#3 America's Fittest Cities: Fitbit, 2016
Fitbit ranks America's cities each year based on data from more than 10 million users, including average steps, calories burned, daily active minutes, resting heart rate and sleep duration. Spokane's high overall ranking was definitely aided by its first-place finish in the "Cities that Sleep the Most" category, but we'll take it. You snooze, you win!
#3 Best Cities for Working Students: SmartAsset, 2016
SmartAsset considered local minimum wage, unemployment rates and quality/cost of higher education in 227 U.S. cities with a four-year university to determine where students could most effectively use work to pay for their education. Spokane placed third, behind Rapid City, South Dakota, and Seattle.
#5 Top 20 Places to Settle Down: LeafFilter Reviews, 2015
This study considered population, median household income and median home values, but LeafFilter was particularly impressed with Spokane's outdoor exploration opportunities, its city pride and its continuous effort to beautify its neighborhoods.
#7 Most Efficient U.S. Airports: SmartAsset, 2015
SmartAsset analyzed the 100 largest U.S. airports (by volume) using six metrics, including average arrival/departure delay and taxi times, for the more than 5.85 million flights that took to the skies in 2015. Spokane International's overall efficiency is high, which may be why we can show up for flights a mere hour in advance and still have time for a coffee.
#8 Best Cities for Women-Owned Businesses: WalletHub, 2016
It's good to know that Spokane has fully embraced the 21st century. The 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas were analyzed across 10 metrics that indicate overall business climate for women, and the stats show that Spokane is welcoming female entrepreneurship with open arms.
#8 Coziest Cities in America: Honeywell, 2016
We're pretty sure the folks at Honeywell conducted this study as an excuse to visit some of the most charming places in America, but we're not judging. They basically investigated the number of "warm and fuzzy" places in each city, like coffee shops, bed-and-breakfasts, bookstores and bakeries. Spokane made the ranks with its combo of decent snow and a slew of coffee shops.
Six Great Small Cities for Food Lovers: Wall Street Journal, 2015
People are finally realizing that they don't have to go to New York or L.A. for delicious, innovative food. In 2015, the Wall Street Journal recognized Spokane's thriving dining scene, citing Durkin's Liquor Bar, Italia Trattoria, the Wandering Table, Casper Fry, Santé and Mizuna as culinary standouts.
All-America City: National Civic League, 2015
Spokane has been named an All-America City for the third time in 41 years, this time for its efforts for boost high school graduation rates. The annual award recognizes civic innovation to tackle pressing local issues. Since 2010, Spokane Public Schools has raised its on-time graduation rate from 60 to 83 percent.
