The next highest-ranked spot in Illinois was Naperville, which came in at No. 45.
Chicago is a city of vibrant and diverse neighborhoods, but only one cracked the top 5 in Money’s annual list of the best places to live in 2019.
Fulton Market District, which is currently in the midst of a commercial and technological transformation in the city, was named No. 4 in the 100 best places to live in America, according to the magazine’s newly released list.
Money cited the neighborhood’s close proximity to the Loop (about five minutes by Blue Line), its lower rent and home prices (low $200,000s for a one-bedroom apartment) and the rapid development of new buildings (like Google) as the top reasons to move to the area.
There’s also the heavenly scent of chocolate that wafts through the area, thanks to the Bloomer Chocolate Company, and at least 80 bars and restaurants for residents to check out.
Construction in Fulton Market won’t be slowing down any time soon. Earlier this week, developers submitted a zoning application for the 18-story City Technology Center, a project referred to as the “Merchandise Mart of technology.” The building would have wholesale shops on the bottom for technology companies and office spaces above, including a hotel to test products.
Last month, two other developers submitted zoning applications for two separate projects — a 6-story, 395,000-square-foot office building and an 8-story office building and parking garage.
But residents need not worry about all that development impacting infrastructure. In August, city planners hired a consultant to examine whether the streets, sewers and other infrastructure can handle all the changes.
So which locations beat out Fulton Market District for the top three best places to live? In order:
- Clarksville, Tenn.
- Found Rock, Texas
- Fishers, Ind.
Other Illinois cities on the list include Naperville (No. 45), Vernon Township (No. 65) and Bolingbrook (No. 85).
To determine the rankings, Money looked at locations with populations of 50,000 or more. For cities with over 300,000 residents, like Chicago, the publication broke the city down into neighborhoods and then considered neighborhoods with populations between 5,000 and 200,000.
Money whittled its list down to 1,796 places after eliminating locations with double the national crime rate, less than 85% of its state’s median household income, and a lack of ethnic diversity. From there, reporters judged locations based on factors such as economic health, cost of living and school systems.
Only four cities could be chosen from each state and one per county. Any place that made the list last year was not included.
