Best Quality of Life Found Out West

Quality of life is on the rise in several California cities, St. Louis, Detroit, and in Florida, according to a new ranking measuring improved unemployment and poverty rates, and cost of living affordability.

The cost of living in California remains expensive, but the Golden State has six cities in the top 10 on SmartAsset’s list of improved quality of life. Unemployment and poverty rates in the state are moving in the right direction, but still have more room to grow. Top-ranked city, St. Louis, has seen its unemployment rate drop seven percent, yet the rate is still more than the average.

The Gateway to the West takes the top spot. Census Bureau data reveals that from 2012 to 2016 the unemployment rate here dropped from 14.1 percent to 7 percent. That is a drop of 7.1 percent, one of the largest in our study. A higher employment rate comes with many benefits. The poverty rate here dropped by 5.4 percent, and more people were encouraged to work. The percent of the working age population who were employed increased by 6.2 percent.

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