MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. News & World Report has released its latest list of the top 150 best places to live in the country, with its top 15 featuring a pair of Upper Midwestern cities.
But Minnesotans may be surprised that their only city to make the list was in the bottom third.
The media company polled thousands of Americans using this rubric: the city “had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market and a high quality of life.”
Green Bay, Wisconsin, was ranked at no. 12, with an overall score of 6.7/10. The study cites its low cost of living and housing costs for its high ranking, as well as its possession of “one of the most storied football franchises in the NFL,” its “revitalized downtown,” the Fox River and its “proximity to weekend getaway destination Door County.”
Minneapolis was ranked at no. 94, with an overall score of 6.1/10. The report cites its inclusion based on its “big-city amenities,” “approachable Midwestern feel,” its lakes, “changing seasons,” and “wealth of cultural, culinary and recreational opportunities.” Not surprisingly, the city’s “harsh winters” were also prominently acknowledged.
Minneapolis’ cost of living is just 1% below the national average, according to the study, while the cost of housing is 8% less.
The study also boasts of Minneapolis’ growing “international population” and “range of worship options.”
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Two other Wisconsin cities made this year’s list: Madison (no. 13) and Milwaukee (no. 112).
Several other Upper Midwestern cities also made the list, including Omaha and Lincoln in Nebraska (no. 18 and 24); Davenport and Des Moines in Iowa (no. 43 and 55); and Detroit, Flint and Grand Rapids in Michigan (no. 140, 146 and 45).
The top five:
1. Naples, Florida
2. Boise, Idaho
3. Colorado Springs, Colorado
4. Greenville, South Carolina
5. Charlotte, North Carolina
The bottom five:
146: Flint, Michigan
147: New Haven, Connecticut
148: Hartford, Connecticut
149: Detroit, Michigan
150: San Juan, Puerto Rico
The country’s three largest cities — New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago — were all in the bottom 31, largely due to their high costs of living.
Erika Giovanetti, the media company’s loans expert, told CBS News the top five cities all “had a good balance of everything and were especially strong in terms of value, housing affordability and job market.”
“We are really looking for cities that shine in those categories,” Giovanetti said.