Quality of Life

Minneapolis Ranked as Top 10 Most Walkable Cities in America (2011) 

 

According to walking advocacy site Walk Score, Minneapolis is one of the top 10 most walkable cities in the country. It came in ninth, outpacing other large cities like Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego and Atlanta. The Walk Score site is often used by real estate agents and house hunters to determine the walkability of a specific neighborhood. Walkable neighborhoods have a positive impact on the environment, community involvement and personal health.

Twin Cities Commutes Are Relatively Short (2011) 

Greater MSP workers have a relatively short commute, compared to other large metro areas. That's the finding of a study of America's 200 largest metro areas done by the Business Journals’ “On Numbers” blog. The Minneapolis Saint Paul metro finished 166th on the list, which included many small communities. About a quarter of Twin Cities residents have commutes of 15 minutes or less. Twelve percent have commutes of 45 minutes or more.

Five MSP Cities Make Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live” List (2011) 

For the second consecutive year, five cities in Greater MSP made Money magazine’s “Top 100 Places to Live” list – but this year’s list includes an all-new group of local suburbs. The southwest Twin Cities suburb of Chanhassen ranked 10th on the list of small US cities, defined as under 50,000 population. Arden Hills, Lino Lakes, Savage, and Shoreview also made the top 100 list. Chanhassen boasts good jobs, evening diversions, nature locations, and a state-of-the-art high school, according to Money, which compiled the list with CNN. The area around Chanhassen also has something to brag about: Carver County was recently ranked 19th on Money’s list of US counties with the fastest job growth (32%) in the 2000s.

In 2010, the southwest suburb of Eden Prairie beat out all other US cities on Money’s list, ranking first place. It was accompanied by four other Greater MSP cities – Plymouth, Woodbury, Eagan, and Apple Valley.

Minneapolis Saint Paul Named Nation's Third Most Resilient City (2011) 

A 2011 Business Journal study of 361 metropolitan areas found that the Upper Midwest rules when it comes to recovering from financial, natural or other disasters. Minneapolis Saint Paul ranks third on the national list, topped only by Rochester, MN and Bismarck, ND. The “Resilience Capacity Index” is based on criteria such as voter participation, home ownership, economic diversification and income levels.

Minneapolis Ranks High for Credit Scores (2011)

CNBC ranked Minneapolis No. 3 nationally on credit scores, placing it among an elite group of top 10 US cities. The 2011 recognition was based on average credit ratings by Experian, one of the three major credit-reporting agencies. Minneapolis' average score of 785 topped the national average of 747, trailing first-place Green Bay by only one point. The ranking goes from 501 to 990.

Greater MSP Among Top Markets for Remodeling (2011) 

The Minneapolis Saint Paul metro is third in the nation for home remodeling activity, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Top 100 Markets list. The 2011 list draws on the Residential Remodeling Index, which compares remodeling activity in major markets against the industry’s high-water mark in the first quarter of 2007. No US markets outperformed the Index, but Minneapolis Saint Paul registered 93 on a scale of 100, making it one of the strongest remodeling marketing in the nation. The report credits the Twin Cities’ above-average job creation, high home ownership, high net migration growth, and median home age of 33 years for driving high remodeling activity.

Travel + Leisure Magazine Readers Give Twin Cities High Marks for Cleanliness (2010)

The readers of Travel + Leisure magazine have voted. Minneapolis Saint Paul is the second cleanest city in the nation, according to a 2010 poll. Readers based their perceptions on number of quality-of-life factors, including the amount (or lack) of trash.

Twin Cities Is Nation's Most Retirement-ready Market, Survey Says (2010) 

The Twin Cities is the most "retirement-ready" metro in the US, according to a 30-market survey conducted by Minneapolis-based Ameriprise Financial Inc. The "New Retirement Mindscape 2010 City Pulse" index identifies where consumers are the most prepared for retirement. The Minneapolis Saint Paul area finished significantly higher than the national average on nearly all factors related to retirement readiness. It ranked first in confidence, with nearly half of local respondents feeling "on-track" for retirement. It placed third in retirement preparation, with more than 80% having set aside money for retirement – the highest saving rate in the nation.

Minneapolis Saint Paul Named Eighth Best City to Relocate to in America by Sperling’s (2010)

Sperling’s BestPlaces.net named the Minneapolis Saint Paul metro one of “Best Cities to Relocate to in America,” placing it eighth nationally. Sperling’s considered dozens of factors – including cost of living, economic stability, and population health in compiling its 2010 list. The Greater MSP region was viewed as a progressive, green city where people are polite, there is low crime and residents enjoy high quality of life – measured in part by the number of colleges, arts and cultural institutions. Other factors that helped raise the Twin Cities’ appeal to newcomers are lower unemployment, a healthy job market, and its reputation as one of the nation’s most literate metropolitan areas.

Minneapolis Named Fifth Best Time-Saving City by Real Simple Magazine (2010) 

 

Minneapolis ranked fifth among American cities for offering “convenient, time-saving services to residents,” according to a 2010 study by Real Simple magazine. The editors rated 21 cities with a population of more than 200,000 across five categories: getting around, health and safety, information and technology, green time-savers, and lifestyle. Minneapolis took first place for farmers’ markets, and second for bike accessibility. It also earned points for its numerous community gardening space and high-performing wireless network.

Greater MSP Region Appeals to Young People, Says Portfolio.com (2010) 

The Twin Cities area is an attractive place for young people to establish themselves, according to a 2010 study by Portfolio.com/bizjournals. The region came in 18th among 67 large US metropolitan areas in the study, which looked at population growth, employment growth, share of population between 18 and 34, and share of householders under 45 who have household incomes of $100,000 or more.

 

Minneapolis Heralded as a Top Safety City for Young Children (2010)

 

Minneapolis is one of the safest American cities for young children, according to a study by Underwriters Laboratory, a nonprofit product-safety testing and certification organization. Its study examined the 50 largest cities in the United States based on high crime rates, air quality, child pedestrian accidents, injuries and drownings. The Illinois-based testing lab also looked at hospital access, emergency response times and regulations on smoking, home inspections, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, pool safety and bicycle helmets. It lauded Minneapolis for becoming "the leading combatant of the silent killer, carbon monoxide," and recognized state laws requiring carbon monoxide alarms in single-family homes.

Minneapolis Takes Top Honors in National Credit Score Comparison (2010) 

Minneapolis consumers have better credit scores than consumers in any other major US city. That’s the word from Experian, the information services company that publishes the annual “State of Credit” report. Minneapolis took top honors in 2010 with an average credit score of 787. The average Minneapolis consumer had just over two open cards and about $25,000 in debt, according to the survey. The report used the VantageScore method, meaning it rated customers on a scale of 501 to 990. Customers were rated based on their credit reports, including available balances, frequency of late payments, and how they pay off their charges. VantageScore are one factor used by businesses to determine how much credit to extend to people. 

Greater MSP Recognized as Second Least-stressful Metro in Nation (2010) 

The Minneapolis Saint Paul region is among the least-stressful metro areas in the nation, according to a 2010 stress ranking of the 50 largest metros by Portfolio.com. The Twin Cities ranked No. 48 out of 50 metros. Portfolio.com based its rankings on 10 factors that could be measured objectively: unemployment, change in income, the number of residents living below the poverty level, the amount of sunshine, the ozone level, robbery and murder rates, mortgage affordability, commute times, population, and the number of deaths from circulatory system-related diseases.

Forbes Names Greater MSP Best Place for Working Mothers (2010) 

Minneapolis Saint Paul topped Forbes magazine’s list of “Top 20 Cities for Working Mothers.” In selecting the 2010 winners, the magazine factored in the cost of living, crime rates, unemployment rates, school systems and health care, among other criteria.

The reason that Minneapolis Saint Paul beat New York, which took the number one spot in 2009, was the list’s new emphasis on women’s earnings. The Twin Cities placed 11th this year in terms of women’s income. Its violent crime rate was the lowest of all major metro areas. And at 6.4%, its unemployment rate was the second lowest in the country.

Five Greater MSP Communities Make Money’s List of “America’s Best Small Cities” (2010)

Money magazine named five Greater MSP communities to its 2010 list of America’s 100 best small cities for families. That’s the highest concentration of “best places to live” of any metro region in the country. The southwest Twin Cities suburb of Eden Prairie took top national honors, beating out 745 other small cities with populations between 50,000 and 300,000. Also making the top 100 list were Plymouth (No. 11), Woodbury (13), Eagan (15) and Apple Valley (20). 

Metro MPS Region Shines in National Quality-of-Life Comparison (2010)

The Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area ranks third in the US for quality of life, according to a study of 67 major metro areas conducted by Portfolio.com. It study was based on data from the US Census Bureau's 2006-2008 American Community Survey. It compared 20 factors that make a city a great place to live and work. “The highest scores went to the well-rounded markets with healthy economies, moderate costs of living, light traffic, impressive housing stocks and high-powered educational systems.”

Minnesota Outpaces Most States in Driver Safety, Says Insurer Study (2010) 

Minnesota drivers are among the nation's safest, according to a 2010 survey by GMAC Insurance. Minnesotans scored an average of 81% on the National Drivers’ Test, placing the state fourth nationwide. The survey found that about 20% of licensed drivers in America – roughly 38 million Americans – would not pass a written drivers' exam if taken today. 

Minneapolis Makes RelocateAmerica's Top 10 Places to Live (2010) 

Minneapolis ranks among America’s top 10 cities to live in, according to RelocateAmerica’s 13th annual ranking of the "Top 100 Places to Live." The 2010 list focuses on “communities poised for recovery and future growth,” noting that “the recent economic downturn has had less effect in Minneapolis due to its diverse and stable economy.” RelocateAmerica calls Minneapolis “a vibrant, progressive city with a well educated populous, affordable housing, excellent schools, diverse neighborhoods, solid green initiatives, the nation’s best park and recreational system, and an outstanding quality of life.” It gives special mention to the city’s “thriving college and university scene” and “incredible cultural draws.”