KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville was recently named a top 100 U.S. city to live in, according to an annual ranking.
Livability, a website that conducts studies on small-to-medium-sized cities, released its 2024 "Best Places to Live in the U.S." rankings.
The rankings didn't assign strict numerical rankings to the top cities, but did give each a "Quality of Life" score. Out of the top 100 cities, Knoxville was the only city in East Tennessee on the list. Franklin and Murfreesboro were the only other Tennessee cities to make the list.
Livability's ranking gave Knoxville a 695 out of 1,000 for its "Quality of Life" score, giving the city high marks for its housing and cost of living, transportation, amenities and environment.
The ranking applauded most things people in Knoxville would expect: the passionate UT sports culture, the many ways people can enjoy the outdoors, the ample number of events, the Tennessee and Bijou theatres, and the proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains.
"Strangers ain’t come down from Rocky Top, and it’s easy to see why. Knoxville’s affordability, close proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains, calendar full of festivals and friendly community make it a dynamic, welcoming city," Livability said.
The rankings took other things into account, such as the economy, education, health and safety.
Knoxville had below-average marks for education and safety. The ranking said it judges those by health outcomes, access to excellent healthcare and crime rates.
Livability said its emphasis is on affordability, so only cities with a median home value of $500,000 or less were considered. You can read about the ranking's methodology at this link.
"What makes a city a great place to live? The most livable cities in the U.S. offer a combination of affordability, opportunity and quality of life factors," Livability said. "These 100 cities represent the top 5% of U.S. cities with populations in the studied range."
You can find the full list of top 100 cities at this link.