This year’s best ranked American cities based on health, safety, education, economy and recreation. Plus, find out which cities ranked the worst!
How We Chose Our Cities
We conducted a nationwide survey of women from Parenting’s MomConnection research panel to pinpoint their top criteria in choosing a place to raise their families. Their choices were (in order of priority): quality of schools; affordability and availability of quality housing; low crime rates; job availability and growth; number of registered sex offenders; recreational opportunities; quality/quantity of pediatricians/family physicians; commute time and distance; proximity to a good children’s hospital; quality/quantity of childcare facilities and preschools; and air quality.
Next, we compiled a list of the top 100 cities by population, according to the U.S. Census. We removed towns that were so close to other large cities that they would have similar data. We also added in smaller cities that are widely known. Then we crunched more than 5,000 bits of info in 52 categories to devise rankings for Economy, Safety, Health, Education, and Recreation. Finally, we averaged those findings, giving the most weight to Education, Economy, and Safety, to determine the “Overall Score.”
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Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Arlington
State: Virginia
Best Cities Overall Rank: 1
About Arlington: Arlington has numerous museums and art galleries, and plenty of historical memorials, including the Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial and a World War II Memorial.
County: Arlington
Population: 209,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Austin
State: Texas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 2
About Austin: Austin is known as the Live Music Capital of the World, hosting almost 200 venues and is the home to even more musicians. While enjoying the tunes, try some Texas BBQ or window shop at one of the many shopping areas.
County: Travis
Population: 758,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Madison
State: Wisconsin
Best Cities Overall Rank: 3
About Madison: Citizens of Madison enjoy short commutes and a low unemployment rate, as well as nearby lakes, recreational trails and few violent crimes.
County: Dane
Population: 230,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Ann Arbor
State: Michigan
Best Cities Overall Rank: 4
About Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor was named Forbes Best College Sports Town and the third Best Midwest Food Town in 2009 by Midwest Living. The city hosts numerous musicians, shows and festivals and is home to the University of Michigan.
County: Washtenaw
Population: 114,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Lexington
State: Kentucky
Best Cities Overall Rank: 5
About Lexington: Known as the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington offers plenty of stable tours and activities, as well as arts, dining and great music venues for bluegrass, country, and more.
County: Fayette
Population: 282,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Portland
State: Oregon
Best Cities Overall Rank: 6
About Portland: This green city is home to the International Rose Test Garden, one of the largest rose test gardens in the country, as well as the Portland Japanese Garden.
County: Multnomah
Population: 557,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Spokane
State: Washington
Best Cities Overall Rank: 7
About Spokane: Spokane has 4,100 acres of parkland that includes the Spokane River Centennial Trail, a 67-mile long path used for all sorts of outdoor activities.
County: Spokane
Population: 202,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Scottsdale
State: Arizona
Best Cities Overall Rank: 8
About Scottsdale: Hike up Camelback Mountain or stroll through the McDowell Sonoran Preserve – the city offers 14,000 acres of parkland to enjoy.
County: Maricopa
Population: 235,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Omaha
State: Nebraska
Best Cities Overall Rank: 9
About Omaha: Omaha ranks high across the board with seven Blue Ribbon schools, a short commute, low unemployment and 9,560 acres of parkland.
County: Douglas
Population: 439,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Raleigh
State: North Carolina
Best Cities Overall Rank: 10
About Raleigh: Know as the “City of Oaks,” Raleigh is home to five Blue Ribbon schools, a thriving real estate market, and The North Carolina Symphony.
County: Wake
Population: 392,000
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Sioux Falls
State: South Dakota
Best Cities Overall Rank: 11
About Sioux Falls: This former cow town has some of the nation’s best parklands, with over 2,913 acres of dedicated land.
County: Minnehaha
Population: 154,997
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Lincoln
State: Nebraska
Best Cities Overall Rank: 12
About Lincoln: Lincoln’s Elephant Hall has the largest collection of elephant skeletons in the world. The biggest mammoth fossils were discovered here!
County: Lancaster
Population: 251,624
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: St. Paul
State: Minnesota
Best Cities Overall Rank: 13
About St. Paul: St. Paul is home to the Science Museum of Minnesota and professional ice hockey team The Minnesota Wild.
County: Ramsey
Population: 279,590
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Plus:
10 Best in Education
10 Best in Safety
10 Best in Education
See all 101 Cities
City: Virginia Beach
State: Virginia
Best Cities Overall Rank: 14
About Virginia Beach: First Landing State Park, near the first place where members of the Virginia Company landed, is in Virginia Beach.
County: Virginia Beach City
Population: 433,746
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Read more about Virginia Beach
City: Des Moines
State: Iowa
Best Cities Overall Rank: 15
About Des Moines: Originally called Fort Raccoon, Des Moines has a Downtown Farmer’s Market that features more than 200 vendors from all around Iowa.
County: Polk
Population: 197,052
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Billings
State: Montana
Best Cities Overall Rank: 16
About Billings: Thousands of visitors stop by this city on their way to Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the Little Bighorn National Monument.
County: Yellowstone
Population: 103, 994
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Boise
State: Idaho
Best Cities Overall Rank: 17
About Boise: Boise boasts 4,218.54 acres of parkland, including The Greenbelt, a 25-mile riverfront pathway. It is also home to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.
County: Ada
Population: 205,314
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Minneapolis
State: Minnesota
Best Cities Overall Rank: 18
About Minneapolis: Minneapolis is nicknamed “City of Lakes” for the 22 lakes that exist within the city limits.
County: Hennepin
Population: 382,605
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Augusta
State: Georgia
Best Cities Overall Rank: 20
About Augusta: Nicknamed Garden City, Augusta is home to the Masters Golf Tournament, and is also the birthplace of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.
County: Richmond
Population: 194,149
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: El Paso
State: Texas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 21
About El Paso: Those who work in schools, government offices, health care, or retail are in luck: some of the largest employers in El Paso look for workers in these areas.
County: El Paso
Population: 613,190
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Dallas
State: Texas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 22
About Dallas: Sports lovers are in luck: Dallas has all of the four major sports in the United States (Rangers, Cowboys, Stars, Mavericks) and great places to take the whole family for a game.
County: Dallas
Population: 1,279,910
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Topeka
State: Kansas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 23
About Topeka: Topeka is the home of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.
County: Shawnee
Population: 123,446
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Little Rock
State: Arkansas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 24
About Little Rock: Little Rock is not only the geographical center of Arkansas, but also the hub of business, the arts, government, and healthcare in the state.
County: Pulaski
Population: 189,515
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: San Diego
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 25
About San Diego: Families will enjoy this city’s world-class attractions, including the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Sea World San Diego, LEGOLAND, and more.
County: San Diego
Population: 1,279,329
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Honolulu
State: Hawaii
Best Cities Overall Rank: 26
About Honolulu: Honolulu is a center for Hawaiian music and theatre, where residents lead active lifestyles, and obesity rates are below the national average.
County: Honolulu
Population: 374,676
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Durham
State: North Carolina
Best Cities Overall Rank: 27
About Durham: Family-friendly Durham is a great place to keep your kids entertained with jazz festivals, blues festivals, symphony concerts, and art exhibitions.
County: Durham
Population: 223,284
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Seattle
State: Washington
Best Cities Overall Rank: 28
About Seattle: Ranked as the most literate city by Central Conn. State University, Seattle is known as a hotbed for start-up businesses, especially in green building and clean technology.
County: King
Population: 598,541
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: New York
State: New York
Best Cities Overall Rank: 29
About New York: As the nerve center of the nation; New York City is the leader in manufacturing, trade, theatre, and book publishing.
County: New York
Population: 8,363,710
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Boston
State: Massachusetts
Best Cities Overall Rank: 30
About Boston: Home to the country’s first public school, Boston is a center of education, from the Boston Public Library to the many historical buildings.
County: Suffolk
Population: 609,023
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Albuquerque
State: New Mexico
Best Cities Overall Rank: 31
About Albuquerque: With deep Hispanic roots, Albuquerque is perfect for young families with high rankings in education and recreation,
County: Bernalillo
Population: 521,999
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Fort Wayne
State: Indiana
Best Cities Overall Rank: 32
About Fort Wayne: Fort Wayne appeals to families because of its affordability, high education system and low crime rates.
County: Allen
Population: 251,591
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: San Antonio
State: Texas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 33
About San Antonio: San Antonio is the home of Texan Tejano culture and a place that enjoys a steady and healthy economy.
County: Bexar
Population: 135,1305
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Aurora
State: Colorado
Best Cities Overall Rank: 34
About Aurora: The 3rd largest city in Colorado, Aurora scores well in the health, safety and recreation areas.
County: Arapaho
Population: 319,057
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Mobile
State: Alabama
Best Cities Overall Rank: 35
About Mobile: The city of Mobile is named from the Native American Mobilian tribe that once resided in the area, scoring points for its high safety.
County: Mobile
Population: 191,022
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Charlotte
State: North Carolina
Best Cities Overall Rank: 36
About Charlotte: Known as the Tar Heel State, Charlotte is home to one of the best education programs in the country, including 8 Blue Ribbon schools.
County: Mecklenburg
Population: 687,456
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Oklahoma City
State: Oklahoma
Best Cities Overall Rank: 37
About Oklahoma City: Where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plains, Oklahoma City is a great place to live if you’re looking for a good jobs a short commute and a low unemployment rate.
County: Oklahoma
Population: 551,789
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Tulsa
State: Oklahoma
Best Cities Overall Rank: 38
About Tulsa: Birthplace to country singer Garth Brooks, Tulsa is another great place to work with a short commute and a steady home value.
County: Tulsa
Population: 385,635
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Denver
State: Colorado
Best Cities Overall Rank: 39
About Denver: Denver, the Mile High City, is one of only two cities in America with eight professional sports teams.
County: Denver
Population: 598,707
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Newark
State: New Jersey
Best Cities Overall Rank: 40
About Newark: Newark is the largest city in New Jersey and is home to a great education system — with a high school graduation rate of over 94 percent.
County: Essex
Population: 278,980
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s Bureau Website
City: Providence
State: Rhode Island
Best Cities Overall Rank: 41
About Providence: Home to many National Historic Landmarks, Providence is a great place to live if health is a high priority on your list.
County: Providence
Population: 171,557
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Louisville
State: Kentucky
Best Cities Overall Rank: 42
About Louisville: Home to the Kentucky Durby, Louisville also boasts the largest Victorian neighborhood in America.
County: Jefferson
Population: 557,224
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Richmond
State:
Virginia
Best Cities Overall Rank: 43
About Richmond: From Nascar to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum and the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden — Richmond has something for everyone.
County: Richmond
Population: 202,002
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Phoenix
State:
Arizona
Best Cities Overall Rank: 44
About Phoenix: Phoenix, located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, boasts 40,454 acres of parkland, and is home to the largest, privately owned nonprofit zoo in the country.
County: Maricopa
Population: 1,567,924
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau city
City: Chesapeake
State:
Virginia
Best Cities Overall Rank: 45
About Chesapeake: Home to the Dismal Swamp Canal trail, Chesapeake is an outdoor lover’s paradise, with lots of walking, running, horseback riding, and boating.
County: Chesapeake
Population: 220,111
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Wichita
State:
Kansas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 46
About Wichita: Wichita has 125 miles of bicycle trails and routes, 17 golf courses, and 107 parks.
County: Sedgwick
Population:
366,046
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Houston
State:
Texas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 47
About Houston: Houstonians eat out more than residents of any other city and enjoy more than 500 cultural, visual, and performing arts organizations.
County:
Harris
Population: 224,2193
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Corpus Christi
State: Texas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 48
About Corpus Christi: With over 133 miles of Gulf Coast beaches, Corpus Christi is a great place for the warm-blooded to reside.
County: Nueces
Population: 286,462
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Read more about Corpus Christi
City: Pittsburgh
State: Pennsylvania
Best Cities Overall Rank: 49
About Pittsburgh: Home to the first Ferris wheel and Heinz Ketchup, Pittsburgh is also known for its excellent health and education programs.
County: Allegheny
Population: 310,037
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Hartford
State: Connecticut
Best Cities Overall Rank: 50
About Hartford: Home to the oldest public art museum and the oldest continuously published newspaper, Hartford continues to be a beacon for education-minded families.
County: Hartford
Population: 124,062
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Anchorage
State: Alaska
Best Cities Overall Rank: 51
About Anchorage: With more than 120 miles of paved bike and multi-use trails, and 90 miles of non-paved hiking trails, Anchorage is ideal for outdoorsy types.
County: Anchorage
Population: 279,243
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Tucson
State: Arizona
Best Cities Overall Rank: 52
About Tucson: Tucson averages 350 sunny days per year and is bordered on all sides by natural areas, including Coronado National Forest, Catalina State Park, Ironwood Forest National Monument, and Saguaro National Park.
County: Pima
Population: 541,811
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Fort Worth
State: Texas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 53
About Fort Worth: Fort Worth is rich in Southwest history, with daily cattle drives and weekend rodeos at the Fort Worth Stockyards. It also boasts 10,923 acres of parkland.
County: Tarrant
Population: 703,073
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: San Francisco
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 54
About San Francisco: San Francisco has many unique attributes and is known for its Victorian architecture, diverse citizenry, iconic cable cars, hilly landscape, and its intense fog.
County: San Francisco
Population: 808,976
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Indianapolis
State: Indiana
Best Cities Overall Rank: 55
About Indianapolis: Indianapolis is a city that values education, with 19 Blue Ribbon schools and 27 NAYEC Accredited preschools.
County: Marion
Population: 798,382
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Montgomery
State: Alabama
Best Cities Overall Rank: 56
About Montgomery: Montgomery is rich in Civil Rights history ¿ it’s home to the Civil Rights Memorial and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church, where Martin Luther King, Jr. once preached.
County: Montgomery
Population: 202,696
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Winston-Salem
State: North Carolina
Best Cities Overall Rank: 57
About Winston-Salem: Winston-Salem is home to three universities and one college: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Salem College (for women).
County: Forsyth
Population: 217,600
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Salt Lake City
State: Utah
Best Cities Overall Rank: 58
About Salt Lake City: It’s easy to get pretty much anywhere from Salt Lake City, with the airport just 10 minutes from downtown and ample public transportation.
County: Salt Lake
Population: 181,698
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Read more about Salt Lake City
City: Greensboro
State: North Carolina
Best Cities Overall Rank: 59
About Greensboro: Greensboro is home to more than 20 public golf courses and the prestigious Wyndham Championship golf tournament.
County: Guilford
Population: 250,642
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Arlington
State: Texas
Best Cities Overall Rank: 60
About Arlington: Arlington is home to the 1,300 acre, family-friendly River Legacy Park, where you’ll find picnic areas, paved hike/bike trails, a meditation area, river overlooks, playground, and a canoe launch.
County: Tarrant
Population: 374,417
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Columbus
State: Ohio
Best Cities Overall Rank: 61
About Columbus: Columbus has plenty of educational opportunities with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) and the Franklin Park Conservatory.
County: Franklin
Population: 754,885
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Mesa
State: Arizona
Best Cities Overall Rank: 62
About Mesa: This sunny city has an average temperature of 86 degrees and an annual rainfall of only 10 inches.
County: Maricopa
Population: 463,552
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: San Jose
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 63
About San Jose: San Jose has six Blue Ribbon schools, 12 NAEYC-Accredited preschools and a graduation rate of 86.1 percent.
County: Santa Clara
Population: 948,279
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Tacoma
State: Washington
Best Cities Overall Rank: 64
About Tacoma: Tacoma has 2,721 acres of parkland, which includes Mount Rainier National Park where the elevation ranges from 1,880 feet to 14,411 feet.
County: Pierce
Population: 197,181
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Nashville
State: Tennessee
Best Cities Overall Rank: 65
About Nashville: Nashville is not only filled with musical history, but history ranging from Civil War battles to the 1897 World’s Fair.
County: Davidson
Population: 596,462
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Norfolk
State: Virginia
Best Cities Overall Rank: 66
About Norfolk: Norfolk is located where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic ocean, so plenty of water fun can be found. Enjoy fishing, boating, sailing, cruises, and even crabbing.
County: Norfolk
Population: 234,220
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Anaheim
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 67
About Anaheim: Anaheim is located in Orange County, which boasts 42 miles of coastline and endless opportunities for fun. Spend a day golfing with an ocean view, visit a theme park or cheer on the Angels baseball team or the Anaheim Ducks hockey team.
County: Orange
Population: 335,288
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Kansas City
State: Missouri
Best Cities Overall Rank: 68
About Kansas City: Kansas City is home to the Country Club Plaza, a 14-square-block outdoor shopping area located in the heart of downtown, designed to resemble romantic Spanish architecture.
County: Jackson
Population: 451,572
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Baton Rouge
State: Louisiana
Best Cities Overall Rank: 69
About Baton Rouge: Baton Rouge has a variety of food, including Cajun, Creole, French and Mexican, so your palate will never get bored.
County: East Baton Rouge
Population: 223,689
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: New Orleans
State: Louisiana
Best Cities Overall Rank: 70
About New Orleans: New Orleans’ oldest neighborhood, the French Quarter, has architecture, Bourbon Street sightseeing or fresh seafood at any restaurant.
Population: 311,853
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Washington, DC
State: District of Columbia
Best Cities Overall Rank: 71
About Washington:DC was voted the most walkable city in the U.S. in a study by the Brookings Institution in 2007.
Population: 591,833
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Read more about Washington, DC
City: Syracuse
State: New York
Best Cities Overall Rank: 72
About Syracuse: Syracuse is home to the longest running State Fair in the nation, dating back to 1841.
Population: 138,068
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Buffalo
State: New York
Best Cities Overall Rank: 73
About Buffalo: Buffalo is the birthplace of windshield wipers, electric streetlights, and, of course, Buffalo wings.
Population: 270,919
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Cleveland
State: Ohio
Best Cities Overall Rank: 74
About Cleveland: Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (but all the little chicks with the crimson lips already know Cleveland rocks.)
Population: 433,748
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Jacksonville
State: Florida
Best Cities Overall Rank: 75
About Jacksonville:Jacksonville still hosts the Tree Hill Nature Center Annual Butterfly Festival, held on the last Saturday in April, featuring the release of over 1,000 butterflies.
Population: 807,815
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Milwaukee
State: Wisconsin
Best Cities Overall Rank: 76
About Milwaukee: Milwaukee is home to a number of impressive arts offerings, including the spectacular Santiago Calatrava-designed Milwaukee Art Museum
Population: 604,477
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitors’ bureau website
City: Baltimore
State: Maryland
Best Cities Overall Rank: 77
About Baltimore: Clueless about crustaceans? You’ll be up to speed in no time in Baltimore, where crab feasts and the art of cracking them open is serious fun.
Population: 636,919
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Los Angeles
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 78
About Los Angeles: Amelia Earhart began her aeronautic career with flying lessons in Los Angeles in 1921.
Population: 3,833,995
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Riverside
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 79
About Riverside: Vitamin C rocks! The first navel orange tree in the U.S. was grown in Riverside, CA.
Population: 295,357
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Wilmington
State: Deleware
Best Cities Overall Rank: 80
About Wilmington: Wilmington was named by Thomas Penn for his friend Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, who was prime minister in the reign of George II of Great Britain.
Population: 72,592
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Tampa
State: Florida
Best Cities Overall Rank: 81
About Tampa: Sun lovers will dig the Tampa area — according to the Guinness Book of World Records this region has the most number of days of sunshine.
Population: 340,882
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Cincinnati
State: Ohio
Best Cities Overall Rank: 82
About Cincinnati: Famous folks from Cincinnati include Steven Spielberg, Ted Turner, Carmen Electra, and William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States.
Population: 333,336
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Long Beach
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 83
About Long Beach: The Port of Long Beach is the second-largest seaport in the United States.
Population: 463,789
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Philadelphia
State: Pennsylvania
Best Cities Overall Rank: 84
About Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Museum of Art was made famous by being featured in the popular “Rocky” films, when Sylvester Stallone, as the boxer Rocky, made his famous training runs up the front steps.
Population: 1,447,395
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Bakersfield
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 85
About Bakersfield: Many Bakersfield residents have ancestors who migrated to the area from the Midwest during the Dust Bowl.
Population: 321,078
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Atlanta
State: Georgia
Best Cities Overall Rank: 86
About Atlanta: Atlanta is the only city in North America that has been destroyed by fire as an act of war. It’s also home to the Atlanta Ballet, the oldest ballet company in the nation.
Population: 537,958
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: St. Louis
State: Missouri
Best Cities Overall Rank: 87
About St. Louis: The city has had a hand in building more than 40 breweries.
The first skyscraper was born in this city.
Population: 35,461
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Akron
State: Ohio
Best Cities Overall Rank: 88
About Akron: Ice cream cones, hamburgers and caramel corn snacks were invented here.
Population: 20,710
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Toledo
State: Ohio
Best Cities Overall Rank: 89
About Toledo: The Toledo Zoo has a hippoquarium.
Population: 293,201
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Chicago
State: Illinois
Best Cities Overall Rank: 90
About Chicago: The first Ferris Wheel appeared in Chicago in 1893. The Lincoln Park Zoo is one of three major free zoos in the country.
Population: 2,853,114
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Memphis
State: Tennessee
Best Cities Overall Rank: 91
About Memphis: It’s known as the birthplace of rock ¿n roll, and the home of Graceland, Elvis Presley’s mansion, and the famous Sun Studios
Population: 669,651
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Fort Lauderdale
State: Florida
Best Cities Overall Rank: 92
About Fort Lauderdale: Greater Fort Lauderdale houses the world’s largest discount mall, Sawgrass Mills. With 40,000 yachts in the harbor, it has been called the yachting capital of the world.
Population: 183,126
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Read more about Fort Lauderdale
City: Orlando
State: Florida
Best Cities Overall Rank: 93
About Orlando: The city is home to more than 100 lakes.
Population: 230,519
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Birmingham
State: Alabama
Best Cities Overall Rank: 94
About Birmingham: Birmingham’s Ruffner Mountain is the second largest urban nature preserve in the country.
Population: 228,798
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Grand Rapids
State: Michigan
Best Cities Overall Rank: 95
About Grand Rapids: Grand Rapids was originally known as the “Furniture Capital” of the nation. It is known today as the “Furniture Capital” of office furniture manufacturing.
Population: 193,396
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Miami
State: Florida
Best Cities Overall Rank: 96
About Miami: Miami Beach is home to one of the largest snow skiing clubs in the United States.
County: Miami-Dade
Population: 413,201
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitors’ bureau website
City: St. Petersburg
State: Florida
Best Cities Overall Rank: 97
About St. Petersburg: St Petersburg holds a Guinness World Record for the highest number of consecutive days of sunshine — 768 — that began in 1967.
Population: 245,314
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Read more about St. Petersburg
City: Fresno
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 98
About Fresno: Fresno is known for its large agricultural production, and is home to some of the largest wineries and the largest dried fruit company in the world.
Population: 476,050
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Sacramento
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 99
About Sacramento: Sacramento was founded during the Gold Rush, when gold was discovered just outside the city.
Population: 463,794
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Las Vegas
State: Nevada
Best Cities Overall Rank: 100
About Las Vegas: The average number of weddings that take place in Las Vegas each day is 315.
Population: 558,383
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
City: Detroit
State: Michigan
Best Cities Overall Rank: 101
About Detroit: The city is home to the world’s only floating post office, which can be found on the Detroit River.
Population: 912,062
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
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