Ann Arbor ranks second to Boulder in list of top 10 college towns
A new ranking of the top 10 best college towns in America has Ann Arbor listed as second-best to Boulder, Colo.
The 2013 list, compiled by Livability.com, moved Ann Arbor up seven spots on the list this year from the city’s ninth-place ranking in 2012.
The University of Michigan's presence in Ann Arbor has placed it on the list of top 10 best college towns in the country.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo
- Boulder, CO
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Gainesville, FL
- Columbia, MO
- Lexington, KY
- Iowa City, IA
- Missoula, MT
- Madison, WI
- Fayetteville, AR
- College Station, TX
Editors of the list focused this year on cities with a high quality of life determined by cost of living, walkability and pollution levels, as well as places where the university is a top employer and key economic driver.
Livability.com cited Ann Arbor’s tree-lined streets, independent restaurants and bookstores, numerous bars, parks and museums as contributors to the town's “stimulating atmosphere” in addition to the University of Michigan's permeating presence.
Compare this year's results to the 2012 list:
- College Station, TX
- Oxford, MS
- Logan, UT
- Champaign, IL
- Lawrence, KS
- Corvallis, OR
- Bloomington, IN
- Athens, GA
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Blacksburg, VA
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Comments
Tru2Blu76
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 9:30 a.m.
And "Editors of the list" were paid how much to make this otherwise inexplicable change in Ann Arbor's ranking? Looks like it's time for me to change over to the more lucrative "editor of bests lists" profession. Does anyone know the IRS form number for reporting bribe income?
Brad
Sat, Aug 3, 2013 : 1:04 p.m.
"Livability.com" I think that's all you need to know right there. I guess "fluffywordsthatmeannothing.com" was taken.
Brad
Sat, Aug 3, 2013 : 12:45 p.m.
And they do that without high-rises. Go figure.
Halter
Sat, Aug 3, 2013 : 9:59 a.m.
OMG, we came in second to a city that has a better Greenbelt than we do! Special meeting of City Council immediately!!
thinker
Sat, Aug 3, 2013 : 12:34 a.m.
"In addition to the University of Michigan's permeasting presence". I think that says it all..... :(
thinker
Sat, Aug 3, 2013 : 12:36 a.m.
Permeating
Basic Bob
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 10:04 p.m.
Any list with Gainesville, College Station, or Fayetteville is suspect. And this one has them all.
Tom Teague
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 10:19 p.m.
Agree in part: College Station has some unique charm. However, the name of that college town that's located in the funny-shaped state south of Georgia is never mentioned or typed in my house.
Dog Guy
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 9:49 p.m.
Boulder rocketed to the top by working to beat Ann Arbor.
Harm
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 9:40 p.m.
Sorry, I don't have any confidence in these idiotic 'top 10' lists......
ThinkingOne
Sat, Aug 3, 2013 : 2:59 p.m.
Lola You pointed out something that I (and probably others) noted: Not only did Ann Arbor move up 7 spots from last year, but the number 1 town wasn't even on the list last year. This seems to suggest that either the criteria have changed significantly, or the people doing the ratings have changed significantly. I really don't care enough to read the original ranking article and determine why the large change. But, it is always nice, fun, yet generally pretty pointless to be on all these lists.
SusanRk
Sat, Aug 3, 2013 : 8:24 a.m.
The you may not want to continue reading Ann Arbor . Com. They love doing "news reports" of top this and top that.
Lola
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 11:07 p.m.
Neither do I especially since number one this year wasn't even in the top 10 last year. This looks like a list where names were randomly pulled out of a hat.
Tom Teague
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 9:19 p.m.
Ann Arbor is well deserving of the ranking. As an SEC grad, I'm surprised to see Athens, GA -- one of the greats -- dropping off the list. Lexington, KY is a nice enough place but doesn't exude the same kind of College Town atmosphere as Athens.
An Arborigine
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 8:25 p.m.
HIzonner must be so proud.
walker101
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 8:04 p.m.
I guess they've never been here during the winter months.
blue85
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 3:02 p.m.
Sure, because Boulder is so much warmer in the winter...that must be what makes the difference.
Goober
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 10:41 p.m.
Or, when the pan handlers are wrestling outside of the drive through beer store.
cmadler
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 7:32 p.m.
Not only a dime a dozen, but this one is fact-challenged. For one thing, they only consider students from the largest school in a given town. For example, they list 28,094 students in Lexington, KY, but that's just the enrollment at the University of Kentucky. By the time you add in all the other schools in town, there are at least 12,000 more students.
Veracity
Sat, Aug 3, 2013 : 8:09 a.m.
Ah! But have you forgotten about EMU -- 23,000 students, Washtenaw Community College -- 13,000 students and smaller sized schools like Concordia University (711) and Cleary University (852)
Napalm.Morning
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 7:09 p.m.
Any word on where we rank on the number of top ten lists on which we appear? . . . I'm thinkin' we must "lap the field". . . (except for Superintendent of Schools dream job destination)
highlarryus
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 7:08 p.m.
A2 or BUST
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 6:56 p.m.
Isn't Boulder, CO what Ann Arbor want to be like...keep raising the rents & pricing the less desirable people out of town we'll be #1
jen777
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 7:55 p.m.
I used to call it Ann Arbor at the mountains
SusanRk
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 6:49 p.m.
This gots tobe something sure specials. I was wonderen where did boulder is? Sounds like I like to visit one day. Go blimpie!!
John of Saline
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 7:32 p.m.
I don't think any of us are qualified to add anything to that.
justcurious
Fri, Aug 2, 2013 : 6:40 p.m.
Ho hum....hese things are a dime a dozen.