DENVER – State capitals aren’t always the most popular places to live, but it’s become no secret in recent years that Denver is a great place to be. A new report from WalletHub ranks it as the 11th best capital city in the United States.
WalletHub’s analysts looked at 42 different factors to come up with the list, including income, housing costs, unemployment rates, crime rates, foreclosure rates, school scores, education levels, percentage of millennial newcomers, and bars, restaurants and coffee shops per capita, among others.
Denver earned its highest marks for unemployment and the percentage of newcomers who are millennials, coming in at first place for those factors.
While Denver might be a great place to live, it’s not very affordable, compared to other cities. WalletHub’s list puts the Mile High City at 38th place when looking only at affordability. Denver’s attractiveness has made for an incredibly competitive housing market, driving up both home prices and rents around the metro area.
Neighboring capitals Salt Lake City, Utah and Cheyenne, Wyoming also made the list, coming in at numbers 9 and 10 respectively.
The title of best state capital goes to trendy Austin, Texas.
Here are the top 15 capital cities, according to WalletHub:
1. Austin, TX
2. Boise, ID
3. Bismarck, ND
4. Lincoln, NE
5. Madison, WI
6. Montpelier, VT
7. Concord, NH
8. Raleigh, NC
9. Salt Lake City, UT
10. Cheyenne, WY
11. Denver, CO
12. Juneau, AK
13. Olympia, WA
14. Pierre, SD
15. Columbus, OH
For the full list and more information, head over to WalletHub.com.