The city’s #16 ranking
nation) and the galleries of Broad Street weather has people considering the for Change in Home Prices in 2020
still reward exploration on foot or bike. middle of America like never before. indicates a town getting noticed.
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86
GRAND RAPIDS 87
TULSA 88
BIRMINGHAM
MICHIGAN OKLAHOMA ALABAMA
15 SAFETY 22 WEATHER 15 CHANGE IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE
46 CONNECTIVITY 32 GOOGLE TRENDS 32 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
A cool urbanism runs through this The industrious company town Magic City has many new tricks.
Michigan city’s deep sense of place. doubles down on livability with
a public space for the ages. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, few
Sure, it gets cold in Grand Rapids, which American cities were as ascendant as
ranks dead last, at #100, for Weather Can a park bring a city into the 21st Alabama’s largest. With a confluence of
in this year’s index, but that doesn’t century? When Tulsa philanthropist culinary talent (and awards), downtown
keep residents of Michigan’s laid-back George Kaiser decided to create the revitalization and impressive economic
second city from living all four seasons Gathering Place, he made no small plan, projections, Magic City was on its
outdoors. That might mean paddling aiming for a space that would “bring way. But despite the crisis, the city’s
along the state’s longest river, taking together people throughout the Tulsa economy—the one Forbes predicted as a
in ArtPrize (the annual international art area to rediscover that we are all bound Top 10 most promising job market based
competition), sampling brews at the together by commonalities.” Kaiser, one on net employment outlook for the first
Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer of the 100 wealthiest people in the world, quarter of 2020—is holding resilient.
Festival—or simply enjoying life in a wanted a park to break down inequalities
The one year change in unemployment
growing city that retains its small-town and increase livability. So he invested
rates between February 2020 and
feel. Locals insist you can’t miss the $465 million into 66.5 acres. It quickly
February 2021 ranked #32 nationally.
stunning Frederik Meijer Gardens & made it on Time’s World’s Greatest
The pandemic also seemed to make
Sculpture Park, a sprawling complex Places list. Kaiser takes the long view: “A
Birmingham even more magnetic:
of botanical treasures accented by the single new community commons cannot
the city ranks #15 in our Change in
work of international artists. Architecture dramatically change the trajectory of a
Civilian Labor Force subcategory,
buffs will want to schedule a tour of city by itself, of course. But so much else
indicating a net growth of new talent.
the Frank Lloyd Wright Meyer May is also happening in Tulsa at the same
House, and the enormous Alexander time that we feel the Gathering Place Post-pandemic, the city will work hard
Calder statue outside City Hall can also can help serve as the catalyst for a more to resume its culinary trajectory, with
be found on the city’s official logo. vibrant and dynamic city.” long-time favorites like Niki’s West and
John’s Diner hopefully open again, along
Grand Rapids is clean, friendly and safe This year is pivotal for Tulsa: 100 years
with Frank Stitt’s trio of award-winning
(with a stellar #15 ranking in Safety), since the race massacre that murdered
restaurants: Highlands Bar & Grill
making it a prime spot to raise a family. dozens of Black Tulsans and injured
(winner of the James Beard Foundation’s
Kids can romp through some 1,200 acres hundreds more, all by a deputized white
Outstanding Restaurant), Bottega and
of parks as their parents enjoy the option mob that destroyed Greenwood, at the
Chez Fonfon, the city’s #64 Restaurant
of cycling to work along one of the city’s time the wealthiest Black community
ranking is only temporary. Also poised
many trails. Getting in and out is easy, in America and known as Black Wall
to welcome back eager residents and
with the city enjoying the #46-most Street. Greenwood Rising, Tulsa’s new
in-the-know tourists are the handful
connected airport in the country. history museum and memorial, is vital
of restored historic theaters—from
to confronting a tragedy that was kept
the Lyric to the Alabama Theatre.
quiet for decades.
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89
LANCASTER 90
LOUISVILLE 91
ALLENTOWN
PENNSYLVANIA KENTUCKY PENNSYLVANIA
21 CHANGE IN HOME PRICES 22 SHOPPING 19 SAFETY
32 SAFETY 30 ATTRACTIONS 19 CHANGE IN HOME PRICES
From the Amish to protons, A bourbon boom, a culinary hot Good fortune (and balance)
a borough diversifies. spot, a horse race for the ages and fuels the city’s growth.
the heart of The Greatest. There’s
The country’s oldest Amish settlement nothing this city doesn’t have. Pennsylvania’s third-largest city
is here and Pennsylvania Dutch Country, boasts four major hospitals, 12 post-
or Red Rose City, as Lancaster is It’s easy to love Louisville; the city secondary institutions, and (of course)
also known, is further distinguished checks lots of boxes as a tourism the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Minor
for having been the state capital for destination to visit and as a place to League Baseball team. Healthcare,
a single day, by its 29 covered (or live. First, it’s prosperous (tied at #49 technology, energy, manufacturing,
“kissing”) bridges and the country’s for Fortune 500 companies located professional services and transportation
oldest continually running theater (the here). Then there’s its uncountable dominate the city’s robust economic
circa-1852 Fulton Opera House), and its varieties of craft bourbon and some scene. With major employers such as
central location along the New York– 2,500 restaurants, several manned by Fortune 500 companies Air Products
Washington distribution corridor. James Beard honorees—giving Louisville & Chemicals and PPL Corporation,
a #37 ranking for Restaurants. The city Allentown ties at #38 nationally for
From architectural styles dating back
is also the birthplace of the Louisville Fortune 500 head offices in town.
to the 1700s to modern art galleries,
Slugger, baseball bat of legend Babe
Lancaster’s distinction is evident as Despite its incumbent prosperity,
Ruth—you can visit the factory and
you walk its historic streets. With a #32 the city’s terrible year saw it finish
museum, and watch the manufacture
ranking for Shopping (vintage clothes, dead last for its one-year change
of one of the 1.8 million bats that are
country quilts, antiques, contemporary in median family income between
made every year. If your idea of a home
jewelry and more), it landed at #72 2019 and 2020. On the bright side,
run is The Greatest, there’s the three-
overall in our Programming category. demand for housing—#19 in our
level Muhammad Ali Center. And, of
It’s also safe, ranking #32 in the country Change in Home Prices subcategory—
course, the most famous horse race in
in that subcategory. Manufacturing, indicates prosperous times ahead.
the world. If you miss Derby Day, you can
food processing (Kellogg Company
bet on Churchill Downs’ on-site museum Allentown is also safe, ranking #19 in
operates here), finance and insurance
to deliver the flavor. No surprise that our Safety subcategory. The sense
are major employers. So is healthcare,
Louisville is #30 in our ranking for of place will only increase with the
a sector that’s growing: the Penn
Attractions; these are only a few of local Neighborhood Improvement
Medicine Lancaster General Health Ann
myriad offerings that run the gamut. Zone’s recent approval of $21 million in
B. Barshinger Cancer Institute is building
This is a city with a Museum Row—and a financing for New York developers to
a new $48-million Proton Center,
#36 ranking in our Museums category. upgrade downtown’s outdoor Grand
scheduled to open later this year.
Plaza (formerly PPL Plaza) with a food hall,
The economic activity has propelled
outdoor area and new retail and office
Lancaster into the Top 50 among
space—much needed public gathering
America’s most prosperous cities (#44).
spaces after a difficult time for the city.
RESONANCECO.COM 48
92
LAKELAND 93
LITTLE ROCK 94
SCRANTON
FLORIDA ARKANSAS PENNSYLVANIA
1 CHANGE IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE 35 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 20 PROSPERITY
28 SAFETY 42 WEATHER 29 SAFETY
This hidden gem in Central Big ambition and political capital are Joe Biden’s—and Michael Scott’s—
Florida’s easy living is catching taking Little Rock to new heights. hometown is having a moment.
the attention of the WFH crowd.
The largest city in Arkansas coaxes Scranton’s scrap is in its name,
Located 25 miles inland from the talent and investment with aggressive when the fearless Scranton brothers
Tampa Bay area, Lakeland has its own tax breaks and some of the most amalgamated smaller railroad lines to
coastline—mainly in the form of its many affordable housing among state create an eponymous transportation
lakes that have, for time immemorial, capitals. In fact, Little Rock is Top 50 hub for their steam engine empire in
provided sustenance and a home to nationally when it comes to attracting the mid-1800s. A couple of decades
dozens of Native American tribes. and retaining Fortune 500 companies. later came the electric lights and
electric streetcars. You can still see
Today, the same lakes and surrounding A powerful and diverse corporate
the bright Electric City neon sign
trails and parkland help the city’s presence distinguishes Arkansas’ capital
downtown and the Steamtown
#42 ranking in our Parks & Outdoors city that will likely surprise many people
National Historic Site preserves the
subcategory. Their pedestrian access unfamiliar with it—more proof that city
history of early railway expansion.
from the city’s downtown, as well as officials have sharpened their pencils
the ability to fish, boat, and bird watch on the economic development front. Given the little-known history of this
within minutes of leaving the house Dillard’s Department Stores, Windstream largely overlooked city, the local
all contribute to the city’s ascendant Communications and Acxiom are just a pride you hear from U.S. President
livability in recent years (this is Lakeland’s few of the corporations headquartered Joe Biden, then, isn't just populist
first appearance on our America’s in a city that has suffered from an malarkey. And its focus on taking
Best Cities ranking). Also notable undeserved reputation as the capital care of its own is manifesting into
is the city’s #28 ranking for Safety, of an underdeveloped state known a modern-day renaissance.
contributing to its #51 overall ranking mostly for the Ozark Mountains and
Ranked #29 in our Safety subcategory,
nationally in our deep Place category. other wilderness, and also as the
Scranton’s years of focusing on safer
place where former president Bill
But it’s not all leisure and outdoors streets and placemaking are paying
Clinton cut his political teeth.
in Lakeland and the city prides itself off in significant ways. The city’s #23
on economic resiliency. Case in But the city is also an increasingly ranking in our Change in Home Prices
point: its #1 ranking in our Change in coveted hometown, with great weather subcategory indicates an inflow of
Civilian Labor Force subcategory. In and a Top 50 ranking nationally for new residents into the city. Its #22
a pandemic and at a time when talent its Sights & Landmarks. Surprises like ranking for Change in Family Income,
is leaving cities of all sizes, this is a the ESSE Purse Museum, focusing tracked between 2019 and 2020, is
significant shift that will help the city’s on “the evolution of 20th-century testament to its economic resilience,
development for decades as it navigates American woman through the bags she one writing an unlikely story in which a
triangulating its agricultural past and carried and their contents,” showcase Rust Belt city can claim a Top 20 ranking
its tourism and hospitality present. the city’s subdued irreverence. for Prosperity in a national index.
RESONANCECO.COM 49
95
FAYETTEVILLE 96
DELTONA 97
CLEVELAND
NORTH CAROLINA FLORIDA OHIO
POPULATION METRO 519,101 POPULATION METRO 646,288 POPULATION METRO 2,056,898
32 CHANGE IN FAMILY INCOME 4 CHANGE IN FAMILY INCOME 1 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
35 SAFETY 17 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 16 PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAMS (TIE)
Americana and Southern Old Florida looks to the future Cleveland’s ascent is undeniable,
hospitality blend in Fayetteville’s with economic resiliency and powered by its embrace of second-
historic embrace. a commitment to livability. tier city cool and affordability.
Despite its location just an hour from With its roots as retirement village a There are few American cities with a
Raleigh, the city stands on its own few decades back, Deltona has grown rebirth story like Cleveland’s. More than
merits as an increasingly coveted home quickly and strategically, powered by 50 years after the Cuyahoga River (in)
town—central, fun and affordable. its enviable location—30 miles from famously caught fire, Cleveland is poised
both Daytona Beach and Orlando. like it hasn’t been since the town was
Home to Fort Bragg, one the most active
known (un-ironically) as “The City of
military installations in the country, The appeal is easy to see. Despite its
Champions.” Consider that, since 2000,
Fayetteville goes all in on its affiliation, central location, the city and nearby
the city has been the recipient of an 80%
with a shocking share of its 500-plus districts like historic DeLand are a trip
increase in reported Millennial residents.
restaurants, breweries and bars inspired back in time, with natural, sometimes
A huge attribute of this rise is the
by the military and ballistics. Is it any primordial beauty and main streets
increasingly diversified university and
wonder, then, that the city ranks #35 in that have been stewarded for years,
college landscape and the welcoming
the nation in our Safety subcategory? most recently by a new wave of citizens
environment catering to student life.
interested in creating hometown
The reverence for U.S. Forces is So is a still-healthy number of Fortune
amenities. Spots like Persimmon Hollow
weaved into the tapestry here, from 500 companies in town (#24 in the
Brewing Company try to build a sense
the impressive Airborne & Special nation) and relatively affordable, plentiful
of place and transcend the bedroom
Operations Museum to statues and housing stock. Tourists, too, continue to
community trap of so many similarly
monuments all over the urban grid flood in, with 19.2 million—a new record—
positioned cities. And places like the
honoring the decorated and the fallen. arriving in 2018, although obviously
Deltona Club—created by a famous
considerably lower over the past 18
But the city’s urban stock is historic golf course designer and repeatedly
months. They’re drawn by Cleveland’s
and the architectural patina makes voted in the top 25 public courses
compact and revitalized downtown—
for a beautiful downtown that, up in the state—keeps resident dollars
with its impressive cache of underrated
until the pandemic, was in a flurry in the community in a region with
19th-century architecture and stately
of renovation and publicly funded hundreds of nearby tee-off options.
industrial streetscapes—all walkable and
placemaking. The urban renewal
But the lifestyle is only facilitated by dotted with daring restaurants tucked
started a decades ago with the opening
the economic resilience of the area, next to old favorites. No wonder the
of Festival Park and its catalyzing of
led by the tireless Volusia County city is Top 30 in our Sights & Landmarks
entertainment and shopping nearby. In
Division of Economic Development, category. Keen to keep its ascent going,
fact, Fayetteville today ranks #68 in our
which has been recruiting investment Cleveland is already positioning for a
Shopping subcategory in the nation.
in an area that ranked #4 in Change in new COVID-19 reality, lauding access by
Family Income in the entire country. car and less-crowded streets.
RESONANCECO.COM 50
98
DES MOINES 99
SPRINGFIELD 100
LANSING
IOWA MASSACHUSETTS MICHIGAN
29 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 33 SAFETY 6 CHANGE IN FAMILY INCOME
37 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 38 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES (TIE) 34 UNIVERSITY RANKING
The affordability brings the soul A history of basketball, New tech provides the
while entrepreneurs and head a future in biotech. Michigan capital with an
offices serve up plenty of jobs. insurance policy for growth.
If the fact that Theodor Geisel, aka Dr.
As young talent reconsiders big cities, Seuss, hailed from here doesn’t grab After taking over the title of state
Des Moines checks a lot of boxes. Set your attention (and you’re not intrigued capital from Detroit in 1847, Lansing
on the Des Moines River among the by The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss became an industrial hot spot, with
state’s famous rolling cornfields, Iowa’s Museum), perhaps the fact that the city auto manufacturing driving its growth.
state capital is a business mecca with an is within New England’s Knowledge General Motors remains a major
artsy side. Add in the low cost of living, Corridor (the region surrounding employer, but Lansing’s economy has
and is it any wonder that prairie-cool Springfield and Hartford, Connecticut, diversified due to a surge in insurance,
Des Moines, ranking #37 in our Change with 29 colleges and universities insurtech, medtech and IT businesses.
in Unemployment Rate subcategory, educating more than 170,000 students)
Little wonder it ranked #28 overall in our
is one of the fastest-growing cities will. The economic engine of Western
Prosperity category, including #6 for
in the Midwest? Des Moines earns Massachusetts, which forms part of
its one-year change in median family
an impressive #29 for Educational the biotech industry’s Super Cluster, is
income, tracked between 2019 and
Attainment among its citizenry—always tied at #38 for Fortune 500 companies.
2020. Hundreds of new jobs are on the
a good sign for attracting future talent. The birthplace of basketball—don’t
horizon, with 15 projects worth $311
Also impressive are the city’s major let Canadians tell you otherwise—
million in private investment approved
corporate outposts of Nationwide and also ranked well for its size for the
pre-pandemic alone. With downtown’s
Wells Fargo that round out the thriving education of its citizens, with a #49
revitalization in the works, the city in
finance and insurance sector, which ranking for Educational Attainment
the center of the Great Lakes State
boasts a $3-billion annual payroll—at (with nearly 19% of the population
is growing up. Yet it retains its small-
least before the pandemic. And in the having a bachelor’s degree or higher).
town appeal, ranking #53 for Sights &
golden-domed State Capitol, lawmakers Manufacturing, healthcare, education
Landmarks. Charming character homes
are working to ensure a friendly business and life sciences keep the economy
surround the Capitol Building, and trails
climate with temptingly low corporate robust. Since 2018, more than $400
line the banks of the Red Cedar and
taxes. Business might be booming, but million in new projects have been
Grand rivers. Leafy East Lansing is home
that doesn’t mean cost of living is: Des announced, including the forthcoming
to Michigan State University, which
Moines remains affordable, with housing $37-million hotel complex at the old
bolstered the city’s Product profile and
costs at about two-thirds the national York Street Jail site, a $14-million
tied it for #34 in our University ranking.
average. With that, the burgeoning Educare school and an orthopedic
MSU’s 5,300-acre campus features
cultural scene and friendly Midwest surgery center at Baystate Health.
three medical schools (two human
attitude—and some under-the-radar
medicine, one veterinary)—the most in
natural areas and parks (ranked #39 in
the country—and was the first to offer
the nation), Des Moines is a city to watch.
a graduate degree in nuclear physics.
RESONANCECO.COM 51
ACORN STREET, BOSTON, MASSACHUSET TS
America’s
BEST CITIES
PERFORMANCE
BY CATEGORY
G
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ST
PL
CI
1 New York New York 1 1 1 41 2 1
2 Los Angeles California 2 2 2 45 58 2
3 Chicago Illinois 19 3 3 48 46 3
4 San Francisco California 5 9 4 13 74 9
5 Boston Massachusetts 23 4 20 2 61 13
6 San Diego California 3 20 9 19 27 11
7 Washington District of Columbia 30 12 17 15 52 4
8 Denver Colorado 37 13 22 1 51 17
9 Phoenix Arizona 13 17 19 27 5 22
10 San José California 18 36 38 5 3 36
11 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 28 10 11 37 16 15
12 Dallas Texas 31 7 16 22 50 12
13 Atlanta Georgia 56 11 21 20 21 8
14 Seattle Washington 94 15 8 9 35 14
15 Austin Texas 29 28 13 7 76 16
16 Las Vegas Nevada 8 6 5 106 95 5
17 Houston Texas 46 8 6 70 62 7
18 Columbus Ohio 40 35 29 16 8 33
19 Boise Idaho 11 60 60 30 4 64
20 Tucson Arizona 14 38 26 50 10 39
21 Provo Utah 12 89 108 3 53 100
22 Tampa Florida 22 25 27 46 23 23
23 Portland Oregon 91 26 10 14 68 20
24 Raleigh North Carolina 26 41 41 6 89 42
25 Miami Florida 78 14 12 77 67 6
RESONANCECO.COM 53
G
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AM
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PR
PR
PR
PR
PE
ST
PL
CI
26 Charleston South Carolina 9 42 39 18 92 44
27 Charlotte North Carolina 65 18 28 34 30 24
28 Salt Lake City Utah 50 29 53 24 13 48
29 Nashville Tennessee 72 21 18 28 63 18
30 Minneapolis Minnesota 73 16 30 35 39 30
31 Kansas City Missouri 60 33 45 12 48 31
32 Sacramento California 27 40 36 25 70 35
33 Colorado Springs Colorado 36 51 48 8 96 49
34 Albuquerque New Mexico 34 46 33 40 36 51
35 Durham North Carolina 62 47 75 10 43 74
36 North Port Florida 16 82 109 51 15 108
37 Cincinnati Ohio 81 34 32 59 7 46
38 Albany New York 93 73 86 11 11 75
39 Portland Maine 42 69 57 33 12 81
40 Madison Wisconsin 43 63 59 4 102 56
41 Orlando Florida 70 5 14 102 87 10
42 San Antonio Texas 32 30 15 58 105 21
43 Milwaukee Wisconsin 58 39 37 29 59 43
44 St. Louis Missouri 71 24 23 56 69 27
45 Indianapolis Indiana 101 32 35 26 60 32
46 El Paso Texas 7 74 51 75 83 54
47 Baltimore Maryland 66 19 25 64 81 25
48 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 83 27 31 60 49 26
49 Cape Coral Florida 4 61 69 84 75 94
50 Riverside California 17 71 83 79 33 80
RESONANCECO.COM 54
G
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PE
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PL
CI
51 Ogden Utah 48 98 107 21 38 104
52 New Orleans Louisiana 53 23 7 96 91 19
53 Knoxville Tennessee 86 57 54 49 19 57
54 Jacksonville Florida 54 50 43 47 66 28
55 Omaha Nebraska 39 52 42 44 73 52
56 Fayetteville Arkansas 88 85 89 23 25 99
57 Honolulu Hawai'i 6 44 24 31 109 41
58 Palm Bay Florida 35 105 99 43 45 107
59 Memphis Tennessee 84 43 44 57 57 34
60 Fresno California 24 84 64 99 9 63
61 Lexington Kentucky 68 78 58 62 31 67
62 Oklahoma City Oklahoma 45 45 46 36 103 40
63 Santa Rosa California 15 97 85 87 54 96
64 Spokane Washington 57 79 61 101 1 60
65 Oxnard California 10 107 95 65 104 102
66 Augusta Georgia 41 99 94 71 37 84
67 McAllen Texas 21 102 90 86 47 95
68 Greensboro North Carolina 74 70 63 80 14 66
69 Providence Rhode Island 69 55 68 73 32 76
70 Rochester New York 107 54 52 17 84 53
71 Columbia South Carolina 76 76 70 54 55 61
72 Virginia Beach Virginia 25 56 50 82 88 55
73 Greenville South Carolina 80 58 66 38 71 65
74 Stockton California 38 103 96 85 22 88
75 Winston-Salem North Carolina 92 65 74 89 6 97
RESONANCECO.COM 55
G
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PL
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76 Dayton Ohio 95 77 80 61 42 79
77 Akron Ohio 97 90 78 68 29 91
78 Detroit Michigan 98 22 47 104 26 29
79 Modesto California 33 104 106 100 18 93
80 Chattanooga Tennessee 89 59 62 83 34 62
81 Buffalo New York 105 48 65 39 77 47
82 Harrisburg Pennsylvania 87 88 93 52 64 92
83 Richmond Virginia 49 53 49 78 85 45
84 Wichita Kansas 64 66 67 42 98 71
85 Worcester Massachusetts 52 95 87 55 94 73
86 Grand Rapids Michigan 75 64 71 74 65 70
87 Tulsa Oklahoma 47 62 55 63 106 50
88 Birmingham Alabama 104 68 56 32 101 58
89 Lancaster Pennsylvania 63 86 72 91 44 82
90 Louisville Kentucky 77 49 34 88 82 38
91 Allentown Pennsylvania 59 83 82 72 80 98
92 Lakeland Florida 51 96 98 67 90 86
93 Little Rock Arkansas 90 67 81 69 78 77
94 Scranton Pennsylvania 100 101 103 92 20 103
95 Fayetteville North Carolina 67 91 88 90 56 85
96 Deltona Florida 102 108 104 94 17 109
97 Cleveland Ohio 106 31 40 108 24 37
98 Des Moines Iowa 82 72 76 66 100 78
99 Springfield Massachusetts 61 80 100 76 93 101
100 Lansing Michigan 96 92 102 98 28 90
RESONANCECO.COM 56
SHAPE THE FUTURE OF YOUR CITY,
COMMUNITY OR DEVELOPMENT.
As leading advisors in tourism, real estate and economic development, Resonance helps
places realize their full economic potential. We take a uniquely future-focused approach to
research, strategy, branding and marketing, and help our clients understand market trends,
assess strengths and weaknesses, engage local communities, create strategies, envision
the future and produce branding and communications that influence their audiences.
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Resonance tracks the sentiments of the most influential Resonance has extensive experience creating
consumers and travelers today, and our original strategies for destinations from cities to mixed-
benchmarking and assessment methodology offers use urban developments and resort communities.
new ways to understand the way people truly perceive Our destination development strategies are the
and “consume” communities, cities and destinations. product of custom benchmarking and consumer
This America's Best Cities report is an example of our research, stakeholder engagement and the crafting
expertise in providing destinations and developers of a clear vision for the future. The result is a strategic
with new tools and perspectives on the key factors roadmap that prioritizes the actions required to
that shape a city’s competitive identity, community realize the full economic potential of place.
wellbeing and future prosperity. Our research is used by
National Geographic, and Bloomberg has called our city
rankings “the most comprehensive study of its kind.”
Consumer Research Real Estate Development
Destination Assessments Tourism Development
Performance Benchmarking Economic Development
Economic Analysis
RESONANCECO.COM 57
BRANDING & MARKETING PLACEMAKING
We approach the branding and marketing of places by Placemaking is a way to design underused spaces
thoroughly understanding market trends, uncovering to be more enjoyable and engaging for the
the aspirations of consumers and vividly articulating communities around them. Resonance placemaking
sense of place in a manner that resonates with target strategies leverage the power of art, culture and
audiences, be they prospective residents, visitors, experiential retail to help animate public, private
tenants or investors. Brands are then propelled and under-utilized spaces, test alternative uses
by marketing strategies that guide the journey of and create gathering places and unique points
building audiences, credibility and meaningful of interest that draw both locals and visitors.
connection. The goal isn’t merely to bring more
attention, awareness and people to the brand, but
to elevate the quality, value and loyalty of specific
audiences in order to achieve targeted objectives.
Brand Strategy Art
Brand Identity Culture
Advertising Experience
Digital
Activation
Environment
RESONANCECO.COM 58
Vancouver New York
801-602 W Hastings St. 325 Hudson St., 4th Floor
Vancouver, BC V6B 1P2 New York, NY 10013
P +1 604 681 0804 P +1 646 413 8887
Montréal Singapore
3500 St Jacques St. 46 Kim Yam Rd., #01-05/06/07
Montréal, QC H4C 1H2 Singapore 239351
P +1 438 888 0161 P +68 8116 7444
@resonanceco
resonanceco.com
[email protected]
The Resonance Report is produced for general interest only; it is not definitive. It must not be relied upon in any way. Although high standards have been used in preparing the information and
analysis presented in this report, no responsibility or liability whatsoever can be accepted by Resonance Consultancy Ltd. for any loss or damage resultant from any use of, reliance on, or reference
to the contents of this document. We make no express or implied guarantee of its accuracy. Please be advised that your use of The Resonance Report document constitutes your agreement to (i)
use the content under a limited license only for your own internal purposes, and (ii) not disclose, publish or otherwise make public or provide the content, in whole or in part, to any third person
or entity without the prior written consent of Resonance Consultancy Ltd. The content is and remains at all times the exclusive intellectual property of Resonance Consultancy Ltd. Copyright
© 2020 Resonance Consultancy Ltd.

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America’s

Where to live, work,

The Performance of America’s Best Cities: The Methodology — 06

America’s Best Cities: Performance by Category — 52 B E S T C I T I E S .O R G

for urban innovation

New York • London • Toronto

LEARN MORE AND GET YOUR TICKET AT

Chris Fair, President & CEO

The Performance of America’s Best Cities: The Methodology — 06

THE SIX CORE CATEGORIES

Pc PLACE Pg PROGRAMMING Ps PROSPERITY

THE NEW PENDRY CHICAGO HOTEL

Art on theMART, which bills itself as the

Job opportunities and

San Francisco has embraced seekers

America’s intriguing capital

The ubiquity of D.C. in dramas on screens

UNION STATION AND TRANSIT CENTER

Light rail, legal pot and

Since its Wild West early days,

VIEW OF PHOENIX SK YLINE

SHOPPING ON SANTANA ROW

POPULATION METRO 6,079,130 POPULATION METRO 7,320,663 POPULATION METRO 5,862,424

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

10 PRODUCT 7 PRODUCT 5 AIRPORT CONNECTIVITY

11 PROGRAMMING 12 PROMOTION 7 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES (TIE)

POPULATION METRO 3,871,323 POPULATION METRO 2,114,441 POPULATION METRO 2,182,004

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

8 PROGRAMMING 7 PEOPLE 1 WEATHER

9 PEOPLE 13 PROGRAMMING 2 ATTRACTIONS

POPULATION METRO 6,884,138 POPULATION METRO 2,077,761 POPULATION METRO 710,743

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

4 DINING 8 PROSPERITY 4 PROSPERITY

4 GOOGLE TRENDS 16 PEOPLE 4 SAFETY

POPULATION METRO 1,027,207 POPULATION METRO 616,791 POPULATION METRO 3,097,859

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

10 PROSPERITY 3 PEOPLE 8 SAFETY

16 WEATHER 3 SAFETY 10 ATTRACTIONS

Arizona’s second city is An outdoor paradise prepares Florida’s outdoor wonderland

POPULATION METRO 2,445,761 POPULATION METRO 1,332,311 POPULATION METRO 6,090,660

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

8 PARKS & OUTDOORS 6 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 2 INSTAGRAM HASHTAGS

10 PROGRAMMING 9 SAFETY 5 DINING

POPULATION METRO 774,508 POPULATION METRO 2,545,560 POPULATION METRO 1,201,043

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

2 PARKS & OUTDOORS 7 AIRPORT CONNECTIVITY 8 CHANGE IN HOME PRICES

9 MUSEUMS 18 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES (TIE) 20 AIRPORT CONNECTIVITY

POPULATION METRO 1,871,903 POPULATION METRO 3,573,609 POPULATION METRO 2,124,518

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

8 UNIVERSITY RANKING 9 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES 12 PEOPLE

12 NIGHTLIFE 12 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 24 GOOGLE TRENDS

POPULATION METRO 2,315,980 POPULATION METRO 723,498 POPULATION METRO 912,108

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

13 WEATHER 8 PEOPLE 10 PARKS & OUTDOORS

25 PEOPLE 12 PARKS & OUTDOORS 16 SHOPPING

POPULATION METRO 626,695 POPULATION METRO 803,709 POPULATION METRO 2,201,741

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

7 UNIVERSITY RANKING 2 SAFETY 7 PROSPERITY

8 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 5 CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 27 DINING