Once again Melbourne ranked among the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Places to Live.
For the second year in a row, the central Brevard city ranked No. 49 on the annual list of best places to live in the U.S., according to information released Tuesday. Previously, Melbourne ranked as high as No. 15.
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Live rankings are intended to help readers make the most informed decisions when choosing where to settle down. Cities in the rankings are evaluated using data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. News’ own internal resources.
The No. 1 spot went to Naples, which coincidentally, also was ranked as the top place in the country to retire by U.S. News & World Report.
What the report said about living in Melbourne
“Troves of urbanites, families, professionals and retirees enjoy life in Melbourne, Florida, one of the Space Coast’s most populous cities,” according to the report. “On clear days, you can see sky-rumbling satellite launches and spacecraft containing cargo en route to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral.”
It mentioned Melbourne’s Eau Gallie Arts District for its mixture of restaurants, bars and shops. Also noted was the city’s proximity to the Indian River Lagoon and the abundance of water activities available such as surfing, kayaking, fishing and boating.
“The Space Coast is committed to blending the arts, science and economic development into its energetic community,” the report stated. “Most people are generally warm and welcoming, and given that Melbourne attracts new residents from all over the country, you are sure to meet interesting folks from all different walks of life.”
The news comes one week after U.S News & World Report listed Melbourne as the 20th best place in the country to retire.
What other Florida cities made the list of best places to live?
- No. 11: Sarasota
- No. 31: Pensacola
- No. 35: Tampa
- No. 37: Fort Myers
- No. 49: Melbourne
- No. 56: Jacksonville
- No. 68: Orlando
- No. 75: Tallahassee
- No. 78: Ocala
- No. 80: Lakeland
- No. 83: Port St. Lucie
- No. 96: Daytona Beach
- No. 123: Miami
Methodology used for best places to live rankings
“U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Live rankings are intended to help readers make the most informed decisions when choosing where to settle down. Cities in the rankings are evaluated based on:
- Quality of life: Measures how satisfied residents are with their daily lives in each ranked city and includes crime rates, education quality, well-being, commuter index, health care, air quality and national risk index.
- Value index: The value index measures how comfortably the average resident of each city can afford to live within their means. This includes housing affordability and housing costs.
- Desirability index: Measures whether people want to live in a given city, and includes: desirability survey, net migration, number of temperate days and ratio of establishments to population.
- Job market index: Measures the strength of each city’s job market using the unemployment rate and median household income.
Spitzer is a Trending Reporter. She can be reached at MSpitzer@Floridatoday.com
Cheryl McCloud contributed to this report.