Northwest Arkansas One of the Best in US… Again!

For the second consecutive year the Fayetteville Metropolitan area (commonly known as Northwest Arkansas) has been named one of U.S. New’s & World Report’s “Best Places to Live in the U.S.” When compiling their report, US News analyzed 125 of the largest metro areas scoring them in several key factors such as job markets, value, and quality of life. The Fayetteville Metropolitan area which includes the cities of Fayetteville, Rogers, Bentonville, and Springdale, was given an “overall score” of 7.3. The Northwest Arkansas Metro area scored just four tenths of a point lower than #1 ranked Austin, TX. NWA’s Quality of life score of 7.5 was the highest among the top ten ranked metros. Another factor that kept Northwest Arkansas in the top 5 was the number of top ranked schools in the area. Northwest Arkansas contains seven of the top ten schools in the state as well as Haas Hall which ranks 60th nationally. A large portion of the success of our area can be contributed to the Fortune 500 companies that call NWA home. Walmart, Tyson, and J.B. Hunt have not only boosted the economy but have touched everything from the arts to local infrastructure. It isn’t a stretch to think that soon the Northwest Arkansas could top the list of “Best Places to live in the U.S.” but for right now number 5 is just fine!