![<p><span>[FILE PHOTO] The Spot, 16 NW 18th Ave., is one of several Midtown businesses neighboring a construction zone. Renovations are expected to last through October.</span></p>](https://snworksceo.imgix.net/ufa/b7d5f6bf-9469-4f43-abe4-76219db57145.sized-1000x1000.jpg?w=1000)
Gainesville is one of the best cities for college students when it comes to cost of living, academia and economic growth.
On Dec. 11, WalletHub, a personal finance website, published a list of the best and worst college cities in the U.S. for 2019. Gainesville ranked 18th overall and third among 151 midsize cities, which have populations between 125,000 to 300,000 people.
To create the ranking, WalletHub looked at 415 cities across three categories: social environmental, “wallet friendliness” (inferring to the cost of living) and academic and economic opportunities. These three categories were then examined using 30 relevant metrics, including housing costs, students per capita and job growth rates. Finally, each city received a weighted average across all metrics, and an overall score was calculated to rank the sample.
Gainesville scored highest in academic and economic opportunities and received a total score of 54.95 out of 100 points, according to the report. Other towns with Southeastern Conference schools varied, with Tuscaloosa, Alabama, ranking 237 overall with a score of 45.32; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ranking 259 with a score of 44.68.
UF is helping Gainesville gain recognition as an innovation hub, said Margot Winick, a UF spokesperson. UF alumni who stay in Gainesville will help the community develop businesses and medical advances, she said.
“This ranking is validation of what many already know,” Winick said. “That this is a great college town.”
Rankings like these are important because they help Gainesville get on the radar and spark an interest in tourism, said Sean Plemons, the content manager of Visit Gainesville, Alachua County, FL.
Gainesville’s attractiveness comes from its location, night-life, student population, nature and opportunities for development, Plemons said.
“In a nutshell, there’s a lot more to see and do here than in a normal small town in Florida,” he said.
Correction: This article was updated to reflect that UF is in the Southeastern Conference. Tallahassee is not in the SEC. The Alligator reported differently.
Contact Lakshmi Gomez at lgomez@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @lakshmigomez_
[FILE PHOTO] The Spot, 16 NW 18th Ave., is one of several Midtown businesses neighboring a construction zone. Renovations are expected to last through October.
