In a recent survey Vocativ has listed Arlington at #2 and Fort Worth at #12 in the top 35 cities in their second annual Livability Index that tracks what matters to the under 35 crowd ? ?Jobs. Housing. Diversity. Fun.? {{more}}
To reach the top 35, Vocativ started with the 100 most populous cities in America and used open-source Internet data to measure vital stats like salary and employment rates, and the cost of rent and utilities, as well as everyday concerns like public transportation, weather and crime.
Texas cities did fare well on the list but as Vocativ noted ?the Lone Star State has cheap rent, gas and Wi-Fi, a ton of young people and a booming economy.?
High on their list was Arlington.
?Literally everything is cheap in Arlington. First of all, you can get a two-bedroom apartment for under $900 a month. Two. Bedrooms. Also inexpensive: food, beer, even kombucha. (Just kidding, Texans outside of Marfa and Austin don’t know what that is, but with what Arlingtoners save on rent, they can afford to have it delivered from L.A., on foot.) Jobs are on the rise in Arlington, too, although you might have to work at Six Flags. (Sounds pretty fun to us.) A night out in revamped downtown or at Division Street dives won’t break the bank, so you and your fellow roller-coaster management professionals can run wild. Go see a Cowboys game, go to a country show?do anything. You have all the money.?
Arlington rank #5 on food (cost of groceries, number of restaurant, take-outs, coffee shops, etc), #7 on a night out, #9 on housing (rent, cleaning services and internet cost), #14 on jobs (median salaries, unemployment and job growth and #36 on entertainment (cost of movie tickets, music festivals & concerts and sports teams.
Fort Worth came in #12.
?Far from its days as a seedy Western town, Fort Worth is a metropolis boomtown that’s getting bigger and better by the day. Jobs are plentiful down here in Texas, thanks in part to the presence of major corporations like Lockheed Martin and American Airlines. Groceries and a night out on the town are among the most affordable on our list, while cheap gas and cab fares make it easy to get around. And if you think Forth Worth is a place where you’ll find just steakhouses and saloons, you’re only half right. Though it’s not a foodie heaven, the Southside has great sushi at Shinjuku Station and vegan cupcakes from Spiral Diner and Bakery. Areas like the West Seventh Street Corridor and Sundance Square are becoming hipster-fied, and the stunning Kimbell Art Museum is a work of art in and of itself. Sushi and vegan cupcakes?clearly, this ain’t the same Texas as before.?
Fort Worth ranked #7 on a night out, #10 on food, #18 on jobs and on getting around (number of people using public transportation, cost of taxi and cost of a gallon of gas) and #48 on housing.
See a complete list of cities and rankings at THE
LIVABILITY INDEX: THE 35 BEST U.S. CITIES FOR PEOPLE 35 AND UNDER
