Berkeley Nabs 'Healthiest City' Ranking, High Marks In Niche Study

BERKELEY, CA — Famed for its university and bustling cultural scene, Berkeley now has even more fuel for bragging rights: the city is ranked as Niche's “Healthiest Place to Live in America.”

Niche.com is a data company that provides insight into neighborhoods and schools throughout the United States. So how does Berkeley fare overall?

Berkeley is ranked No. 1 (out of 230 places) in the “Healthiest Places to Live in America” category; No. 1 (out of 229 cities) in the “Healthiest Cities in America” category; and No. 7 (out of 229) in the “Best Cities for Young Professionals in America” category.

Niche also has “Report Cards” for cities based on multiple factors. They feature letter grades ranging from A+ to F, much like school report cards. Berkeley received an A+ as its “Overall Niche Grade.” In the “subjects” of public schools, nightlife, weather, health & fitness, outdoor activities and commute, it earned an A+. For “good for families” and “diversity,” it received an A. Other grades include one B (for jobs), two C-s (for housing and crime & safety), and one D+ for “cost of living.”

To find out more about a certain location, all one has to do is type in a city name or zip code in the “Find” bar and then type in the specific region, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, in the “In” bar. From there, a city’s rankings and grades are available to peruse.

Niche, in line with its motto, “Find where you belong,” centers on connecting "people to their future schools and neighborhoods” via its comprehensive data. For analyses, Niche pulls from dozens of public data sources and “over 100 million reviews and survey responses from students, parents and residents” to give people detailed information about a city's infrastructure and offerings.

For more information about Niche’s rankings and report card for Berkeley, go here.