Seattle
America’s Best Places Rank: 13th
Population: 594,005
Mayor: Michael McGinn
Why it’s ranked: It just takes one view of the 14,411-foot Mount Rainier to fall in love with Seattle. Surrounded by lakes and mountains, the area is perfect for those who like to be outdoors. With such anchoring companies as Microsoft, Starbucks, and Amazon.com, the city has low unemployment and a low foreclosure rate. More than one in two Seattlites has a college education, area schools rank high, and the city has numerous restaurants.
How it ranked:
Percent with bachelor's degrees: 54.3
Percent under poverty level: 12.2
Median household income: $58,990
Violent crime rate: 640.8
Property crime rate: 5,823.8
School score: 72.96
Pro sports teams: 2
Foreclosure rate: .0059
Percent Unemployment: 7.7
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 8.9
Bars: 296
Restaurants: 1966
Museums: 171
Colleges: 8
Libraries: 50
Air Quality Index: 108
Population: 594,005
Mayor: Michael McGinn
Why it’s ranked: It just takes one view of the 14,411-foot Mount Rainier to fall in love with Seattle. Surrounded by lakes and mountains, the area is perfect for those who like to be outdoors. With such anchoring companies as Microsoft, Starbucks, and Amazon.com, the city has low unemployment and a low foreclosure rate. More than one in two Seattlites has a college education, area schools rank high, and the city has numerous restaurants.
How it ranked:
Percent with bachelor's degrees: 54.3
Percent under poverty level: 12.2
Median household income: $58,990
Violent crime rate: 640.8
Property crime rate: 5,823.8
School score: 72.96
Pro sports teams: 2
Foreclosure rate: .0059
Percent Unemployment: 7.7
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 8.9
Bars: 296
Restaurants: 1966
Museums: 171
Colleges: 8
Libraries: 50
Air Quality Index: 108
