GoLocalProv.com released the results of their 2012 “New England’s Best Cities” study on Tuesday, and 4 of the top 10 were in Vermont! – (Even though two of them aren’t even cities).
In assessing the 5 largest cities in each of the six New England states, GoLocalProv looked at thousands of data points, spanning a wide spectrum of metrics including things like unemployment, median income, crime rates and more. Before you read the results, here are the 30 contenders:
Connecticut: Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury
Maine: Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, South Portland, Auburn
Massachusetts: Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Cambridge
New Hampshire: Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Derry, Rochester
Rhode Island: Providence, Warwick, Cranston, Pawtucket, East Providence
Vermont: Burlington, Essex, South Burlington, Colchester, Rutland
That’s right, Essex and Colchester were actually both included among Vermont’s top 5 because those towns are actually bigger than most of the state’s cities. But how did Vermont’s five do up against the other 25? We landed 4 positions among the top 10, with with South Burlington coming in #2 overall!
1. Cambridge, MA
2. South Burlington, VT
3. South Portland, ME
4. Essex, VT
5. Portland, ME
6. Burlington, VT
7. Stamford, CT
8. Colchester, VT
9. Concord, NH
10. Boston, MA
You can view photos and read more details about the top 10 here and see the 1-30 rankings here (Rutland came in at #12).
Of course, Vermont is no stranger to these types of lists. The Green Mountain state has consistently ranked among the top 5 “Most Livable” states for years and just recently Burlington was ranked the healthiest city in the country for men, but it’s always nice to be recognized.
(Details on the full methodology of the New England’s 10 Best Cities study can be found here)
Tags: Burlington, Colchester, Essex, South Burlington, Vermont, VT