Arlington and DC both made it into the top-ten list of America’s best cities. Photograph by Flickr user WilliamMarlow
This weekBloomberg Businessweekpublished the results of its attempt to quantify what makes a great city. They looked at a variety of databases, from the US Census to RealtyTrac, to determine which cities have the best balance of culture, safety, schools, and green space for its residents. The city at the top of its list was Raleigh, North Carolina, but the DMV area didn’t do so badly—with Arlington ranking second and DC itself ranking sixth.
The area’s high rate of education, low foreclosure rate, and abundance of culture were all cited as reasons for Arlington and DC’s rankings. Arlington was cited as having the lowest unemployment rate of all the cities they evaluated, and its rate of bachelor’s degrees among its citizens is near 70 percent. The authors of the list note that DC, despite a plethora of culture, has some downsides, saying it “suffers from the second-highest level of violent crime on this list and a poverty level that nears one in five citizens.”
The publication cited 16 criteria they used to evaluate the cities: “the number of restaurants, bars, and museums per capita; the number of colleges, libraries, and professional sports teams; the income, poverty, unemployment, crime, and foreclosure rates; percentage of population with bachelor’s degrees or higher; public school performance; park acres per 1,000 residents; and air quality.” They placed greater weight on culture, educational attainment and school quality, poverty, and breathability. They say they didn’t look at affordability.
So there you have it. The DMV area does pretty well by the numbers.
Area Cities Make List of America’s 50 Best
Arlington ranks second, Washington ranks sixth on Bloomberg Businessweek’s list of the best cities in the country
Arlington and DC both made it into the top-ten list of America’s best cities. Photograph by Flickr user WilliamMarlow
This week Bloomberg Businessweek published the results of its attempt to quantify what makes a great city. They looked at a variety of databases, from the US Census to RealtyTrac, to determine which cities have the best balance of culture, safety, schools, and green space for its residents. The city at the top of its list was Raleigh, North Carolina, but the DMV area didn’t do so badly—with Arlington ranking second and DC itself ranking sixth.
The area’s high rate of education, low foreclosure rate, and abundance of culture were all cited as reasons for Arlington and DC’s rankings. Arlington was cited as having the lowest unemployment rate of all the cities they evaluated, and its rate of bachelor’s degrees among its citizens is near 70 percent. The authors of the list note that DC, despite a plethora of culture, has some downsides, saying it “suffers from the second-highest level of violent crime on this list and a poverty level that nears one in five citizens.”
The publication cited 16 criteria they used to evaluate the cities: “the number of restaurants, bars, and museums per capita; the number of colleges, libraries, and professional sports teams; the income, poverty, unemployment, crime, and foreclosure rates; percentage of population with bachelor’s degrees or higher; public school performance; park acres per 1,000 residents; and air quality.” They placed greater weight on culture, educational attainment and school quality, poverty, and breathability. They say they didn’t look at affordability.
So there you have it. The DMV area does pretty well by the numbers.
Most Popular in News & Politics
How to See the Total Lunar Eclipse Happening Sunday
The Untold Story of the White House’s Weirdly Hip Record Collection
RIP Trump International, DC’s Wildest Hotel
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People
A Big Abortion Rights Protest Is Happening Saturday. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Washingtonian Magazine
May 2022: Fantastic Foodie Getaways
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
LGBTQ Pioneer Barney Frank’s Story Is Now a Graphic Novel
Inside the Effort to Revamp the DC Archives
This DC Poet Was Once the USSR’s Biggest Kid Actor
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This May
More from News & Politics
The Trucker Convoy Will Return to Hagerstown on Tuesday
LGBTQ Pioneer Barney Frank’s Story Is Now a Graphic Novel
MAP: Saturday’s National Mall Street Closures
How to See the Total Lunar Eclipse Happening Sunday
An Old Question Returns to Washington: Is It Ever Okay to Protest in Front of Someone’s Home?
RIP Trump International, DC’s Wildest Hotel
What’s Behind the Surge in Youth-Involved Carjacking?
Inside the Effort to Revamp the DC Archives