OK, so WHY can't I be THERE?
Bicycling - Best Cities
1. Davis, California - Bike Info, City Info
2. Boulder, Colorado - Bike Info, City Info
3. Corvallis, Oregon - Bike Info, City Info
4. Madison, Wisconsin - Bike Info, City Info
5. Palo Alto, California - Bike Info, City Info
6. Portland, Oregon - Bike Info, City Info
7. San Francisco, California - Bike Info, City Info
8. Tucson/Pima Eastern Region, Arizona - Bike Info, City Info
9. Eugene, Oregon - Bike Info, City Info
10. Chicago, Illinois - Bike Info, City Info
America's Most Educated Cities
City, in order of education rank
Percent of population with college degree or higher
Median household income & (rank)
1. Seattle, WA
51.3
$46,650 (8)
2. San Francisco, CA
51.0
$60,031 (2)
3. Raleigh, NC
49.7
$47,878 (7)
4. Washington, DC
47.7
$46,574 (9)
5. Austin, TX
45.1
$45,508 (15)
6. Atlanta, GA
42.9
$37,385 (50)
7. Minneapolis, MN
41.1
$44,116 (20)
8. Boston, MA
40.9
$45,892 (13)
9. Lexington-Fayette, KY
39.2
$38,322 (43)
10. San Diego, CA
39.0
$51,382 (5)
11. Portland, OR
37.8
$41,128 (28)
12. Oakland, CA
37.7
$46,190 (11)
13. San Jose, CA
37.3
$71,765 (1)
14. Charlotte, NC
37.2
$46,082 (12)
15. Denver, CO
35.9
$43,777 (21)
16. Honolulu, HI
34.4
$46,500 (10)
17. Colorado Springs, CO
34.1
$45,388 (16)
18. Pittsburgh, PA
33.6
$31,910 (59)
18. St. Paul, MN
33.6
$38,731 (41)
19. Cincinnati, OH
33.5
$31,960 (58)
20. Virginia Beach, VA
33.5
$55,781 (4
America's Greenest Cities
1. Portland, OR - Chamber of Commerce
America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
2. San Francisco, CA - Chamber of Commerce
San Francisco ranks just behind New York in public transit ridership, with nearly half of San Franciscans commuting daily with BART, biking, and walking. Over 17 percent of city land is given to parks and nature preserves.
3. Boston, MA - Chamber of Commerce
Boston has preliminary plans for a plant that would turn 50,000 tons of fall color into power and fertilizer. The facility would first separate yard clippings into grass and leaves. Anaerobic bacteria feeding on the grass would make enough methane to power at least 1.5 megawatts’ worth of generators, while heat and agitation would hasten the breakdown of leaves and twigs into compost.
4. Oakland, CA - Chamber of Commerce
Oakland's hydrogen-powered transit helps the city cut pollution.
5. Eugene, OR - Chamber of Commerce
Much of the wet Pacific Northwest draws its energy from hydroelectric dams. But Eugene draws an additional 9 percent of its municipal electricity from wind farms.
6. Cambridge, MA - Chamber of Commerce
Cambridge has received a Smart Growth Leadership Award for its "Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Program"
7. Berkeley, CA - Chamber of Commerence
The city currently boasts the highest number of members of environmental organizations of any city in the U.S.
8. Seattle, WA - Chamber of Commerence
mandate that the city's utility, Seattle City Light, meet growing demand with no net increase in greenhouse gases-achieved through self-generated wind energy.
9. Chicago, IL - Chamber of Commerence
In addition to the 12,000 acres Chicago has devoted to public parks and waterfront space, the U.S. Green Building Council has awarded four city projects with a “Platinum” rating, its highest award.
10. Austin, TX - Chamber of Commerence
Austin Energy Green Building is the nation's most successful utility-sponsored sustainable building program.
11. Minneapolis, MN
devotes 15 percent of its city land to parks and preserves, not counting the thousands of nearby lakes. Those lakes help account for Minneapolis's comparatively high water quality ranking.
12. St. Paul, MN
13. Sunnyvale, CA
14. Honolulu, HI
15. Fort Worth, TX
16. Albuquerque, NM
17. Syracuse, NY
18. Huntsville, AL
19. Denver, CO
20. New York, NY
21. Irvine, CA
22. Milwaukee, Wis.
23. Santa Rosa, CA
24. Ann Arbor, Mich.
25. Lexington, Ky.
26. Tulsa, Okla.
27. Rochester, NY
28. Riverside, CA
29. Springfield, IL
30. Alexandria, VA
31. St. Louis, MO
32. Anchorage, AL
33. Athens-Clarke, GA
34. Amarillo, TX
35. Kansas City, MO
36. Salt Lake City, UT
37. Pasadena, CA
38. Norwalk, CA
39. Laredo, TX
40. Joliet, IL
41. Newport News, VA
42. Louisville, KY
43. Concord, CA
44. Fremont, CA
45. Elizabeth, NJ
46. Livonia, MI
47. San Bernardino, CA
48. Thousand Oaks, CA
49. Stockton, CA
50. Greensboro, NC
America's Best Walking Cities
1. San Francisco, CA - Best neighborhoods to walk include: Chinatown, Financial District, and Downtown.
2. Portland, OR - Pearl District, Old Town-Chinatown, Downtown
3. New York, NY - Tribeca, Little Italy, Soho
4. Boston, MA - Back Bay-Beacon Hill, South End, Fenway-Kenmore
5. Seattle, WA - Pioneer Square, Downtown, First Hill
6. Chicago, IL
7. Las Vegas, NV
8. Boise, ID
9. Washington, D.C.
10. Long Beach, CA