Bert Sperling and Peter Sander, authors of “Cities Ranked & Rated” (Wiley, $24.99), are out to help Americans find their ideal city.
Their new book analyzes more than 400 metro areas in the U.S. and Canada. To compile their rankings, the authors evaluated cities with several variables in mind, some including the economy, crime, art and culture, cost of living and education.
The book names Gainesville, Fla., as the best city in the country for its “Florida climate and intellectual stimulation without the high prices, tourist bustle and stigma most commonly associated with the state.”
The other top-ranking cities are: Bellingham, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Vancouver, Wash.; Beaverton, Ore.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Ogden, Utah; Clearfield, Utah; Asheville, N.C.; Fort Collins, Colo.; Loveland, Colo.; San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Paso Robles, Calif.; Boise City, Idaho; and Nampa, Idaho.
Whereas most magazine surveys show only the big picture, “Cities Ranked & Rated” delves into the detailed reasons why one city might be preferable to another. For each metro area, the book provides statistics about the city’s white-collar versus blue-collar jobs, the average cost of a visit to the doctor and even more trivial topics such as the city’s total number of Starbucks coffee shops.
“Cities Ranked & Rated” is available in bookstores nationwide.