Photo: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Fayetteville was once again ranked within the top five best places to live in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report in its annual “Best Places to Live” report.

It’s the second year in a row for Fayetteville to be included near the top of the rankings. The city last year was listed as the third-best place to live.

“Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, Fayetteville attracts outdoorsy types with its abundance of state parks, acres of community green space, playgrounds, parks and walking trails,” the report states, while noting a first-class performing arts center, an active local food movement, live music venues and a dynamic festival scene.

Topping the list this year is Austin, Texas, which came in second place last year. Denver, Colorado, which was named the best place to live in 2016, is now listed in the second spot. Rounding out the Top 5 were San Jose, California and Washington, DC.

“When considering a move people are concerned about finding a job in their field, earning enough to afford a home, sending their kids to good schools and feeling like a part of their community,” said Kim Castro, executive editor at U.S. News. “The Best Places to Live ranking takes all of that into account – the metro areas that do well are the ones with strong job markets and high quality of life.”

The outlet analyzed the nation’s 100 largest metro areas and ranked them based on several criteria including value and cost of living, quality of life, job market health, and desirability to live there.

Fayetteville received a value index of 7.9 out of a possible 10, meaning the city offers a better value than similarly sized cities when comparing housing costs to median household income.

The city once again received high praise for its low average commute time, mild climate, low unemployment rate, student college readiness, and its crime rate which is lower than similarly sized cities.