Valley improves livability

The Phoenix metro area moves up in U.S. News & World Report’s list of the nation’s best places to live, jumping to 19th, from 44th, in the latest study.

The Phoenix metro area cracked the top 20 in the latest measure of best places to live in the United States, helped by an influx of new residents.

Phoenix made significant progress, jumping to 19th place from 44th place last year in the study by U.S. News & World Report. Metro Phoenix — along with Columbus, Ohio, and the Palm Bay-Melbourne area of Florida’s east coast — all benefited from a significant migration influx, the magazine reported.

Austin, Texas, ranked as the nation’s most desirable metro area for the second year in a row. It was followed by Colorado Springs, Colorado; Denver; Des Moines, Iowa; and Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The study examined the desirability of the nation’s 125 largest metro areas, based mainly on a combination of af-

fordability, job prospects and quality of life.

Tucson, in 67th place, was the only other Arizona city ranked.

“The top-ranked places are areas where citizens can feel the most fulfilled socially, physically and financially,” said Kim Castro, executive editor of U.S. News & World Report, in a statement.

For each metro area, 30 percent of the ranking was based on “quality of life” factors such as health care, education and crime. Another 25 percent was based on affordability/value, 20 percent on the local job market, 15 percent on how desirable the area appears to nonresidents and 10 percent on net migration.

Metro Phoenix scored highest in migration, lowest in quality of life and near the middle in the other measures. Phoenix ranked just behind Dallas-Fort Worth and just ahead of San Francisco overall.

Tucson scored higher in desirability and quality of life but lower in the other measures. Tucson ranked just behind Springfield, Missouri, and just ahead of Santa Barbara, California.

The worst overall city was San Juan, Puerto Rico, just behind Stockton, California. The study factored in data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI and Labor Department as well as information on high schools, hospitals, housing and more.

More information can be seen at https://realestate.usnews.com/places/ rankings/best-places-to-live