The Economist names Pittsburgh the Most Livable City (on the mainland) again

Pittsburgh has done it again.

The Economist has ranked Pittsburgh as the most livable city in the continental Unites States squeaking in just under Honolulu.

Not bad, considering Hawaii is a vacation destination.

This marks the third time in seven years that the esteemed journal of global economies has ranked Pittsburgh at or near the top. The Economist Intelligence Unit first designated Pittsburgh as the most livable city in America in 2005 and the British magazine declared the same in 2009. But you won’t find it online.

The news is buried in a report issued by The Economist Intelligence Unit that was the basis for the article–more of a graphic image really–reported in The Economist of the top worldwide cities. Melbourne tops the list followed by Vienna, Vancover and Toronto. Pittsburgh ranked No. 30 out of 140 cities surveyed worldwide.

VisitPITTSBURGH uncovered the info and sent out a press release on Monday. At our request, they also sent the actual report including a full listing of rankings for Pittsburgh.

“Pittsburgh has the goods,” said Craig Davis, president and CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH. “We have received so much buzz in the last 10 years and it has helped us tremendously. This kind of success begets more success. We’re riding a wave.”

The report defines the concept of livability as a “simple assessment” that determines  “locations around the world (that) provide the best or the worst living conditions.”

The report also notes that those cities scoring best “tend to be mid-sized cities in wealthier countries with a relatively low population density. This can foster a range of recreational activities without leading to high crime levels or overburdened infrastructure.”

Here’s how Pittsburgh ranked in the following categories on a scale of 1-100, with 100 being considered “ideal”: stability rating 85; healthcare 92; culture and environment 91; education 100; and infrastructure 100.

Pittsburgh was four points behind Honolulu and ahead of Washington, D.C., Chicago and Atlanta and the rest of America.

The city has had the good fortune to make so many best of this or that lists since 2000 that VisitPittsburgh has devoted a whole web page to track the accolades. While “The Economist” rankings definitely have “street cred,” it was the Places Rated Almanac that really put Pittsburgh on the map in 2007, says Craig.

Pittsburgh has been named the “most livable city” six times since 2000 by The Economist, Forbes and Places Rated Almanac. It also has landed on more than 200 “best” lists including “40 Prettiest Cities in the World” (Huffington Post), “Most Entrepreneurial City in the America” (Inc.), “Most Livable City in America” (Forbes) and “Best Places in the World to Visit” (National Geographic).