Rockford Scores Big In “Best Places To Live” Report

Every year, U.S. News & World Report releases their report on the 150 Best Places to Live in the United States, and this year, 4 Illinois cities in various parts of the state are among the top places, based on affordability and relatively clean air.

As the headline indicates, Rockford did very well on the list, even better than places like Los Angeles, Albuquerque, New Orleans, Miami, and Las Vegas.

Other Than Rockford, The Illinois Cities Showing Up On The List Include Peoria, Chicago, And Rock Island-Moline

Of the listed Illinois cities, Peoria ranked the highest, coming at #50 on the list of 150 nationwide destinations and finishing ahead of the #53 Quad Cities region and 23 spots above 73rd ranked Chicago. Rockford lands in the #127 position, which is actually an improvement of 6 places from last year's #133 spot.

Here's what U.S. News & World Report had to say about Rockford:

Rockford’s economy has long relied on manufacturing, but its major industries have evolved over time. In the 1920s, Rockford was one of the country’s largest makers of furniture. Then, it became the nation’s top producer of fasteners, earning it the nickname Screw Capital of the World. Today, Rockford’s economy is tied tightly to the aerospace industry. It also has three large hospital systems and serves as a logistics hub, with a large cargo airport and access to Interstate 90.

The study's authors also give Rockford a ranking of 114th in best places to retire, but unfortunately we come in at #11 for most dangerous cities.

Click here to read more from U.S. News & World Report.