Crime Levels

• Arlington’s crime rates are "61% lower than the national average, making it one of the safest cities in the DC metro area."
• In a study of the 100 of the largest cities in the U.S., Arlington "has the second-lowest property crime rate (1,298 incidents per 100,000 residents) and the fourth-lowest violent crime rate (138 incidents per 100,000 residents)."

Proportion of College-Educated Population

•  76.1% of the population in Arlington has a Bachelor's degree or higher.

Weather and Climate

• "Arlington has a warm maritime climate characterized by small differences in temperatures between summer and winter. Summers are warm and wet and temperatures drop just below freezing point in December, January, and February."
• Arlington has 201 sunny days per year compared to the U.S. average of 205 sunny days.
• It has 117 days of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground) per year, with 43 inches of rain and 15 inches of snow, on average, per year compared to the national average of 38 inches of rain and 28 inches of snow per year.

Family-Friendly

• Arlington is considered a "favorite place among government workers and the military to raise a family."
• The city's "walkability and accessibility to parks" and its public libraries that offer free story times during the week, make it attractive to families.
• It also has "green spaces, one-of-a-kind historical and educational attractions, and dining options" that appeal to many families.

Schools

• Arlington schools rank 25% higher on average than other schools in the country.
• Although many of the schools in this district are "rated average in school quality," many schools in this district "have students who are making more academic progress than their peers at other schools in the state."
• Arlington Public Schools was rated as the best school system in the state of Virginia.

Walkability

• The city has a walkability score of 69, based on a "scale of 0 to 100, where a lower number means the city is less walkable."

Summary of Findings

• In this first hour of research, we determined that information on the best livable cities in the U.S. based on the provided criteria is available.
• Within this hour, we were able to provide information on Arlington, Virginia, specifically on the crime levels, climate and weather, whether it is considered family-friendly, proportion of college-educated population, state of schooling, and a walkability score.
• We suggest further research to provide information on other cities in the U.S. that are considered the most livable.