Columbia Among Best Cities To Live For 2017: Survey

COLUMBIA, MD — Columbia is a great place to live. And, if you needed any more confirmation, you've got it: The city came in at No. 9 on a new list of America's 50 Best Cities To Live for 2017. The list was compiled by online finance site 24/7 Wall St.

(Of course, at least one study disagrees with 24/7 Wall St.'s ranking: In 2016, Money magazine named Columbia the best city to live in nationwide.)

For its list of best cities to live in for 2017, the experts at 24/7 Wall St. considered cities that had populations of more than 65,000 people in 2016 and evaluated data in these categories: crime, demography, economy, education, environment, health, housing, infrastructure, and leisure.

Columbia stood out for its cultural amenities and entertainment options in particular, with its number of theaters getting special mention. Here's the write-up on Columbia from 24/7 Wall St.:

"Cities like Columbia are largely the reason Maryland is the wealthiest state in the country. The typical Columbia household earns $107,164 a year — well above the median income nationwide of $57,617. As is the case in many of the best cities in the country, goods and services are considerably more expensive in Columbia than they are on average nationwide. Still, the area’s high incomes are more than enough to offset the high costs.

"Columbia residents have access to plenty of cultural amenities and entertainment venues. The city has a higher concentration of restaurants, theatre companies, and movie theatres than is typical nationwide. Like many cities on this list, Columbia’s population is growing rapidly. The city’s population climbed by about 15% in the last 10 years, more than double the U.S. population growth over the same period."

Do you agree that Columbia is one of the best cities to live in for 2017?

See which other cities made the 24/7 Wall St. list:

1. Carmel, Indiana
2. Centennial, Colorado
3. Arvada, Colorado
4. Johns Creek, Georgia
5. Highlands Ranch, Colorado
6. Dale City, Virginia
7. Naperville, Illinois
8. O'Fallon, Missouri
9. Columbia, Maryland
   
10. Raleigh, North Carolina

The only other Maryland city that made the cut was Waldorf, which came in at No. 18.

Find 24/7 Wall St.'s full 50 Best Cities To Live rankings here.

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More on Columbia's accolades:

• Columbia is Best Place to Live in America for 2016: Money
  
• Columbia Among Money Magazine's Best Places to Live for 2014
• Columbia Once Again Among Top 10 Best Small Cities in America

Photos of Columbia by Elizabeth Janney.