Colorado Springs, whose way of life and financial system have garnered accolades in recent times from nationwide publications and organizations, has one other trophy to placed on its mantel.
U.S. Information & World Report on Monday ranked the Springs as No. 2 within the nation in its annual record of Greatest Locations to Dwell. The rankings for 2022-23, primarily based on an evaluation of 150 metro areas, elevated Colorado Springs to second place from No. 6 final yr.
“We’ve develop into fairly accustomed to rating among the many greatest locations to dwell within the nation — now in our fifth yr of rating within the prime six of 150 cities ranked and highest in desirability for 4 straight years,” Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers mentioned through e mail. “These constantly excessive rankings are testomony to the resilience and endurance of our metropolis.”
Amongst different latest rankings, the Milken Institute, a California suppose tank, rated Colorado Springs in March as ninth within the nation for financial efficiency; in late 2020, town was named the fifteenth greatest place of know-how staff by a tech trade commerce affiliation.
For its newest rankings, U.S. Information used information from sources such because the Census Bureau, the U.S. Division of Labor and the FBI to measure the power of every metro space’s job market, housing affordability, internet migration (whether or not individuals have moved right into a metropolis) and high quality of life.
High quality of life, in flip, examined elements reminiscent of an space’s crime charge, high quality of schooling, well being care high quality and availability, commuting occasions and air high quality.
In one other aspect of its Greatest Locations to Dwell rankings, U.S. Information surveyed about 3,500 individuals nationwide and requested them to call the metro space the place they’d most wish to dwell.
That survey produced a prime rating of 10 for Colorado Springs; consequently, it would retain its No. 1 rating in U.S. Information’ separate Most Fascinating Locations to Dwell rankings, which town has held for 4 consecutive years.
“As circumstances change, and tendencies change, one factor has remained the identical; individuals wish to dwell in Colorado Springs,” Suthers mentioned in his e mail. “That’s evident by our good rating and No. 1 rating within the ‘desirability’ class which we’ve held for 4 straight years.”
Just one metropolis beat out Colorado Springs this yr for the highest spot in U.S. Information’ Greatest Locations to Dwell record.
That No. 1 rating went to Huntsville, Ala., which moved up from No. 3 final yr.
Huntsville is Colorado Springs’ chief rival to develop into the everlasting house of U.S. Area Command, the coveted army set up that may deliver hundreds of jobs and billions of {dollars} in protection spending to its house metropolis.
Within the U.S. Information evaluation, Huntsville scored larger than Colorado Springs when it got here to housing affordability (8.5 on a 10-point scale, in contrast with the Springs’ 5.7); jobs (7.2 vs. the Springs’ 6.1); high quality of life (6.8 vs. the Springs’ 6.4) and internet migration (6.9 vs. the Springs’ 6).
Colorado Springs’ good 10 as a fascinating place to dwell, nevertheless, doubled up Huntsville’s rating of 4.9.
“U.S. Information & World Report was clear within the rating that Huntsville’s desirability was very low, whereas homes in Huntsville are cheap,” Suthers mentioned. “This isn’t shocking. Cities that aren’t thought of fascinating locations to dwell have decrease actual property costs, as a result of easy provide and demand.
“Right here in Colorado Springs we’re a spot that extra individuals wish to transfer, and extra individuals wish to purchase a house,” he mentioned. “We’re seeing development — inhabitants development, job development and in addition housing development. We’ve made nice progress in our inexpensive housing efforts, and that’s vital when you may have a metropolis like ours that frequently attracts new residents.”
For now, Area Command is housed at Peterson Area Pressure Base in Colorado Springs and can proceed to function there till no less than 2026.
Former President Donald Trump, nevertheless, introduced in January 2021 that Area Command would transfer to Huntsville — a call the previous president later mentioned he made unilaterally and one which native civic and enterprise leaders, state officers and members of Colorado’s Congressional delegation are difficult.
Final week, a report from the Pentagon’s Workplace of the Inspector Common that was obtained by The Gazette confirmed {that a} determination doc briefed to Trump final yr named Colorado Springs as the primary alternative for Area Command’s everlasting headquarters.
Regardless of U.S. Information’ kudos for Huntsville’s decrease housing prices and different elements, nationwide safety must be the precedence on the subject of a call on Area Command’s everlasting house, Suthers mentioned, echoing considerations highlighted in a latest Authorities Accounting Workplace report.
“No quantity of journal (U.S. Information & World Report) recognition will change the truth that uprooting a significant command and delaying its capacity to achieve full operational capability can be harmful and irresponsible,” Suthers mentioned of transferring Area Command to Huntsville from Colorado Springs.
Elsewhere in U.S. Information’ Greatest Locations to Dwell rankings, Boulder slipped to No. 4 after rating No. 1 final yr; Denver plunged to No. 55 from No. 14; and Fort Collins additionally fell to No. 54 from No. 17.
The three areas have skilled “catastrophic wildfire seasons,” U.S. Information mentioned in a information launch, outlining why rankings dropped for some cities.
“All (Boulder, Denver and Fort Collins) fell from their earlier rankings, as every of them had among the many 15 lowest air high quality scores out of the 150 metro areas on the record,” in line with U.S. Information.