Chicago Makes U.S. News ‘Best Places to Live’ List

CHICAGO, IL — Chicago sometimes gets a bad rap (the president himself has threatened to send in the feds), but according to a new list, it’s among the 100 Best Places to Live in the USA.

The Windy City came in at 83 on the U.S. News & World Report 2017 list, with a composite score of 6.1 out of 10. The score is an improvement from last year, when Chicago ranked 90.

The annual ranking is based on the quality of life and the job market in each metro area, as well as the value of living there and people's desire to live there. Austin, Texas, came in at No. 1 with a score of 7.8 and Denver was No. 2 with a 7.5 score.

With an estimated 9.5 million residents, Chicagoland is the third-largest metropolitan area in the United States. And for those who live here, there’s plenty to do – and plenty of variety, according to U.S. News.

“Your experience living in Chicago will depend on your zip code,” the report notes. “From Uptown to Hyde Park, East Garfield to the Loop, each of the metro area's 77 official community areas brings its own unique personality. The summer's festivals, fireworks and beach afternoons shift to ice skating, zoo lights and holiday cheer in the winter months – with a diverse mix of a warming spring and a colorful fall in between. The expansive Museum Campus is second to none, the beloved Cubbies never fail to entertain and the various festivals are seemingly never-ending.”

The cost of living also varies greatly, according to the report, with housing prices determined by ZIP codes.

The Best Places list ranks metropolitan areas based on factors including the unemployment rate, average salary, blended median household income, cost of living and quality of life statistics including crime rate, quality and availability of health care, quality of education, well-being and commuter index – or time spent traveling to and from work. Also included is the desirability index – whether people want to live in a given area – and net migration, which measures whether people are moving to or away the metro area.

Here’s a look at the Windy City by the numbers, according to the report:

• Median age: 36.6
• Average salary: $51,600 (U.S. average: $48,320)
• Median home price: $223,388 (U.S. average: $211,731)
• Unemployment rate: 5.9 percent
• Average monthly rent: $984
• Average commute: 31.2 minutes

With a crime index score of 6.2 out of 10, Chicago does have a higher crime rate than other similarly sized metro areas, according to U.S. news. In 2014 – the year used to calculate the report’s crime score -- the city’s violent crime rate was 380.1 crimes committed per 100,000 people – higher than New York (365.7) and Los Angeles (352.3).

But the city offers advantages in the job market, with major companies like J.P. Morgan Chase and Deloitte, as well as Boeing, United Airlines, Kraft Foods and Nestle headquartered here. Despite a relatively high unemployment rate, the job market in Chicago appears to be turning around, according to the report.

RELATED: Illinois Ranks 37th Out of 50 States for Well-Being: Study

The city’s scores are as follows:

• Desirability: 6.9
• Value: 6.1
• Job market: 6.5
• Quality of life: 5.9
• Net migration: 4.8

Image via Choose Chicago