Livability.com Ranks Arlington Third Best Place to Live

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

Arlington, VA.

Arlington is among the tops places to live in the United States, according to Livability.com. The Northern Virginia community won the third spot in the second-annual ranking of the best small to midsize cities in the country, behind only Madison, Wis., and Rochester, Minn.

Livability.com’s Top 100 Best Places to Live took a look at more than 2,000 small and medium-size cities throughout the United States. They were judged on criteria including amenities, population data, the local economy, healthcare, housing, education and transportation.

Arlington, one of the smallest places on the list at just 26 square miles, is described as an upscale community, where the median home price is $600,000. It represents a middle ground for all those looking for something less urban than the District but more suburban than many of the other towns located in the area.

According to Livability.com, Arlington’s status on the list can be traced to a decision made back in the 1960s, when the area was experiencing a great deal of growth and transit was a key concern. Unlike many surrounding areas, Arlington lobbied to run the tracks connecting it to D.C.’s Metro subway system underground, and planned for high-rise and high-density development nearby. What resulted was the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor, with its mix of retail, residential, offices and government buildings. All these amenities help support the city’s more traditional suburban areas.

“This is gratifying recognition of decades of long-term thinking, planning and follow-through by many community leaders,” Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette said in a statement. “Our outstanding transportation network, strong neighborhoods, welcoming business climate, mixed-use development and great schools were all factors in our ranking.”

Several other communities in the Washington, D.C. – Baltimore area were also present on Livability.com’s Top 100 Best Places to Live. They included Rockville(#19), Frederick(#32), Towson(#42), Alexandria(#63), Silver Spring(#72) and Tysons Corner(#94).

Photo credit: www.facebook.com/ArlingtonVA