Two College Township communities are among the best places to live in the United States, according to a new ranking.
Houserville is ranked No. 3 and Lemont is No. 11 in the 2017 Best Places to Live in America rankings by Niche, a website that analyzes public data to provide rankings and ratings of schools and neighborhoods.
In Pennsylvania, Houserville is rated No. 2 and Lemont is No. 4. Other local communities making the Pennsylvania list are State College (No. 27), Park Forest Village (No. 32), Boalsburg (No. 53) and Toftrees (No. 93).
The rankings looked at 228 cities and more than 15,000 towns and neighborhoods and consider factors including crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities and local amenities. Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Center for Disease Control, as well as resident reviews.
Houserville received A+ grades for public schools, housing good for families; A for jobs, outdoor activities, nightlife, health and fitness and commute; and B for cost of living and diversity. Lemont received nearly identical grades, with the exception of a C+ for diversity. No grade was reported for crime in either community.
Last year’s Niche rankings only rated municipalities, rather than zeroing in on specific neighborhoods and villages. In 2016, College Township was Niche’s No. 7 best place to live in the U.S. and Ferguson Township was No. 12.
