Photo by Jon Anderson
Meadow Brook Corporate Park Bldg 100-1
Meadow Brook Corporate Park in Hoover, Alabama.
Hoover for the second year in a row has made livability.com’s list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.
And while the website technically doesn’t rank cities 1 to 100, Hoover had the 15th highest overall livability score, compared to 38th highest last year.
Livability.com partnered with Applied Geographic Solutions to analyze data from more than 2,000 U.S. cities with populations between 75,000 and 500,000. To emphasize affordability, the website only considered cities with a median home value under $500,000 and awarded a slight edge to places with reasonable rent and home costs relative to local income.
The website evaluated nearly 100 data points across eight key categories: economy, housing and cost of living, amenities, transportation, environment, safety, education and health. All categories were weighed equally in the initial selection process.
Because of the population requirements, only seven cities in Alabama qualified for consideration, and only three of those made the top 100. Hoover had the 15th highest livability score, while Huntsville’s score was 67th, and Auburn’s score was 71st.
Hoover had the second highest livability score in the Southeast, with Roswell, Georgia’s score coming in 5th on the overall list.
"As Americans face shifting economic conditions in a year wrought with inflation, evolving work dynamics, and a growing desire for a better quality of life, our 'Top 100 Best Places to Live' list celebrates the cities where Americans are creating dream careers, building families, launching businesses and leading meaningful lives,” said livability.com Editor-in-chief Amanda Ellis, in a press release. “It's the only list out there truly honing in on affordability, lauding the amazing, accessible cities across the country other than our large U.S. metros which often get more recognition.”
The website said Hoover has a Southern charm that enchants its residents.
“Coupled with affordability, championship golf courses, a low crime rate and well-maintained parks, Hoover has a family-friendly atmosphere,” the website said. “Residents take pride in their city, with a strong community spirit.”
The website allows people to see how each city performed in individual categories. Hoover had the 12th highest score for economy, 13th highest score for safety and 19th highest score in health. Hoover ranked 25th for transportation and 25th for housing and cost of living.
The website listed Hoover’s population at 90,196 and its median home value at $368,547, though more recent estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau in July 2023 put Hoover’s estimated population at 92,448 and median home value at $391,300.
Hoover had the 51st highest score in education, 67th highest score in the environment and 76th highest score in amenities.
“It’s clear that residents, new and old alike, appreciate the city’s top-rated public school system (which ranks in the highest 5% of the whole state,) and its enviable outdoor amenities make living here a breeze,” the website said.
“Outside of the highly rated schools, the city is very family-friendly, and the assortment of community centers, recreational opportunities and playgrounds make the city an excellent place for families with children,” the website said. “The arts and culture scene is thriving, too. The Hoover Library and the Aldridge Gardens are among the many museums, galleries and performing arts venues available to residents. And there are abundant shopping and dining choices, too. Riverchase Galleria, Alabama’s largest enclosed shopping center, is a huge regional draw.”
Livability.com noted the corporate presence in Hoover that contribute to a healthy economy, including the corporate headquarters for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and offices for Regions Financial Corp. and AT&T Alabama. It also noted Hoover’s proximity to world-class medical facilities in Birmingham and two stand-alone emergency rooms in the city limits of Hoover.
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said he is thrilled to see Hoover on the top 100 list again but said it doesn’t happen by accident.
“It’s the result of years of hard work by so many — from our dedicated city employees and first responders to our outstanding school system, and the countless community members and business owners who take pride in calling Hoover home,” Brocato said. “I’m proud to be part of a city that continues to grow, serve and thrive together.”
He noted the upcoming Regions Tradition golf tournament, a major championship tournament for the PGA Tour Champions senior golfers, and the SEC Baseball Tournament as two additional outstanding amenities for residents.
Livability.com also allows people to build their own “best places” list, crafting a personalized ranking by refining the list by category importance, median home value, population size and region.
See the full list and create your own “best places” list using the website’s data here.
