Saw this on The Today’s Show site – “The new list took into account several factors, including affordability, job prospects and quality of life. A public survey of thousands of individuals across the country was also used to determine which qualities people consider important in a hometown. Then, data from the United States Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Labor Statistics — as well as U.S. News rankings of the best high schools and best hospitals — were considered to make up the final ranking.
Okay, I’m one paragraph into this story and I’m already calling bullshit. Do people really factor in hospitals and high schools when they move? NO WAY! High schools and hospitals are the exact same no matter where you are in the country. So, immediately, I’ve found a hole to punch in this so-called scientific data report. PSSHHHHH – and if you think thousands of people’s opinions on a survey is an ample sample size, you have obviously NEVER DONE SCIENCE before!
“When considering a move people are concerned about finding a job in their field, earning enough to afford a home, sending their kids to good schools and feeling like a part of their community,” said Kim Castro, executive editor at U.S. News, in a statement. “The Best Places to Live ranking takes all of that into account — the metro areas that do well are the ones with strong job markets and high quality of life.”
Okay, point number two – I’m reading this and thinking, “Finding a job – Nashville, Earning enough to afford a home = Nashville, Sending kids to good schools = Nashville, feeling like a part of their community = Nashville.” So, Nashville is number one, right?
Nope.
So, which city took the top spot this year? Austin, Texas, came in at No. 1, bumping the previous winner, Denver, Colorado, to No. 2. The reason? A lot of people are moving to Austin, and the job market and quality of life scores there also saw improvement. In addition, the metro area received a higher percentage of votes in the desirability survey, in which 2,000 random internet users were asked to choose which of the 100 metro areas they would prefer to live in.
Okay, I’ve had time to think, and I may need to backtrack a bit. I’ve calmed down a bit. After all, I’m unequivocally biased – I grew up in Nashville. I’ve lived here for the entirety of the 30 years of my life.
The housing market is actually a shit show right now. Prices are through the roof. It’s taken friends of mine years to find a house. I have no clue if the schools here are good or not. There also aren’t really that many interesting jobs here that pay well….unless you’re in the music business or some sort of professional medical care business.
Though, I will say – the tech industry is starting to grow here. So, all of that is what I really meant to say.
Rounding out the top five are San Jose, California, which climbed from No. 10 to No. 3; Washington, D.C., which moved up four spots to No. 4; and surprise city Fayetteville, Arkansas, took the fifth spot. Fayetteville may seem like an odd fit for the top 10, but because Walmart, J.B. Transport, Tyson Foods Inc. and the University of Arkansas call the area home, the city’s job market is booming. That’s in addition to the fact the housing market is affordable and there is a high quality of life.
The fact that any town in Arkansas is ranked ahead of Nashville is an outright insult. Time to break down all of the cities ranked ahead of Nashville
The top 20 best cities to live in the U.S.
1. Austin, Texas – Never been
2. Denver, Colorado – Been to the airport, looks pretty, but not pretty enough
3. San Jose, California – Never been
4. Washington, D.C. – Drove through once, meh
5. Fayetteville, Arkansas – Never been but it’s Arkansas
6. Seattle, Washington – Never been
7. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina – Never been
8. Boston, Massachusetts – Never been
9. Des Moines, Iowa – Never been
10. Salt Lake City, Utah – Drove through once, seems boring
11. Colorado Springs, Colorado – Never been
12. Boise, Idaho – Never been
13. Nashville, Tennessee – BEST CITY EVER
Obviously, if I’ve never been to a city, it means that the city is not worth visiting and is thus disqualified from being ranked ahead of Nashville.
Reasons why Nashville is THE BEST city to live in…
1. Food – GREAT pizza. GREAT Chinese food. It’s unlike any other place on the planet. Nashville is known for BBQ and hot chicken, but honestly, that’s just a novelty. You think the Northeast has good pizza and Chinese food? PSSHHHHH – get real.
2. Cheap – Everything down here is SO cheap – you can get a hot dog off of some dude on the street for like 50 cents. Where else can you get that? Also, it only costs about $1,000/month to rent a broom closet to live in. And, houses come cheap and easy!
3. People – The people down here have a reputation for being nice, which they are. But honestly, it’s not even about that. It’s about being around people who are open-minded, accepting of others’ beliefs, and believe in real science making progress to better the world. That’s Nashville!
4. Sports – Nashville is home to the Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators, and Nashville Sounds. Combined, they have an AFC Championship, NFL MVP Award (Steve McNair 2003), a NHL Foundation Player Award (Mike Fisher 2011-12), and a Mark Messier Leadership Award (Shea Weber 2015-16). Where else can you find such accolades?
5. Weather – The weather in Nashville is nice and consistent. Mild winters, pleasant falls/springs, and sultry summers. No tornadoes. No ice storms. No blistering heat. No humidity that makes you feel like you’re breathing in steam from July-August. It’s perfect, really.
The bottom line: Nashville is the mecca of all things entertainment, fun, health, wellness, wealth, and prosperity. There’s no better place to live in America. Take that, Today Show. Shove that right up your ass!
Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network, Tennessee Titans Featured Analyst for Pro Football Spot, Contributor to FanSided’s Bama Hammer, and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @PFSpot, @WrestlingNewsCo, @Bama_Hammer
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