A Niche market: Ā鶹“«Ć½app garners yet another ā€˜best ofā€™ accolade

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Ā鶹“«Ć½appā€™s the best city in Louisiana in which to live.

Thatā€™s according to Niche, a website that grades schools and neighborhoods. Itā€™s designed for families who are planning a move across the country or who want a new neighborhood to call home within their current cities.

The siteā€™s 2018 ratings also rank Ā鶹“«Ć½app 63rd out of 228 cities in the U.S. and Canada. The Hub City is nestled between Tallahassee, Florida, and Roseville, California. 

The next Louisiana city worthy of a ā€œbestā€ designation is New Orleans, at No. 166. Baton Rouge came in at No. 183.

Shreveportā€™s also on the list, but the site stopped its numerical rankings at No. 190, New Haven, Connecticut.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, is No. 1. 

The designations are based on reviews and grades posted by residents and visitors, but thereā€™s also some high-level numbers crunching involved.

Niche bases its rankings on data from the U.S. Census, such as home values and income levels; graduation rates and state test scores from U.S. Department of Education; crime statistics from the FBI; and climate information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

All together, the site combines information culled from 25 federal, state and nonprofit agencies with its own surveys to reach its conclusions.

Ā鶹“«Ć½app received an A average. Its report card included As for diversity; A-minuses in the ā€œgood for familiesā€ and nightlife categories; and Bs for its public schools and housing.

The Niche roster , which compiled the best cities into an alphabetic list. MSN noted Ā鶹“«Ć½appā€™s ā€œrich history, delicious cuisine, lively music and frequent festivals.ā€

MSN considered comments left on the Niche website and concluded that visitors and residents ā€œparticularly love the city's fun atmosphere, diverse culture, and friendly people.ā€

Among respondentsā€™ appraisals:

  • ā€œThis is a great community with a real focus on family and work-life balance. There are always festivals and other events going on. The annual international music festival (Festival International de Louisiane) is wonderful. Most of all, the people here are the friendliest I have ever come across.ā€
  • ā€œThe culture here is so diverse and creative that voices and personalities are expressed through food. You can eat at a new restaurant every day and never taste the same thing twice.ā€
  • ā€œThe University (of Louisiana at Ā鶹“«Ć½app) is one of the best in the country, with fields such as engineering, biology and nursing leading at an international level.ā€
  • ā€œThe Southern hospitality is refreshing as most people will greet you like they have known you forever. Complete strangers will open the door for you and will smile as they pass you. This town is a tight-knit community and strives to help those in need.ā€

The Niche ranking is not the first time Ā鶹“«Ć½app has made a national ā€œbest ofā€ list.

Last month, travel website Expedia specifically cited UL Ā鶹“«Ć½app and its School of Music and Performing Arts when it placed the city among ā€œAmericaā€™s Most Artistic Towns.ā€

In 2014, Market Watch, which is run by ā€œThe Wall Street Journal,ā€ ranked Ā鶹“«Ć½app among the five happiest cities in the U.S.

That same year, ā€œUSA Todayā€ ranked the city as the No. 1 college town in the country to get away for a weekend. A designation in 2013 by ā€œTravel + Leisureā€ magazine named Ā鶹“«Ć½app as one of Americaā€™s 20 Best College Towns.


Photo caption: The Zydeco Raginā€™ Steppers, a band affiliated with UL Ā鶹“«Ć½appā€™s Traditional Music program, perform during last yearā€™s Festival International de Louisiane. Users of the website Niche cited the University and the annual music festival as two reasons why Ā鶹“«Ć½app is among ā€œthe best cities to live in America.ā€ (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / University of Louisiana at Ā鶹“«Ć½app)