Appleton shines again as one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in the country
APPLETON — A fancy algorithm that measures categories such as the cost of living, health and safety again determined what Appletonians likely already know: their city is among the top midsized places to live in the country.
Livability.com ranked Appleton No. 53 on its annual list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. That's a significant improvement from last year, when Appleton ranked No. 66.
The only other Wisconsin city on the 2024 list is Madison, which ranked No. 44.
Carmel, Indiana, finished No. 1, followed by Cary, North Carolina, and Columbia, Maryland.
Livability.com said Appleton's location in the picturesque Fox River Valley "epitomizes Midwestern charm."
"This Wisconsin city is welcoming and family-friendly, with a strong sense of community, highly ranked schools and a bustling downtown area that contributes to the area's robust economy," the website said.
Mayor Jake Woodford said it's nice to be recognized as one of the most livable cities in America.
"We do live in a community that emphasizes quality of life and access to different amenities and experiences," Woodford told The Post-Crescent. "I'm sure that it does influence how people think about our community. This is one of the positive top lists to be on, and we're certainly pleased to be on it."
Woodford said in today's economy, where more people can work remotely and choose where they want to live, top 100 rankings can influence whether someone relocates to Appleton.
"With any luck, it'll help get the word out about the fact that this is a great place to live," he said.
How were the rankings determined?
Livability partnered with Applied Geographic Solutions (AGS) to rank the Top 100 Best Places to Live based on 100 data points measuring eight categories: amenities, economy, education, environment, health, housing and cost of living, safety and transportation. Livability and AGS collected data for more than 2,000 U.S. cities with populations between 75,000 and 500,000.
In accordance with Livability's attention to cost of living, only cities that had a median home value of $500,000 or less were included in the Top 100. An analysis of average rent and home prices relative to income in each city was part of the selection process.
"It's the only list out there truly honing in on affordability, lauding the amazing cities across the country other than our large U.S. metros," Livability Editor-in-Chief Amanda Ellis said. "Our Top 100 Best Places to Live celebrates the cities where most Americans are busy creating dream careers, building families, launching businesses and leading meaningful lives."
Appleton totaled 749 points, compared with 730 points last year. The city ranked highest for housing and cost of living, safety, amenities and health.
Housing and cost of living: 84
Safety: 69
Amenities: 67
Health: 67
Education: 64
Transportation: 52
Environment: 46
Economy: 41
Livability: Why you'll love living in Appleton
Livability said Appleton "is known for its standout quality of life, bountiful career opportunities, thriving entrepreneurial spirit, and vibrant local dining and shopping scene. For arts and culture lovers, the Mile of Music festival and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center are must-visits."
The website highlighted the all-season Badger Sports Park, beautiful parks, lake activities and stunning golf courses in the warm months and ice rinks and places to go snowmobiling and skiing in the winter.
"It's also easy to quickly get to anywhere from Appleton, thanks to its international airport — the third largest in Wisconsin," it said.
In addition, Livability mentioned Appleton's high-quality health care with three major hospital systems, the Trout Museum of Art, the History Museum at the Castle and an average of 188 sunny days a year.
Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton climbs 13 spots on list of Top 100 Best Places to Live
