Colorado Springs named Most Desirable Place to Live for second straight year
According to U.S. News & World Report, Colorado Springs ranks No. 1 when it comes to the most desirable places to live in America.
Colorado Springs shares first place with San Francisco, Portland and Honolulu in the annual rankings revealed Friday. 
Denver ranks 10th on the list.
U.S. News surveyed 2,500 people throughout the country to determine where residents would live if given the choice. The survey looked at 125 metro cities and ranked the top 25.
“Colorado Springs has always been highly ranked for its healthy population growth due to net migration, high test scores among high school students to show college readiness and an average morning commute of just over 23 minutes,” said Devon Thorsby, the magazine’s real estate editor and author of the ranking.
Thorsby joined city leaders in officially announcing the honor Friday at the Garden of the Gods Visitors Center in Colorado Springs.
Proximity to mountains and outdoor activities and attractions such as Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods also are factors in the city’s high ranking.
Some people said they agree with the ranking, while others question how four cities dealing with serious issues such as homelessness, traffic congestion high living costs and police department turmoil deserve their high rankings.
The answer is that the desirability list is based more on opinion than data, while the magazine’s annual Best Places to Live list — on which Colorado Springs is third — relies more on data, with desirability being one of several variables.
This is the second year in a row that the Olympic City ranked No. 1 when it comes to the most desirable places to live.
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said the city should retain its high status as long as infrastructure keeps up with growth.
“I thank the voters for helping us do that,” he said. “They have approved a tax increase for expanded street paving and a fee for stormwater improvements. When we finish projects such as the Olympic Museum, the new Pikes Peak summit house, the two downtown area sports venues and the Air Force Academy visitors center, we’ll be even more desirable.”
According to U.S. News, Colorado Springs has a population of 698,595 and has a median home price of $287,700 with a median annual salary of $50,000.
To view the full list of Most Desirable Places to Live in the U.S., click here.
