Magazine ranks City of Williamsport as second best place to live in Pennsylvania
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The nationally-recognized US News & World Report magazine has listed the City of Williamsport as the second best place to live in Pennsylvania, with Pittsburgh earning the top spot.
They utilize a methodology that incorporates and weighs in four key areas: Value Index, Quality of Life Index, Desirability Index, and Job Market Index.
"I'm incredibly proud to see Williamsport recognized as the second-best place to live in the state," Mayor Derek Slaughter said.
"What makes this honor especially meaningful to me is knowing that it reflects the people who call this community home -- the families who put down roots here, the businesses that invest in our city, and the residents who show up every day to make Williamsport better," he said.
"I'm grateful to be part of this community and serve as its mayor . . . this recognition reflects how far we've come, but I'm even more excited about where we're headed," Slaughter said.
"The secret is out!" City Council President Eric Beiter said.
"Of course we all knew how great of a community Williamsport was to live in and raise a family, but now that has been proven by US News & World report," he said.
"Our community has worked tirelessly over the past years for this recognition and we all will continue to do even more as we hope to gain the top spot one day," Beiter said.
"I invite everyone who values a small town atmosphere to join us, in the gateway to the Pennsylvania Wilds, as we continue to make Williamsport one of the best places to live," he said.
"This is a significant recognition for Williamsport in being ranked No. 2 for best places to live in Pennsylvania by US News and World Report," stated Jason Fink, president and CEO of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce. "They have a well respected methodology in determining their rankings. It verifies what we already know in living and working here that it is a great place to live and raise a family," he said.
"Driving these are our quality schools and colleges, a vibrant downtown with many restaurants and shops, abundant family sustaining manufacturing jobs and first class health care."
"I've been saying it for years!," city Councilman Jonah Milliken said. "Williamsport is a wonderful place to live," he said.
"Anyone who has seen the sun rise over our river valley, eaten at one of our wonderful restaurants, received an education at our wonderful school district or at Lyco or PCT knows this," he said, referencing Lycoming College and Pennsylvania College of Technology, both of which institutions were notified.
"What we have here is special and every day is a choice for us, collectively, to make our community the best it can be," Milliken said.
He offered some friendly advice to anyone who might run into someone on the street.
"The next time you see someone downtown, maybe visiting Williamsport for their kid's baseball tournament, or you have a new neighbor, or you pass someone in Brandon Park who you've seen before, introduce yourself," Milliken said.
"The one thing that is not mentioned in the US News and World Report is the people – our people are great (and at the end of the day, that's what I love most about Williamsport)," he said.
"I am glad US News and World Report finally came around to seeing how wonderful our community is – look out, Pittsburgh, we're shooting for first place."
Among some of the factors include overall cost of living, such as housing costs.
While home and rent prices vary based on square footage, location and other factors, it can be helpful to know how the cost of housing in an area compares to other locales.
Across the nation, the average home value is $359,870, while the median home value in Williamsport is $149,592. Essentially, the magazine deduces Williamsport offers a lower cost of living compared to similarly sized cities.
Weather is another factor. Average seasonal temperature is 33 in winter, 53 in fall, 52 in spring and 72 in summer, according to the data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center.
That average, and not the extremes when the temperatures can be 100 in summer and below zero in winter.
Getting around Williamsport is done by driving, public transit, walking and bicycling and commuting in the city is about nine minutes less than the national average.
Finding a community to be part of can play a major role in making a place feel like home.
"If you're a parent with young children, you may want to live in a neighborhood with other people in that phase of life," the magazine notes. "If you're a professional moving to a hot job market for your field, you may want to live in an apartment close to the office or within walking distance of friends and colleagues."
About 27,967 people live in the city and the median age here is 31.9. Of the city's population, 26 % are under age 20, 15 % are 25-34 years old, 13% are 35-44 and 19% are 45-65. About 14 % of the Williamsport population is over age 65.
Today, there are more single people in the city than the national average, too, as 30 % of the population is married, and 70 % is single.
Some areas of the report indicate a need for improvement, such as the job market, which is worse than the national average.
"Williamsport has a less healthy job market than similarly sized cities," the report stated.
Moreover, "the unemployment rate is 5.4 %, compared to the 4.5 % national average," and median household income falls about $30,000 below the median household income. Median household income is $83,181, while that in the city is $50,727.
The best place to live in the nation was Carmel, Indiana, located in the suburbs of Indianapolis, followed by Fishers, Indiana, its neighbor to the east.