Tucson is Tops

Tucson Among Most Affordable Large Cities in U.S.

GOBankingRates reviewed the cost of living in the 50 largest U.S. cities, taking into account average prices for rent, groceries, utilities, transportation, and health care. According to GOBankingRates research, it costs in the low $70,000s per year to live comfortably in Tucson. https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/economy/cost-to-live-comfortably-biggest-cities-us/#38 (August 2021)

City of Tucson and Pima County Receive Procurement Award

City of Tucson and Pima County were recognized with the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award from the National Procurement Institute. Other Arizona recipients include: Arizona State University, Central Arizona Project, City of Chandler, City of Mesa, City of Scottsdale, City of Tucson and Pima County. Award Criteria are designed to measure innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity and leadership attributes to the procurement function. https://www.npi-aep.org/aep-award-recipients (August 2021)

UArizona Top 50 Online MBA Programs

The Princeton Review has named UArizona’s Eller College of Management (#19) as one of the top 50 Online MBA programs in the nation for online programs. The company chose the schools based on a survey of over 90 business schools offering online programs and used surveys from administers and students attending these schools. https://www.princetonreview.com/business-school-rankings?rankings=top-50-online-mba-programs (August 2021)

Best Arizona Community Colleges

WalletHub looked at more than 700 community colleges and compared 17 metrics in three categories: cost and financing, education outcomes and career outcomes. Among other things, the metrics included tuition and fees, retention rates and student loan default. https://wallethub.com/edu/e/best-worst-community-colleges/15076/#main-findings (August 2021)

• 207. GateWay Community College
• 280. Chandler-Gilbert Community College
• 313. Cochise County Community College District
• 324. Paradise Valley Community College
• 359. Glendale Community College
• 365. Mesa Community College
• 397. Estrella Mountain Community College
• 415. Phoenix College
• 476. Eastern Arizona College
• 512. Yavapai College
• 515. Mohave Community College
• 530. Pima Community College
• 548. Coconino Community College
• 564. Scottsdale Community College
• 592. Central Arizona College
• 593. Rio Salado College
• 596. South Mountain Community College
• 628. Northland Pioneer College
• 642. Tohono O’Odham Community College

Top Fastest-Growing Private Tucson Companies

Tucson is home to five companies named on this year’s Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list is based on percentage growth in revenue over a three-year period. For the 2021 rankings, that period was between 2017 and 2020.The five companies, their Inc. 5000 rank and growth percentages are: #1915 Sparkle and Splash Pools, 233% growth, #2467 Cross & Wild, 170% growth, #3723 Ambiance Pool Service, 89% growth, #3900 Omni Pool Builders & Design, 81% growth and #4747 Poly Print, 50% growth. https://www.inc.com/inc5000/2021 (August 2021)

Arizona is Tops for Dogs

Tucson came in #30 with high rankings for pet friendly outside spaces and businesses. With animal parents in mind, WalletHub compared the pet-friendliness of the 100 largest U.S. cities across 24 key metrics. The data set ranges from minimum pet-care provider rate per visit to pet businesses per capita to walkability. https://wallethub.com/edu/most-pet-friendly-cities/5562/ (August 2021)

Arizona Ranked for Business Success

WalletHub put Arizona at #12 for successful business start-ups. The study compared 50 states across 25 key indicators of start-up success to determine the most fertile places in which to launch and grow and enterprise. Arizona ranked 8 for business environment and 16 for access to resources. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-to-start-a-business/36934 (July 2021)

Best Hospitals in Arizona

According to U.S. News & World Report, Mayo Clinic ranks #1 (#15 on the national Best Hospitals Honor Roll), Banner University Medical Center Phoenix #2, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center #2, Chandler Regional Medical Center #5, TMC Healthcare-Tucson #5, Banner University Medical Center Tucson #7 and Banner Baywood Medical Center #9. All are nationally ranked in various specialties. U.S. News & World Report surveyed nearly 10,000 specialists and sifted through data for approximately 5,000 hospitals to rank the best in 16 adult specialties, from cancer to urology. Only 165 hospitals performed well enough to be ranked in one or more specialties. https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/az (July 2021)

Tucson is one of America’s Best Cities

Tucson has been named the 20^th Best City in the U.S. in the 2021 America’s Best Cities annual report by Resonance Consultancy. Fast-growing Tucson is ranked #10 in both the report’s Weather and Parks & Outdoors subcategories. The report said Tucson’s new Sun Link LRT is sure to improve quality of life, creating a focus on fewer cars and more walkability designed to pull the sprawling population together, closer to downtown. House prices are rising fast due to the post-pandemic migration from larger urban centers. www.bestcities.org/rankings/americas-best cities/?fbclid=IwAR2Fd1AZfbUMIIue6RkChX8qlnyDKHIQwbQNcClhGzDLsRyAEDf7lUyc8tw (July 2021)

Most Educated City

WalletHub determined where the most educated Americans are choosing to settle. Tucson ranked #50. In order to do so, they compared the 150 largest U.S. metropolitan statistical areas across nine key metrics. Their data set ranges from the percentage of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to the attainment gap between women and men. https://wallethub.com/edu/most-and-least-educated-cities/6656/ (July 2021)

Top Healthiest Employers

The top healthiest Arizona employers include The CORE Institute, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Humana, Sun Health Senior Living, Delta Dental of Arizona, Banner Health, Dignity Health, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Aetna, Mercy Care Plan, and USAA. Ranking Arizona is based purely on opinion and ranks companies based on how voters answer this simple question: with whom would you recommend doing business? https://azbigmedia.com/business/ranking-arizona-top-10-healthiest-employers-for-2020/ (July 2021)

Arizona Cities Among Best for Recreation

WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 35 key metrics that speak to the relative benefits of public spaces and recreational activities across the country. Tucson ranked 12^th for best recreation. Other Arizona cities that made the list are: Scottsdale #11, Glendale #19, Chandler #28, Phoenix #29, Mesa #48, and Gilbert #62. For each city, they examined basic living costs, the quality of parks, the accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities as well as the climate. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-recreation/5144/ (July 2021)

Best Places to lead an Active Lifestyle

Storage Café ranked Tucson 27^th overall. Other Arizona cities include: Chandler 3rd, Scottsdale 4th, Gilbert 15th, Glendale 17th, Mesa 30th and Phoenix 56th They analyzed the 100 largest cities by population based on several key indicators including: venues for exercising, walkability, bike-friendliness, overall health, weather and natural conditions, including park space per capita, air quality index, days with precipitation, beach length and fitness club access and costs, as well as self-storage costs – sports, biking and workout equipment is often kept in storage. https://www.storagecafe.com/blog/best-cities-for-active-lifestyles/ (July 2021)

University of Arizona Impacts on a Global Scale

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the international ranking service again recognized UArizona’s impact on a global scale. UArizona is tied for No. 268 globally, No. 56 in the United States and No. 67 in North America in the 2022 QS World University Rankings. Globally, this represents a five-spot improvement from last year’s ranking. QS evaluated 6,415 global higher education institutions to rank the top 1,300 colleges and universities – 145 more than last year’s edition – in 97 locations. www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2022?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_.DzMSSA7rLeCppf0pS2TxMZC6BgVZO4tyqEAoCitKOI-1629752376-0-gqNtZGzNApCjcnBszQil (June 2021)

UArizona Water Resources Program No. 2 Globally

The University of Arizona has been recognized by the Shanghai Academic Rankings of World Universities as #2 globally in the area of water resources. Also ranked in the top 50: communication #30, library and information sciences #17, ecology #30, earth sciences #28, atmospheric sciences #31, earth sciences #28, business administration #28 and geography #34. The Shanghai ARWU subject rankings score more than 1,200 global universities based on the number of papers authored by an institution in an academic subject, the ratio of citations of the papers published to the average citations of the papers in the same category to the number of papers published in the journals in the amount of international collaboration and the total number of staff members that have won significant awards. http://www.shanghairanking.com/institution/university-of-arizona (June 2021)

Arizona’s Three State Universities Best for Vets

Military Times released its 2021 list of the top 140 four-year universities. Northern Arizona University ranked No.7, University of Arizona ranked No.14, and Arizona State University ranked No.38 among the top public universities in the nation for military and veteran students according to Military Times. https://colleges.militarytimes.com/ (June 2021)

Best State Economies

A new study by WalletHub finds that the Arizona economy ranked #9 among the 20 best in the U.S. and listed it ahead of many states for attracting relocating companies. To compile the rankings, each state and Washington D.C were compared across 28 economic performance and strength indicators. Data ranged from growth in gross domestic product to start up activity and share of jobs in the high-tech industry. https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-best-economies/21697 (June 2021)

Tucson Tops in Up-and-Coming Tech Markets

In its 2021 Scoring Tech Talent report, CBRE ranked Tucson No. 9 among 25 up-and-coming U.S. tech markets. The annual report, which analyzes 75 U.S. and Canadian markets on their ability to attract and grow tech talent, noted that Tucson’s total tech growth increased 47% in the past five years while its tech wage growth increased 13% over the same period. Total tech employment in Tucson for 2020 was 15,850 with total wages averaging $85,786. https://biztucson.com/2021/07/15/cbre-tucson-ranks-no-9-among-new-u-s-tech-markets/ (July 2021)

UArizona Ranked Among 2000 Global Universities

University of Arizona is ranked #93 out of 20,000 global colleges and universities in the annual Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). CWUR publishes the only global university performance tables that measure the quality of education and training of students, as well as the prestige of the faculty and the quality of their research, without relying on surveys and university data submissions. https://cwur.org/2021-22.php (June 2021)

UArizona Top 100 Global Patent Ranking

University of Arizona ranks #28 among worldwide institutions in earning utility patents, The National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association said today. The report is based on data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association compile the rankings each year by calculating the number of utility patents that list a university as the first assignee. It underscores the university’s effort to ease the process for acquiring patents. https://academyofinventors.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/NAI-IPO-Top-100-Universities-Granted-U.S.-Utility-Patents-2020.pdf (June 2021)

Tucson Best City for Staycation

WalletHub considered 36 key indicators in ranking the 150 largest U.S. cities. Tucson ranks as #41 among best cities for staycations. Tempe #30, Scottsdale #43, Glendale #98, Phoenix #106, Chandler #108, Mesa #127, Peoria #129, and Gilbert #167 are also great places to play. Certain cities are obviously more conducive to a staycation than others. From recreation opportunities to the cost of relaxation, there are a number of factors to consider when evaluating whether or not you can bring the benefits of a vacation to your front door. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-staycations/4341/ (June 2021)

Best Place to Visit

According to a recent study by U.S. News, The Grand Canyon was named as the No. 1 top destination to visit in 2020. U.S. News used expert opinions, user votes and current trends, in addition to evaluating sights, cultures, scenic beauty, food scenes and more, to compile this list. https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-usa-vacations/ (June 2021)

UArizona Earns Tree Campus USA Designation

As the oldest continually maintained public green space in Arizona, the University of Arizona has again earned the Tree Campus USA recognition for its work promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation. Tree Campus USA, a national program launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota, honors higher education institutions and leaders across the nation for tree care initiatives. https://www.arborday.org/programs/tree-campus-higher-education/campuses.cfm (June 2021)

AZ Cities Receive Tree City USA Recognition

The Tree City USA program is a national program that provides the framework for community forestry management for cities and towns across America. Marana, Tucson, and Sahuarita all received recognition as “Tree City USA” in honor of Arbor Day. https://www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/treecities.cfm?chosenstate=Arizona (June 2021)

Tucson Top City for Cyclists

PeopleForBikes has released its annual ratings of the best cities for bicycling in the U.S. and Tucson ranks 206^th. Tucson performed well in acceleration, ridership, and safety. The program is a data-driven analysis that evaluates more than 550 cities and towns and shows city leaders how they can invest to make bicycling better for all residents and visitors. https://cityratings.peopleforbikes.org/ratings (June 2021)

Ranked in the Top 25 U.S City for GenZ

Tucson ranks 22^nd in the top 25 U.S. cities to attract those born between 1997 and 2012, based on living conditions and job prospects, according to the official magazine of the National Association of Realtors. https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2021/05/17/top-25-cities-most-likely-to-attract-gen-z (May 2021)

Tucson Climbs 10 Spots in ParkScore®

The Trust for Public Land released its annual ParkScore® Index and Tucson ranked No. 74, climbing 10 spots from last year. Tucson received above-average marks for park amenities and the new park equity category. The ParkScore® Index ranks park systems in the 100 largest U.S. cities and is widely considered the gold standard for park evaluation. https://www.tpl.org/parkscore (May 2021)

Arizona Great Place for Nurses

According to WalletHub, Arizona is ranked 1^st in the U.S. as best place to work as a nurse, 3^rd highest for lowest competition and 10^th for work environment. The study compared all the U.S. states across 21 key metrics that collectively speak to the nursing job opportunities in each market. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-nurses/4041/ (May 2021)

Best Cities to Live

U.S. News analyzed 125 metro area in the U.S. to find the best places to live based on quality of life and the job market in each area, as well as the value of living there and people’s desire to live there. Tucson came in #81 as the Best Place to Live and #87 as the Best Place to Retire. This sprawling metro started small and expanded into the empty space around it drawing new residents with its low cost of living, nationally recognized university and impressive sunsets. https://realestate.usnews.com/places/arizona/tucson (May 2021)

Arizona Ranks High Among States with Best Economic Outlook for 2021

Arizona is 10^th in the nation in a survey that ranked states with the best overall economic outlook for 2021. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) conducted the survey, titled “Rich States, Poor States.” The data ranks the 2021 economic outlook for states using 15 equally weighted policy variables, including various tax rates, regulatory burdens and labor policies. www.richstatespoorstates.org/states/AZ/ (May 2021)

Top Public Golf Courses

Golf Digest‘s America’s Greatest Courses 2021 includes The Estancia Club at #72 in Scottsdale, Forest Highlands Golf Club at #125 in Flagstaff, Whisper Rock G.C. at #156 in Scottsdale and The Stone Canyon Club at #184 in Oro Valley. https://www.golfdigest.com/story/arizona-best-in-state-rankings (May 2021)

Tucson is a Startup Hot Spot

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 420,000 startups accounted for 2.2 million new jobs in 2018. And Tucson ranks as one of the hottest spots in the country for innovation, ranking No. 41 among U.S. cities with the most startups. https://azbigmedia.com/business/phoenix-ranks-no-7-among-u-s-cities-with-the-most-startups/ (May 2021)

UArizona One of Best Employers for Diversity

The University of Arizona is again included on Forbes‘ annual Best Employers For Diversity list, placing at #206 out of 500 businesses with at least 1,000 employees. The university was one of only five businesses (Insight Enterprises #140, Microchip Technology #267, Magellan Health Services #459 and Best Western International #494) headquartered in Arizona to be included on the national list and one of only 30 education institutions to earn the recognition. https://www.forbes.com/best-employers-diversity/#2061de979b9e (April 2021)

Arizona Medical Centers Earn Top Spots

Banner-University Medical Center South (Tucson), HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical and Banner Ironwood Medical Center (San Tan Valley) have been named to the nation’s 100 Top Hospital list by IBM Watson Health. This national study spotlights the top-performing hospitals in the U.S. based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational, and patient satisfaction metrics and data. The study has been conducted annually since 1993. https://www.ibm.com/products/100-top-hospitals (April 2021)

Arizona Best High Schools in Nation

Nationally ranked Phoenix area high schools include: BASIS Chandler #8, University High School (Tucson) #17, BASIS Oro Valley #23, BASIS Peoria #33, BASIS Scottsdale #38, BASIS Ahwatukee #45, BASIS Tucson #47, BASIS Phoenix #52, BASIS Mesa #55, and Arizona College Prep (Chandler) #133. The U.S. News & World Report rankings include data on more than 20,500 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Schools were awarded gold, silver or bronze medals based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/national-rankings (April 2021)

Safest Arizona Cities

To determine the safest cities in Arizona, SafeWise.com reviewed 2019 FBI crime report statistics and population data. Rankings are based on the number of violent crimes in each city. Top rankings include: Sahuarita #5, Marana #12, Sierra Vista #17 and Tucson #31. https://www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-arizona/ (April 2021)

UArizona Cancer Center and Banner-University Medicine is top Rectal Cancer Program

The colorectal oncology team at the University of Arizona Cancer Center and Banner – University Medicine has earned accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer, a quality program of the American College of Surgeons. One of only 20 accredited rectal cancer programs in the nation and the only NAPRC-accredited institution in Arizona, the UArizona Cancer Center and Banner – University Medicine team met the rigorous standards needed to gain the national rectal cancer accreditation. https://biztucson.com/2021/03/15/uarizona-cancer-center-becomes-one-of-20-in-u-s-to-earn-national-rectal-cancer-accreditation/ (March 2021)

UArizona Recognized Nationally

Recognized by the Best Colleges 2021 edition of U.S. News & World Report, The University of Arizona was nationally ranked #97 (tie) among all universities and #40 (tie) among public universities. U.S. News Best College Rankings – In addition to ranking #4 for Management Information Systems, UArizona also ranks #63 (tie) for Best Colleges for Veterans. U.S. News Best Grad School Rankings include #64 (tie) Business School, #3 Information Systems, #51 Part-time MBA, #59 Best Education Schools, #62 Best Engineering Schools, #46 Best Law Schools, #70 Best Medical Schools: Research, #33 (tie) Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice and #39 (tie) Best Nursing Schools: Master’s. U.S. News Best Online Programs Rankings Includes #6 Best Online Master’s in Computer Information Technology Programs, #10 (tie) Best Online MBA Programs, #30 (tie) Best Online Master’s in Engineering Programs, #32 Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs and #7 Best Online Bachelors Program. U.S. News Best Global University Rankings includes #97 Best Global Universities, #40 Arts and Humanities, #100 (tie) Economics and Business, #37 Environment/Ecology, #31 (tie) Plant and Animal Science, #128 Psychiatry/Psychology, #106 Social Sciences and Public Health and #11 Space Science. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-arizona-1083 (March 2021)

Arizona Gains in Solar Power

Arizona’s solar market remains steady during the first quarter of 2021, according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association latest U.S. Solar Market Insight Report. Arizona ranked 8^th with solar installations. The forecast is strong for Arizona, which is expected to more than double its solar capacity in the next 5 years, according to the report’s data. https://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2020-year-review (March 2021)

Tucson is Ranked a Happiest City

In a recent study, WalletHub drew upon various findings of positive-psychology research to determine which among 150 largest U.S. cities is home to the happiest people in America. Each city was examined on 30 key indicators of happiness ranging from depression rate to income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day. Tucson ranked #142. https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-places-to-live/32619/ (March 2021)

Arizona Ranked 4^th Safest State

Expertise.com, a top resource that evaluates and publishes the best local experts, has published a comprehensive report on the safest states, cities, and towns in the U.S. ranking Arizona 4^th as a safe state. The study ranks the safest to most dangerous cities and towns with a population of 10,000 or more. Research experts collected data from the FBI Crime Database and used a detailed methodology to assess each municipality. https://www.expertise.com/research/safest-cities-and-states-2021 (March 2021)

UArizona Top U.S. Producer of Fulbright Scholars

University of Arizona was once again named a top-producer of scholars for 2020-2021 according to the Institute of International Education. With 8 UArizona faculty members having the opportunity to teach and conduct research, this contributed to the UArizona’s status as one of the top-producers of the Fulbright scholars among research institutions. https://topproducing.fulbrightonline.org/top-producing-institutions-by-year?filter%5Bproducing_type%5D=Student&filter%5Byear%5D=2019-2020&filter%5Btype%5D=PhD (February 2021)

UArizona One of Top Universities in America

University of Arizona is ranked #62 of the top public universities in America according to Niche. The rankings were chosen by a rigorous analysis of academic admissions, financial and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with millions of reviews from students and alumni. The ranking compares more than 500 public colleges and state universities. https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/top-public-universities/ (February 2021)

UArizona Ranked as Best Large Employer

Forbes named the University of Arizona #16 out of 500 of Arizona’s Best Large Employers in a recent study. Other employers in the state, Raytheon Technologies #176, and City of Phoenix #445, also made the list. https://www.forbes.com/best-large-employers/#5d14e9e7fb3e (February 2021)

Tucson Ranks 6^th for Air Quality

In 2020, the Tucson Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) ranked 6^th out of the 12 MSAs in the percentage of good air quality days. Tucson air quality was rated “good” 42.1% of the time. Tucson had 96.6% of days classified as good or moderate, 3.3 % ranked unhealthy for sensitive groups and .3% very unhealthy. https://mapazdashboard.arizona.edu/quality-place/air-quality (February 2021)

UArizona in Top 20 Among Public Research Universities

The University of Arizona has maintained its position in the top 20 among all U.S. public research institutions, with more than $734 million in total research activity in fiscal year 2019, according to data released Friday by the National Science Foundation. The NSF’s Higher Education Research and Development survey ranks more than 920 colleges and universities based on their research and development expenditures. It is viewed as the primary source of information on R&D expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities. https://news.arizona.edu/story/nsf-uarizona-places-top-20-among-public-university-research-expenditures (February 2021)

UArizona Top U.S. Producer of Fulbright Faculty Members

University of Arizona is one of the top producers of faculty who won the prestigious Fulbright Award for 2020-2021. UArizona had 11 faculty members in the U.S. Government’s flagship international educational exchange program. https://www.chronicle.com/article/top-producers-of-fulbright-u-s-scholars-and-students-2020-21?cid=gen_sign_in (February 2021)

Arizona Restaurants in Top 100 Places to Eat in US

In Yelp’s annual list honoring eateries across the US, two Arizona restaurants made the list of the top places to eat in 2021. Yelp’s list honored eateries that ranked so high on the community opinion review, that they earned the status of “must try this year”. Yelp looked at reviews received by businesses while considering both the ratings and the volume of reviews to determine the list. Restaurants on the list include: Simon’s Hot Dog #5 in Scottsdale, Intentional Food Café and Market #9 in Mesa, Casa Corazon Restaurant #58 in Phoenix, and The Parrish #88 in Tucson. https://blog.yelp.com/2021/02/yelp-community-names-top-100-places-to-eat-in-2021 (February 2021)

Tucson Ranked Among Healthiest Cities

WalletHub put together a panel of experts to analyze which of the most populated U.S. cities are doing the best job of keeping their residents healthy and happy. Each city was examined for healthcare, fitness and access to green space. Tucson made the list at #78. https://wallethub.com/edu/healthiest-cities/31072/ (February 2021)

Tucson has #1 Best Recreational Trail

The Chuck Huckelberry Loop has earned the top spot in USA Today’s 2021 “10Best Readers’ Choice” travel award contest for Best Recreational Trail. The Loop was nominated by a panel of experts from USA Today, 10Best.com, expert contributors and other media sources, but it was ultimately crowned the winner thanks to members of the public who selected it as the Best Trail during a four-week online voting contest. The 136+ miles trail system of paved, shared-use paths and short segments of buffered bike lanes connects the Cañada del Oro, Rillito, Santa Cruz, and Pantano River Parks with the Julian Wash and Harrison Road Greenway. https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-recreational-trail/ (February 2021)

Underappreciated City to Move

Tucson ranks among several cities in which people can find “exemplary food scenes, communal green spaces, an undercurrent of creativity, thriving LBGTQ communities and ample nightlife,” according to this online media website that focuses on food, drink, travel and entertainment. https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/cheapest-cities-to-live-in-under-the-radar (February 2021)

Top Remote-Ready City

Tucson ranks 9th in the Top 10 list of top cities where remote workers could move, based on broadband access, local jobs that can be done at home, affordability, a robust regional economy and quality of life, according to this website that ranks America’s most livable small and mid-sized cities. https://livability.com/topics/education-careers-opportunity/2021-top-10-remote-ready-cities-in-the-us (January 2021)

UArizona Named Best Value College

University of Arizona has made the 2021 Princeton Review list of “Best Value Colleges”. UArizona scored top marks in campus sustainability or “green” initiatives (95 out of a possible 100), fire safety (91) and quality of life (87). https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=best-value-colleges (January 2021)

Tops for Finding a Job in 2021

Tucson is ranked at #44 among the top best U.S. cities for finding a new job in 2021 according to WalletHub. To narrow down the best cities for finding a job, WalletHub compared 180 of the most populous US cities based on 26 indicators which ranged from job opportunities to employment growth to monthly average starting salary. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-jobs/2173/ (January 2021)

Arizona 7^th Tax Friendly State

A recent State-by-State Guide to Taxes released by Kiplinger listed Arizona 7^th on the list of tax-friendly states. The ranking is determined by a state’s tax burden as it relates to areas including income tax, property tax, sales tax and more. https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/state-tax/601612/most-tax-friendly-states-for-middle-class-families (January 2021)

Pima County #1 for Biggest Gains in Talent Attraction

Pima County made the biggest gains in the country in attracting talent to the region, according to recent analysis from Emsi, an international labor market data company. Emsi’s data crunchers specifically analyzed how existing trends in remote work brought on by the pandemic have affected the ability to attract talent to the region. By using data on population and migration, growth of jobs and skilled workers, regional competitiveness and education attainment, the company created an index that ranked large (100,000+ population), small (5,000-99,999), and micro counties (less than 5,000). Among those large counties, Pima County made the biggest gains in talent attraction, jumping from 546 to 91. That jump of 455 spots comes on the heels of a steady rise since 2016, culminating in Pima County’s leap last year when it climbed 269 spots. https://biztucson.com/2021/01/28/pima-county-makes-biggest-gains-in-u-s-in-talent-attraction/ (January 2021)

Best Cities for an Active Lifestyle

WalletHub ranked the 100 most populated cities in the U.S. based on how well they accommodate or encourage an active lifestyle and Tucson ranked #19. They analyzed 24 key metrics, ranging from the average monthly fitness club fee to the number of sports clubs per capita. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-an-active-lifestyle/8817/ (January 2021)

Arizona Gaining as a Top Moving Destination

Arizona ranked fifth overall as the top moving destination in 2020, according to an annual study by United Van Lines. Last year, 61.6% of all Arizona moves were inbound compared to 38.4% that were outbound. https://www.unitedvanlines.com/newsroom/movers-study-2020?utm_source=prnewswire.com&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=National-Movers-Study&utm_content=2019-movers-study (January 2021)

Tucson Top Cities That Care

Some cities are better at taking care of their neighbors than others according to a recent study conducted by WalletHub. Tucson is ranked at #68. WalletHub analysts compared the 100 most populated cities across 26 key metrics to find which have the most caring spirit. The data set ranges from the percentage of sheltered homeless persons to the percentage of income donated to charity, to the number of rehabilitation centers per capita. https://wallethub.com/edu/most-caring-cities/17814/ (December 2020)

ASU and UArizona are Tops for Protecting Free Speech

Arizona State University and UArizona have been ranked as top universities in the country for their policies on free speech and protecting its community’s First Amendment rights. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) released its annual Spotlight on Speech Codes for 2021, awarding ASU an overall green light rating — the highest metric possible in FIRE’s rating system: green, yellow and red. https://www.thefire.org/resources/spotlight/ (December 2020)

Tucson Among Top Cities for Lowest Cost of Living

Tucson, ranked #4, is a great destination for anyone looking for an affordable desert locale. The average monthly living costs in Tucson are still under $1,500. Move.org researched things like rent prices, utility costs, gas prices, and internet rates in the 75 most populous US cities to learn which are the most affordable. https://www.move.org/lowest-cost-of-living-2020/ (November 2020)

Arizona Companies Ranked as the Fastest Growing

Arizona has seven companies on Deloitte’s annual ranking of the fastest growing public and private technology companies in North America, including four software companies. Tucson-based companies include: Accelerate Diagnostics Inc. #47, Audioeye Inc. #122 and HTG Molecular Diagnostics Inc. #361. Other Arizona companies in the rankings include: Freestar #31 (Phoenix), Iota Communications Inc. #103 (Phoenix), CampusLogic #137 (Chandler), and Centauri Healthcare Solutions #119 (Scottsdale). https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/technology-media-telecommunications/us-tmt-fast-500-2020-winners-list.pdf (November 2020)

Arizona Among Best States for Middle Class

The wealth gap between upper- and middle-income families continues to grow, but in some states the middle class is thriving. Arizona is one of them. Personal finance tech company SmartAsset ranked Arizona #16 among the top states for the middle class based on percentage of middle-income households, cost of living, income, homeownership and job growth. https://smartasset.com/mortgage/best-states-for-the-middle-class-2020-edition#q=Best%20States%20for%20the%20Middle%20Class (November 2020)

Arizona Top Digital Cities

The center for Digital Government announced the winners of the 2020 Digital Cities Survey. In its 20^th year, the annual survey recognizes cities using technology to improve citizen’s services, enhance transparency and encourage citizen engagement. The survey honors cities in five population categories. In the 500,000 and more population category, Phoenix is 4^th, Mesa is 5^th. In the 250,000 – 499,999 population category, Chandler is 5^th, Gilbert is 9^th, in the 75,000 – 124,999 Avondale is 6^th and in the up to 75,000 Marana is 9^th. https://www.govtech.com/dc/digital-cities/digital-cities-survey-2020-winners-announced.html (November 2020)

City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Among the Elite

The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation department continues to be among the elite parks and recreation agencies across the country by earning reaccreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). CAPRA accreditation is the only national accreditation for parks and recreation agencies and is a measure of an agency’s overall quality of operation, management, and service to the community. This mark of distinction indicates that an agency has met rigorous standards related to the management and administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety, and services. https://www.nrpa.org/certification/accreditation/CAPRA/ (November 2020)

Top Public High Schools

Niche has named its 2021 Best Public High Schools ranking which is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, and high school ratings. Some of Arizona’s top ranked schools were: Basis Scottsdale #19, Basis Oro Valley #42, Basis Tucson North #50, Basis Peoria #56, University High School Tucson #68, Arcadia High School #70, Basis Chandler #72, and Basis Phoenix #81. https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-high-schools/ (October 2020)

UArizona Recognized as Championing Hispanic Higher Education

The University of Arizona has been named the Outstanding Member Institution by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities in recognition of the university’s excellence in support of HACU’s mission to champion Hispanic success in higher education. UArizona has been an active HACU member institution for 25 years. In early 2020, the university hosted the HACU Ascending Leaders Forum on campus, an initiative to promote staff diversity in senior leadership positions at colleges and universities. The university has also collaborated with HACU to host several webinars to inform successful Hispanic higher education practices and has been working with HACU to create a research-intensive R1 Hispanic-Serving Institution Consortium. https://www.hacu.net/hacu/default.asp (October 2020)

Top Places to Live

According to Livability.com, Tucson (No.79) is among the top 100 best places to live in the U.S. Tucson ranked on the list because it’s one of the healthiest cities in the country with excellent access to outdoor activities as well as its top-notch air quality. The study examined more than 1,000 cities based on thousands of data points measuring economics, housing, amenities, infrastructure, demographics, social and civic capital, education and health. Other Arizona cities on the list include Chandler (No. 22) and Tempe (No. 26). https://livability.com/best-places/top-100-best-places-to-live/2020 (September 2020)

Arizona in Good Position in Latest Crop of Business-Friendly Rankings

Arizona ranked 14^th overall in “Top States for Doing Business” and tied 9^th in “Cooperative & Responsive State Government”, and tied #10^th in “Speedy Project Permitting” categories. https://www.areadevelopment.com/Top-States-for-Doing-Business/Q3-2020/overall-results-georgia-ranked-top-state-pro-business.shtml (September 2020)

UArizona Top Green Schools

Participation in Sierra Magazine’s, Cool Schools ranking is open to all four-year, degree-granting undergraduate colleges and universities in the United States. The University of Arizona ranked #105 out of the 269 schools that submitted completed responses by the deadline. Each year, school administrators participate by going to stars.aashe.org to complete an extensive questionnaire about their campus sustainability practices. The survey, officially called the Campus Sustainability Data Collector, is the result of the collaborative efforts of four organizations: the Sierra Club, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI), and the Princeton Review. https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/cool-schools-2020/cool-schools-2020-full-ranking (September 2020)

Best Places to Retire

Niche has released its 2021 Best Places to Retire list and has named Scottsdale as the top city to retire in the U.S. Other Arizona cities that made the list: Mesa #19, Tucson #27, Tempe #51 and Phoenix #64. This ranking takes into account key factors, such as weather, crime rates, residents 65 and older, housing costs, and access to amenities such as restaurants, golf courses, exercise facilities, and doctors, in an attempt to measure the appeal of an area for retirement. https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/search/best-cities-to-retire/ (September 2020)

Ranked as Best Employer

Forbes named the University of Arizona #10 out of 80 of Arizona’s best employers in a recent study. Other employers in the state, Arizona Public Service #20, City of Phoenix #29, Pima County #32, Raytheon Technologies #44, and Pima Community College #67, all made the list. https://www.forbes.com/best-employers-by-state/#49e37556487a (August 2020)

UArizona Among Top in World Reputation

Times Higher Education has recognized the University of Arizona as top higher-education institution in the world, ranking them as global leaders in research, education and innovation in the 2021 edition of its annual World Reputation Rankings. UArizona ranked #124. www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2021/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats (August 2020)

Arizona Top State for Women’s Equality

Arizona ranks in the top 5 of states for Women’s Equality, according to a study conducted by WalletHub. The study compared all 50 states across three key dimensions: Workplace Environment; Education & Health; and Political Empowerment. Arizona also ranked in the top five for the “Smallest Political Representation Gap” and “Smallest Work Hours Gap” subcategories, and was listed in the top 10 for “Workplace Environment Rank.” https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for-women-equality/5835 (August 2020)

UArizona Named Among Top Universities in the Country

University of Arizona placed 85^th overall in Washington Monthly magazine’s 2020 college rankings. Schools are rated based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country). https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020college-guide (August 2020)

Best College for Your Money

Money has ranked a list of the best colleges that combine educational quality, affordability, and alumni success. University of Arizona came in #98 of the more than 700 best performing colleges that were analyzed. http://money.com/money/best-colleges/ (August 2020)

UArizona Among Top 385 Colleges

The Princeton Review again has named University of Arizona as one of the best higher education institutions in the nation for undergraduate education. The Princeton Review does not issue overall rankings for the 385 schools. Instead, it assigns scores ranging from a low of 60 to a high of 99 in a variety of categories. UArizona excelled in campus Top 50 Entrepreneurship Ugrad #36 and Best Health Services #14. https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-colleges?ceid=nav-1-es (August 2020)

Best Real Estate Markets

WalletHub has released its list of the Best Real Estate markets. The rankings include Gilbert #5, Peoria #17, Chandler #24, Tempe #23, Mesa #45, Surprise #20, Phoenix #51, Scottsdale #78, Glendale #73 and Tucson #135. To determine the best local real estate markets, WalletHub’s analysts compared 300 cities of varying sizes across 21 key indicators of housing-market attractiveness and economic strength. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-real-estate-markets/14889 (August 2020)

Most Dog Friendly Cities

Tucson ranked as the 1^st most dog-friendly city in the U.S according to a recent study conducted by smartasset.com. The fourth annual study lists the top 25 most dog-friendly cities based on a metric in 6 categories: dog-friendly restaurants, parks, walk score, average days of precipitation, and median home values. https://smartasset.com/mortgage/most-dog-friendly-cities-in-america-2020#q=Most-Dog%20Friendly%20Cities%20in%20America (August 2020)

Tucson Top Birdwatching City

At #6 in the U.S., Tucson and surrounding areas (Saguaro National Park and Chiricahua Mountains) have an abundance of species that cannot be found elsewhere. July’s monsoon season encourages international fliers to the area. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/best-places-for-birding-usa (June 2020)

Top Destinations for Migration

Each year, as a prelude to the Memorial Day weekend, U-Haul counts down its top destination cities by tracking the total of one-way trucks arriving at a destination. This year, Phoenix ranked 10^th and Tucson was ranked 19^th. https://www.uhaul.com/Articles/About/21556/Top-Us-Destination-Cities-Houston-Is-U-Haul-No-1-Destination-City-for-2019/ (May 2020)

UArizona Leads in Peace Corp Volunteers

The Peace Corp ranks UArizona #17 among large schools on the agency’s 2020 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list with 47 volunteering worldwide. https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.peacecorps.gov/documents/topschools2020.pdf.pdf (March 2020)

UArizona Earns ‘Military Friendly School’ Accolade

University of Arizona has been designated as a 2019-2020 Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs Magazine. The designation provides service members and their families with transparent, data driven ratings about post-military education and career opportunities. https://www.militaryfriendly.com/schools/ (February 2020)

Oro Valley Ranks as Healthy Worksite

The Town of Oro Valley has been recently recognized by the Healthy Arizona Worksite Program as achieving the Gold Award level of excellence in worksite wellness. The program is a public health initiative offered by the Arizona Department of Public Health and Maricopa Department of Public Health. Its mission is to help employers learn how to successfully implement worksite wellness initiatives to improve the health of their employees and businesses. The City of Tucson was also recognized as achieving the Gold Award. https://healthyazworksites.org/award/whos-recognized/#1543592495355-c836c524-9d32 (February 2020)

Tucson Receives National Running Award

The Road Runners Club of America, the leading distance running organization in the U.S., has named Tucson a “Runner Friendly Community.” This is the first designation of its kind for the Tucson community, highlighting our region’s commitment to community infrastructure, business & government support, and community engagement. https://www.rrca.org/our-programs-services/programs/runner-friendly-community/official (November 2019)

AZ Community Ranked for Solar Energy

SolSmart, a new national designation program funded by U.S. Department of Energy SunShot (SPARC) Initiative, recognizes communities that have taken steps to advance solar energy growth. Pima County has received the Gold designation and Oro Valley received Silver designation. https://www.solsmart.org/our-communities/designee-map/ (October 2019)

Best Foodie Cities in America

According to WalletHub, several Arizona cities are among the best culinary hotspots in the U.S. Included on the list are: Scottsdale #32, Tucson #37, Mesa #51, Phoenix #52 and Chandler #86. The list includes wallet-friendly cities that cater to diners who prefer to cook at home, explore local flavors or both. In order to determine the best and cheapest local foodie scenes, WalletHub compared 180 U.S. cities across 30 key indicators of foodie-friendliness. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-foodie-cities/7522/ (October 2019)

Four Arizona Cities Among Most Fun Cities in the U.S.

According to WalletHub, Tucson is #25 among the top 50 U.S. cities named as the Most Fun. Wallethub defined a place as fun as one that packs a little bit of everything for everyone. The study compared the 150 largest U.S. cities based on 58 key metrics. They range from fitness centers per capita to movie costs to average open hours of breweries. Other Arizona cities making the top 50 on the list were Scottsdale, #30, Phoenix, #48 and Tempe, #51. https://wallethub.com/edu/most-fun-cities-in-the-us/23455/ (September 2019)

Four Arizona Golf Courses Ranked as Tops

The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain (Marana) and JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa (Tucson) made the Top 100 Courses. Also making the list are Talking Stick (Scottsdale) and Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North (Scottsdale). GOLF.com readers rated each resort based on five key variables: golf experience, accommodations, service, food and ambience. The results of this poll were then weighed against the opinions of a select group of GOLF’s Top 100 Courses panelists and those of internal travel and editorial teams to list destinations in each category. https://www.golf.com/travel/2019/09/26/best-golf-resorts-north-america-golf-ranking/ (September 2019)

UArizona Top Fine Arts Schools

The University of Arizona is home to exceptional Bachelor of Fine Arts programs in dance, musical theater, and theater design and technology, according to the 2019-20 rankings from OnStage. https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/2019/9/4/the-top-30-bfa-dance-programs-for-2019-2020 (September 2019)

UArizona Named Best Buy College

The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2019 has named the University of Arizona as one of the nation’s top values in higher education in its annual list of “Best Buy” schools. UArizona was one of 20 out of more than 320 colleges and universities in the U.S. – and one of only 10 public universities – to qualify for the list. https://uanews.arizona.edu/story/ua-named-best-buy-fiske-guide-colleges (July 2019)

Top City for Best Drivers

Several Arizona cities can be found on America’s 2019 best drivers’ report. They are: Scottsdale #15, Mesa #16, Chandler #26, Peoria #35, Tucson #40, Gilbert #41, Tempe #64, Phoenix #84 and Glendale #89. Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report^® is an annual ranking that identifies which of the 200 largest U.S. cities have the safest drivers. Sharing this data every year can highlight the importance of educating people about the importance of safe driving. https://www.allstate.com/americas-best-drivers/index.htm (July 2019)

Tucson Ranks Among Best Big Cities

A recent study by WalletHub compared 62 of the largest cities in the U.S and ranked Tucson at #39. In order to determine the list, 56 key factors of attractiveness were compared such as affordability, economy, public education, health and quality of life. Other Arizona cities that made the list include Mesa #18 and Phoenix #35. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-large-cities-to-live-in/14358/ (July 2019)

AZ Ranks 4^th in Nation for GDP Growth

According to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arizona’s real gross domestic product (GDP) increased by four percent in 2018, the fourth fastest growth rate in the nation. AZ growth outpaced that of 46 other states. Sectors including manufacturing, real estate/rental leasing and contracting contributed to the most GDP growth over the past year. https://azbigmedia.com/arizona-ranks-4th-in-the-nation-for-gdp-growth/ (June 2019)

UArizona Best Value College

The University of Arizona jumped 46 spots and is now No. 62 of colleges’ Best Value Ranking by Forbes. UArizona is No. 34 among public universities and No. 41 among research institutions. Forbes ranks 300 colleges and universities by comparing data on 645 institutions across all 50 states. Schools are scored based on quality, net price, net debt, alumni earnings, timely graduation and access for low-income students. https://www.forbes.com/colleges/university-of-arizona/ (June 2019)

Best Cities for Live Music

Phoenix and Tucson have made the list of the top 20 best cities to see live music according to ClickitTicket. To determine the best cities for live music, over 100 of the most populated cities were compared. Whether you are residing there or just visiting, these cities were considered better than the rest for getting the most enjoyment from unique, live music experiences. https://www.clickitticket.com/best-live-music-cities-in-america/ (June 2019)

Marana and Tucson Named Top 30 Destinations to Avoid Winter

The Town of Marana and Tucson were named as one of the 30 places to Make You Forget About Winter by Forbes Travel Guide. Tucson and Marana made the list along such exotic locales such as St. Kitts, Cancun and Bali. https://stories.forbestravelguide.com/30-places-to-make-you-forget-about-winter (February 2019)

Best Luxury Hotels

Forbes Travel Guide has recognized The Ritz Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana as one of the 58 most luxurious hotels in the world. Forbes Travel Guide’s inspectors visited more than 1,000 hotels in 60 countries to determine the 2018 Star Award winners announced in February — those Five-Star, Four-Star and Recommended hotels that deliver superior service and facilities. The company gathers up to 900 data points from every one of those inspections. Fifty-eight hotels in 17 countries earned the coveted designation, representing the top 6 percent of 1,017 Star Rated hotels in luxury-related standards. The honorees include 52 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star and six Four-Star properties. https://stories.forbestravelguide.com/forbes-travel-guides-58-most-luxurious-hotels-in-the-world (October 2018)

Top Safest Driving Cities

In a recent study by QuoteWizard, Arizona was ranked as the 11^th safest state in America. Marana #9 and Sahuarita #10 were among the top ten safest driving cities within Arizona. The list was determined by compiling over 40,000 data points from QuoteWizard users in Arizona on speeding tickets, accidents, DUIs and other citations in the last year. Then, they calculated the rate of incidents across each city. Cities with the lowest rate are ranked safest. https://quotewizard.com/news/posts/arizona-safest-driving-cities (October 2018)

Tucson Named #1 Bike City

Tucson was ranked as the No.1 out of eight best cities for biking in the United States according to brokeassstuart.com. The Chuck Huckleberry Loop stretches over 53.9 miles through Pima County, Oro Valley, Marana, Tucson and South Tucson connecting trailheads, parks, restaurants, schools, shopping areas and entertainment venues. https://brokeassstuart.com/2018/10/15/these-are-the-8-best-cities-for-biking-in-the-u-s/?fbclid=IwAR1fMA7p9N9uDDxMOmSWiLsL4tihg62FX3-_7rJU0ky87YszRmjTbZjyaWc (October 2018)

UArizona Law School Among Top for Affordability

A new Student Loan Hero study surveyed 116 law schools to find the top 20 that gives graduates a leg up on repaying student loans. University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law ranks 7 among the most affordable law schools. https://studentloanhero.com/featured/20-most-affordable-law-schools-avoid-student-debt/ (June 2018)