Residents of Steiner Ranch have plenty to be proud of thanks to their close proximity to the capital city of Austin. According to Kiplinger, Forbes, Portfolio.com and bizjournals, there are three more reasons to be proud to be part of this city.
According to a recent study conducted by Portfolio.com and bizjournals, Austin ranked as the city offering the ninth best quality of life in the country. This was largely due to the fact that the city has well-rounded markets boasting healthy economies as well as powerful educational systems and a moderate cost of living. The city also received the highest ranking in the survey when it came to job opportunities for young adults. Other Texas cities made the list as well, though they weren’t ranked as highly. Dallas, for example, took the number 29 position, while Houston was ranked 47th and San Antonio came in at 53.
The accolades for the capital city didn’t end there, however, as Austin also came in second on the Forbes list of “most innovative” cities. Factors that were considered when determining this ranking included venture capital investments per capita, patients per person, and the ratio of high-tech, science and otherwise “creative” jobs. According to the report, Austin had about 2,900 patient filings during the year, with Austin and Round Rock averaging about 2 and 1.7 patents per every thousand residents over the past year. This full top ten list included:
• San Jose, California
• Austin, Texas
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• San Francisco, California
• Seattle, Washington
• San Diego, California
• Madison, Wisconsin
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Provo, Utah
• Portland, Oregon
Despite these honors, perhaps the most impressive recognition came from Kiplinger, which selected Austin as the number one best city to live in over the next ten years. According to the report, the city earned the number one position for several reasons, including its numerous music venues, parks, lakes, job creation opportunities and unique business climate. Ultimately, the report said the city was “arguably the country’s best crucible for small business.”
Robert Frick, who is the Senior Editor for Kiplinger went on to say that, “Creativity in music, arts and culture, plus neighborhoods and recreational facilities that rank high for ‘coolness,’ attract like-minded professionals who go on to cultivate a region’s business scene.”
The full top ten list includes:
• Austin, Texas
• Seattle, Washington
• Washington D.C.
• Boulder, Colorado
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Rochester, Minnesota
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Burlington, Vermont
• West Hartford, Connecticut
• Topeka, Kansas