- March 2, 2016

We’re Number 1! OK, Number 2: A Strong Economy Helps Austin Rank High on List of Best Cities in U.S.

Cue the “yes, but don’t move here” sentiments as, once again, Austin is ranked highly on a list of the United States’ best cities. The U.S. News & World Report published the news today, with Austin coming in at the second place spot. Ranked even higher than Austin was Denver at #1.

According to Austin Business Journal:

The ranking, which combines the results of a public survey with data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other federal agencies, examined the job market, affordability, migration rates, educational system and commute times to produce livability scores for the country’s 100 largest metro areas.

ABJ points out that Austin’s strengths come from the region’s strong economy with its weaknesses, not surprisingly, in affordability and commuting. Of course, Austin isn’t all top 10 rankings; a study was recently released that placed Austin very low as a city for women in technology.

Missing from the survey was the category of best tacos, which definitely would’ve placed Austin on top (though a Torchy’s Tacos location did recently open in Denver).