America's Most Livable Cities

15. Little Rock, Ark. Metro Area: Little Rock/North Little Rock/Conway Metro Population: 674,000 Income Growth: 6.0% (No. 18 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 90.1 (No. 163 of 379) Culture Index: 63 (No. 139 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 6,366 (No. 370 of 379) Unemployment: 5.4% (No. 59 of 379)

14. Peabody, Mass. Metro Area: Peabody Metro Population: 738,000 Income Growth: 3.4% (No. 149 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 114.5 (No. 345 of 379) Culture Index: 96 (No. 15 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 2,405 (No. 36 of 379) Unemployment: 7.7% (No. 95 of 379)

13. Madison, Wis. Metro Area: Madison Metro Population: 561,000 Income Growth: 2.9% (No. 193 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 97.6 (No. 254 of 379) Culture Index: 69 (No. 115 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 3,181 (No. 119 of 379) Unemployment: 5.1% (No. 130 of 379)

12. Harrisburg, Pa. Metro Area: Harrisburg/Carlisle Metro Population: 532,000 Income Growth: 2.4% (No. 252 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 89.7 (No. 157 of 379) Culture Index: 62 (No. 143 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 2,342 (No. 30 of 379) Unemployment: 6.7% (No. 175 of 379, tie)

11. Denver, Colo. Metro Area: Denver/Aurora/Broomfield Metro Population: 2,506,000 Income Growth: 4.4% (No. 77 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 102.2 (No. 294 of 379) Culture Index: 95 (No. 19 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 3,524 (No. 156 of 379) Unemployment: 7.2% (No. 175 of 379, tie)

10. Pittsburgh, Pa. Metro Area: Pittsburgh Metro Population: 2,352,000 Income Growth: 2.2% (No. 269 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 89.2 (No. 147 of 379) Culture Index: 90 (No. 37 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 2,548 (No. 45 of 379) Unemployment: 5.9% (No. 48 of 379)

9. Worcester, Mass. Metro Area: Worcester Metro Population: 787,000 Income Growth: 3.5% (No. 145 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 106.1 (No. 147 of 379) Culture Index: 98 (No. 7 of 379, tie) Crime per 100,000: 2,334 (No. 29 of 379) Unemployment: 7.8% (No. 13 of 379)

8. Baltimore, Md. Metro Area: Baltimore/Towson Metro Population: 2,682,000 Income Growth: 5.5% (No. 31 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 110.8 (No. 335 of 379) Culture Index: 98 (No. 7 of 379, tie) Crime per 100,000: 4,261 (No. 231 of 379) Unemployment: 6.2% (No. 66 of 379)

7. Cambridge, Mass. Metro Area: Cambridge/Newton/Framingham Metro Population: 1,484,000 Income Growth: 2.8% (No. 206 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 121.8 (No. 354 of 379) Culture Index: 97 (No. 11 of 379, tie) Crime per 100,000: 2,266 (No. 21 of 379) Unemployment: 5.9% (No. 216 of 379)

6. Oklahoma City, Okla. Metro Area: Oklahoma City Metro Population: 1,203,000 Income Growth: 5.1% (No. 41 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 90.1 (No. 163 of 379) Culture Index: 74 (No. 98 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 4,831 (No. 287 of 379) Unemployment: 5.6% (No. 78 of 379)

5. Tulsa, Okla. Metro Area: Tulsa Metro Population: 910,000 Income Growth: 4.9% (No. 50 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 90.6 (No. 171 of 379) Culture Index: 72 (No. 105 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 4,462 (No. 250 of 379) Unemployment: 5.6% (No. 21 of 379)

4. Stamford, Conn. Metro Area: Bridgeport/Stamford/Norwalk Metro Population: 897,000 Income Growth: 4.1% (No. 107 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 142.0 (No. 372 of 379) Culture Index: 97 (No. 11 of 379, tie) Crime per 100,000: 2,307 (No. 26 of 379) Unemployment: 6.5% (No. 115 of 379)

3. Des Moines, Iowa Metro Area: Des Moines Metro Population: 553,000 Income Growth: 4.2% (No. 91 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 90.2 (No. 165 of 379) Culture Index: 68 (No. 121 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 3,854 (No. 193 of 379) Unemployment: 5.0% (No. 48 of 379)

2. Bethesda, Md. Metro Area: Bethesda Metro Population: 1,171,000 Income Growth: 4.4% (No. 79 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 128.2 (No. 364 of 379) Culture Index: 93 (No. 26 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 2,710 (No. 68 of 379) Unemployment: 4.2% (No. 66 of 379)

1. Portland, Maine. Metro Area: Portland/South Portland/Biddeford Metro Population: 513,000 Income Growth: 6.3% (No. 8 of 379) Cost of Living Index: 102.1 (No. 290 of 379) Culture Index: 76 (No. 90 of 379) Crime per 100,000: 2,611 (No. 55 of 379) Unemployment: 5.9% (No. 29 of 379)

Source: >> Forbes