09 February . 2017
Austin nabs No. 1 spot on Best Places to Live List
Austin has grabbed the No. 1 spot on U.S. News & World Report’s 100 Best Places to Live in the USA list for 2017.
“About 50 people move to Austin every day, drawn to the Texas capital's music, outdoor spaces and cultural institutions,” the magazine writes.
To come up with the rankings, U.S. News analyzed 100 U.S. metro areas based on quality of life, the job market, the value of living there and people’s desire to live there.
Austin nabbed the top spot from last year’s top-ranked city, Denver, thanks to its strong showing in the report’s desirability survey, which asked 2,000 people where they would prefer to live in the U.S.
Austin’s desirability score is 8.4, and its overall score is 7.8.
Offering a glimpse of what it’s like to live in Austin, the magazine mentions Austin’s status as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” with banner music fests like Austin City Limits, South by Southwest and Fun Fun Fun Fest.
Recreation is another favorite Austin pastime. “Residents like to escape the urban bustle with a hike, bicycle ride, jog, kayak or canoe ride in one of more than 250 parks,” U.S. News writes.
The story also notes Austin’s status as one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities: “Thanks in part to its strong economy and pleasant weather, Austin is luring new residents in droves.”
A growing number of newcomers and longtime Austin residents alike are discovering Sweetwater, which combines the convenience of an Austin address with Hill Country beauty and highly regarded Lake Travis I.S.D. schools.
This 1,400-acre community devotes nearly half of its master plan – or about 700 acres – to parks, trails and natural open spaces. For more recreation, some of the Hill Country’s most beautiful parks, lakes and swimming holes are less than a half hour away.
Use our Homefinder feature to explore new homes priced from the high $200,000s to $1 million and up in Sweetwater.