DC Jumps in Best City Rankings

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When it comes to the best large cities in the nation, DC makes a big jump. The District just moved into the top five, with a gain of six spots over last year.

Analysts recently gave DC the number five spot for the year. The rankings come from Resonance Consultancy, a firm that specializes in delivering real estate, economic development and tourism advice.

Resonance came up with its rankings based on public data tied to six different categories. More specifically, researchers took into consideration prosperity, promotion, people, programming, product and place. The group looked at everything from housing affordability and air quality to the crime rate, cultural diversity, entertainment and economic vitality.

They also considered the number of Global 500 businesses in a particular city, direct airline destinations served by airports in the region, university rankings and the number of major sports teams, shopping, restaurants and nightlife. The study went well beyond just the typical tourist offerings, though.

In this case, researchers gathered up more comprehensive data looking into a particular city’s public perception and appeal. To do so, researchers considered Instagram posts, TripAdvisor reviews, Google search results and Facebook check-ins.

As for DC’s ranking in the top five this year, researchers weren’t completely surprised. In particular, the survey noted DC’s many free museums and opportunities for educational attainment.

The District also placed well in terms of future offerings. Amazon is building in nearby National Landing. That alone should create about 25,000 jobs for Arlington. In addition, Phase III of the Wharf brings in billions in new development to the Southwest Waterfront area of the city.

At the top of the list was New York, followed by Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. While New York easily ranked number one in a majority of the categories studied, it’s still an admirable ranking for DC this year. Researchers only considered cities with a population of at least one-million people for the large city category.

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