Charlotte has been named one of the 2020 Top 100 Best Places to Live by Livability.com, outpacing more than 1,000 cities with populations between 20,000 and 1,000,000 in this data-driven ranking.
The 2020 rankings were guided by each city’s “Opportunity Score,” which consists of several variables centered around the economy, job opportunities and growth. While Livability factored in obvious data points, such as unemployment rates, density of jobs and disposable income, other variables played a part in calculating each city’s opportunity score — like the percentage of households with high-speed broadband. This year’s ranking of the Top 100 Best Places to Live also factored in two exclusive data points from Emsi that measured the growth of high-paying jobs and overall wage growth. When combined, these points offer a snapshot of the opportunity landscape of each city, and the potential for businesses and residents to thrive and grow.
“Creating a list of the best places to live in a year marked by uncertainty and disruption was challenging, but also clarifying,” says Winona Dimeo-Ediger, Livability.com editor-in-chief. “The pandemic and ensuing economic turbulence made people rethink their commitment to big, expensive cities, and the rise of remote work provided a unique opportunity to live anywhere. The dust is still settling, but the chaos of this year made the things that have always mattered — affordability, safety, community and opportunity — matter even more. The small to mid-sized cities on Livability’s list offer exactly what people are looking for right now.”
More than 1,000 cities with populations between 20,000 and 1,000,000 were ranked on 40 data points measuring economics, housing, amenities, infrastructure, demographics, social and civic capital, education and health care. The eight scores were weighted based on an exclusive survey conducted for Livability.com by Ipsos Public Affairs, a leading global market research firm. Sources included the best public and private data available from organizations like the U.S. Census Bureau, Emsi and Esri.
The full list of the 2020 Top 100 Best Places to Live is featured on Livability.com, along with each city’s LivScore and some of the specific attractions, activities and amenities that make it a great place to live.