Hunter
08/26/21
A new study ranking the most livable college towns in America puts all three Iowa state-run universities in its top 30.
According to the website SmartAsset, the study comes up with an index based on median household income, housing costs as a percentage of income, density of dining and entertainment options, and the unemployment rate.
Iowa City and the University of Iowa tied for 13th in the study with Tufts University in Medford Massachusetts. Ames and Iowa State is ranked 21st, tied with Auburn. The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls is ranked 4th in the study.
The UI had the highest density of dining and entertainment options in the top 30. Chapel Hill North Carolina, the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, tops the list with a perfect index of 100.
The full report can be accessed at https://smartasset.com/data-studies/most-livable-college-towns-2021.