What Makes Chicago One Of The Best Places To Live?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- U.S. News & World Report analyzed metro areas in the United States in order to narrow down the 2017 100 best places to live -- and only one Illinois town made the cut (and just barely).
Coming in at no. 83 -- sweet home Chicago.
According to U.S. News & World Report Contributor Alex Mayster, the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park and the Willis Tower blow many visitors away. And those previous 82 contenders, if we do say so ourselves.
From Uptown to Hyde Park, East Garfield to the Loop, the Chicago living experience, as well as the cost of living, depends on your zip code. But while living in Chicago, one can expect fests, fireworks and beach days in the summer, and ice skating, zoo lights and holiday activities in the winter.
"The expansive Museum Campus is second to none, the beloved Cubbies never fail to entertain and the various festivals are seemingly never-ending," Mayster said.
Furthermore, as Mayster notes, Chicago residents exude Midwestern friendliness, offering "hellos" and "good mornings" to passers-by on the streets. That is, as long as the weather's nice outside. If, on the other hand, it's during one of those unbearably cold months, all bets are off.
According to the report, Austin, TX. (no. 1), Denver, CO. (no. 2) and San Jose, CA. (no. 3), are the best of the best.
Upon learning that, our curiosity kicked in -- along with our competitiveness -- so we took a closer look.
Named the "Live Music Capital of the World, about 50 people move to Austin every day, according to the report. The metro area has a plethora of music venues, and a number of well-established locals are regularly booked and host major musical acts.
Denver, nicknamed the Mile-High City because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 ft.) above sea level, lends itself to a slew of outdoor pursuits. The population has continuously grown year after year, making Denver a popular seller's market.
With nearly 2 million residents, San Jose is one of the largest metro areas in the U.S., the report states. And families are in good company in San Jose. Nearly 73 percent of households are categorized as family households, 36 percent of which include children under the age of 18.
So, to make the top of the list, a place has to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market, a high quality of life and attract new residents.
Those combined elements are then factored into an "overall score," which help to determine rank. Austin, Denver and San Jose all had an overall score above 7 out of 10.
And, for those keeping track, Chicago's overall score is 6.1. The Cubs came back from a 3-1 deficit, just saying.