by Rick Boyer
First published 2010
Boyer takes readers on a journey through American metropolitan areas, examining how cities measure up across dozens of categories that affect daily life. He ranks places by factors ranging from cost of living and job markets to climate patterns and cultural amenities. The book reveals surprising winners and losers as Boyer applies his rating system to everything from public transportation networks to recreational opportunities. Cities that dominate popular imagination often fall short in his calculations, while overlooked places rise to the top of his lists. Boyer challenges readers to reconsider what makes a place truly livable, moving beyond reputation and marketing to examine hard data about housing costs, crime statistics, educational resources, and environmental quality. His systematic approach exposes the gap between a city's image and its measurable qualities of life.
Genres: geography, american, non-fiction, cities, academic, atlases
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Setting: America, United States
Map · Rand McNally