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And still leads by almost any measure! Healthier, more educated population, better paying jobs, better served airport, faster growing, better transportation. Again, by almost any measure, Denver is in a higher tier!
In the aspects you mentioned, yes, except for faster growing. There are several aspects of benefit you didn't mention that it is not superior to S.A. I don't know about the other cities.
Last edited by SweethomeSanAntonio; 11-15-2015 at 12:41 PM..
According to Wikipedia San Antonio is the 25th largest metro area.
General overview....focus on strong economic sectors, cost of living, outdoor recreation, climate, higher education, signature food, public transportation, isolation, and general impressions.
24. Portland, OR....I love its eccentric nature. This is the quirkiest and coolest place I have ever visited.
ES: It is fairly diverse with the biggest companies being sports apparel companies (Nike, Adidas, and Columbia).
COL: The cost of living in Portland is 22.3% greater than the national average. The link below has more info.
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OR: The variety of outdoor activities make it the best in this group for outdoor recreation. It has incredible parks with Forest Park standing out, the Gorge, and two rivers nearby. It isn't too far from the Cascades, the Coastal Range, or the Pacific Coast.
CL: Outside of the few months of gloominess, it is a very nice climate. It has mild, wet winters and warm sunny summers.
HE: It lacks on the higher education front in terms of national research universities, but has some solid regional liberal arts schools.
Food: Food carts and Voodoo Donuts. I'm not saying this in a disparaging way. It offers a variety of good cuisine in a quick, casual way.
PT: Portland has a very strong and good mass transit system.
ISO: It is kind of isolated with only Seattle within a 3 hour drive and Vancouver a 5 1/2 hour drive.
Impressions: It has an identity of uniqueness and personal authenticity which creates a "weird" vibe. I don't think it is weird. I think it is pretty cool.
23. Pittsburgh, PA....It is a very underrated city, and I believe it has the best skyline of the cities in this range.
ES: It is fairly diverse with a huge presence of energy and industrial companies as well as healthcare.
COL: The cost of living in Pittsburgh is 10.6% less than the national average. The link below has more info.
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OR: It's outdoor recreation is decent. There is some decent hiking and biking in the metro area and it isn't too far from Central PA and West Virginia which have a ton of options.
CL: Cold winters, warm summers, and precipitation balanced throughout the year.
HE: In terms of higher education it is very strong with Carnegie Mellon, U of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and a variety of regional liberal arts schools.
Food: Simple, hearty food with a Slavic, Irish, or Italian origin. Coming from Chicago, I completely understand that.
PT: It has a respectable mass transit system.
ISO: It is not isolated at all. Within a 4 hour drive you can be in DC, Philly, Cleveland, or Columbus.
Impressions: Even though the steel mills are gone (for the most part, I do think there are a few left) it still has that tough as a coffin nail, blue collar mentality. I really respect that.
22. Charlotte, NC...I have nothing bad to say about Charlotte. North Carolina is a state that intrigues me a bit.
ES: It is the 2nd largest banking and financial center in America. There is also a strong energy and biotech presence.
COL: The cost of living in Charlotte is 1% less than the national average. The link below has more info.
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OR: There is some really good outdoor recreation in the immediate area, and if you're willing to drive east to the coast or west to the Asheville area there are even more opportunities.
CL: Mild winter, hot and humid summers with precipitation spread evenly throughout the year.
HE: It is fairly solid in terms of higher education.
Food: It's known for its Pork BBQ.
PT: It lacks quality mass transit.
ISO: In terms of isolation it is, but it isn't. The only major city within a 4 hour drive is Atlanta, but there are plenty of medium sized cities within a 4 hour drive.
Impressions: I am assuming a pretty traditional city because the Bible Belt meets high finance and banking.
21. Denver, CO...I have very mixed feelings about Denver after spending a year out there.
ES: Military contractors, telecommunications, and the energy sector are huge out there. If you don't have a degree in business, finance, or something STEM related you are really screwed more so than any of these other cities.
COL: The cost of living in Denver is 7.4% greater than the national average. The link below has more info.
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OR: Outside of the skiing and snowboarding, which is like an hour plus away, and the rock climbing around Boulder, the outdoor recreation is mediocre despite the high quantity of opportunities because it lacks variety. It pretty much consists of schlepping up a barren hills and or thin pine groves to see the same group of mountains. The good hiking is at least 1 1/2 hours away in the Gore Range or 3-4 hours from the metro area in the Sawatch Mountains, San Juan Mountains, and at Great Sand Dunes.
CL: Summer is warm, the rest of the year is mild for the most part, cold fronts and snow are possible September through May, and the snowiest months are in the spring. Mild sunny winters are overshadowed by blizzards in the spring.
HE: I do give it props in terms of higher education. There are two strong U of Colorado campuses (Denver and the flagship campus in Boulder) and University of Denver as the headliners.
Food: Its own version of Green Chiles, Rocky Mountain Oysters, and an omelette are what it is known for.
PT: It is building a fairly competent mass transit system.
ISO: It is extremely isolated. There is no major city within a 6 hour or less drive.
Impressions: It's in its teens going from a regional hub by default to a legitimate major city. Will it make it like Seattle has? I don't know. I haven't paid attention to rent and housing prices, but if wages don't increase across the board it is going to begin to lose current residents and prospective residents. In terms of the culture it felt like a modified southern California (ski instead of surf) and Texas had a baby. Take that as you will.
San Antonio was the 24th when this thread was posted and it is just thousands away from surpassing and moving up in the ranks. The metro grows by more than 40k per year.
If I had to rank them, I would say
1) Charlotte
2) Portland
3) Pittsburgh
4) Denver
Charlotte? It's not even listed. The city you forgot was San Antonio.
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