24/7 Wall Street created a weighted index of over two-dozen measures to identify the best American cities to live in. The communities on this list span the country from coast to coast but are disproportionately concentrated in the Midwest. The list was published in USA Today.
Snyder Texas is not the "BEST" place in the nation to live, at least according to USA Today. (Some of us might argue that with them!). However, you might find this very surprising, and it's something we should be very proud of:
Of the top 50 best places in the nation to live,
#48.
Snyder, Texas
• Population: 11,541
• 5-year population change: +4.4 percent
• Median home value: $87,500 (bottom 10 percent)
• Median household income: $50,325
Snyder, Texas, was originally known as "Hide Town" for its early buffalo-hide dwellings, and "Robber's Roost" for the criminals that would often pass through it in the late 19th century. After the discovery of oil in the surrounding Scurry County in 1948, the town's population peaked to roughly 16,000 before dropping to its current level.
Though Snyder residents do not have especially high incomes -- the typical household earns $50,325 a year -- the area's poverty rate of 9.3 percent is lower than both national and state rates. The relative lack of financial hardship is due in large part to a low cost of living. Goods and services are 11 percent less expensive on Snyder than they are nationwide, on average.
And just in case you are curious,
#1.
West University Place, Texas
• Population: 15,318
• 5-year population change: +4.0 percent
• Median home value: $917,800 (top 10 percent)
• Median household income: $220,868 (top 10 percent)
A wealthy suburb of Houston, to say the least !