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Austin drops again on 'Best Places to Live in the USA' list

By FOX 7 Austin Digital Team
Published  July 13, 2021 4:31pm CDT
Austin
FOX 7 Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin has dropped again on U.S. News & World Report's annual list of the "Best Places to Live in the USA."

Austin now ranks fifth out of the top 150 most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S. Last year, Austin dropped to third after ranking first for three years in a row. 

Metro areas were analyzed based on desirability, or whether people want to live there; value and housing affordability; the job market; quality of life; and net migration, or whether the metro area is attracting new residents. Scores are on a scale of 10 and Austin had an overall score of 7.3.

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In the categories U.S News looked at, this is how Austin scored:

  • Desirability: 7.8
  • Value/Housing Availability: 6.5
  • Job Market: 7.5
  • Quality of Life: 7.0
  • Net Migration: 8.5

The publication uses data from sources like the United States Census Bureau, the FBI, the Department of Labor, and their own internal resources.

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According to the publication, people are drawn to Austin's music scene, outdoor spaces and cultural institutions, but the median sale price for a single-family home in Austin is well above the national median.

Austin also ranked the 29th best place to retire in the U.S., but the top city to live in in Texas.

The top 10 is as follows:

  1. Boulder, CO
  2. Raleigh & Durham, NC
  3. Huntsville, AL
  4. Fayetteville, AR
  5. Austin, TX
  6. Colorado Springs, CO
  7. Naples, FL
  8. Portland, ME
  9. Sarasota, FL
  10. Portland, OR

Other Texas cities to make the list include Dallas-Fort Worth (#37), Houston (#39), San Antonio (#75), Killeen (#114), Beaumont (#124), Corpus Christi (#129), El Paso (#131), McAllen (#139), and Brownsville (#140).

You can get a look at the full list and get more information here.

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