gardencity | Newton MA News and Politics BlogNewton was named the best U.S. city to live in by 24/7 Wall St. for cities with a population exceeding 65,000.  24/7 Wall St. which describes itself as a financial news and opinion operation,  evaluated economic data points such as median household income, cost of living, employment growth between 2011 and 2013, and the 2013 unemployment rate. Crime, economy, education, and housing were all factors receiving full weight, while environment, leisure, and infrastructure received half weight.

Here’s what they had to say about Newton:

1. Newton, Massachusetts

> Median household income: $125,642
> Unemployment rate, 2013: 4.80%
> Median home value: $689,900
> Violent crime per 100,000 residents: 87.6
> Average commuter travel time: 26.4 minutes

A suburb of Boston, Newton is 24/7 Wall St.’s best city to live in. Crime rates were just a fraction of national figures in 2012. And while total employment rose only 0.5% between 2011 and 2013, the city’s unemployment rate remained below 5% during the same period.

Students have access to excellent schools. While nearly half of all school-age residents attended private schools, test scores in Newton’s public schools were far better than public schools across the state. Additionally, more than three-quarters of residents 25 and over had a bachelor’s degree, the second-highest rate in the country. Residents of Middlesex County, where Newton is located, can take advantage of 49 golf courses, nearly 3,000 restaurants, 24 museums and three ski resorts in their free time.

Living in Newton costs more than living in most of the United States, and more than most places in Massachusetts for that matter. This may explain may explain why it had the highest median income of any large city, at over $125,000.

And here’s the story USA Today ran today.