The rating guide evaluated cities with populations between 15,000 and 50,000 residents. School funding is 26 percent above the national average. Local funding for hospitals and health care is five times the national average and 10th highest among the cities on the list. Property taxes are well below the median despite high funding levels. Average income is comparatively high.
Violent crime is low.
The latest figures put it at only 26 percent of the national crime rate. Low population density and the abundance of nearby state and national parks and forests is much better than average. Easy access to Seattle and Bellingham make access to metropolitan luxuries such as the arts, shopping, sports and air travel. Money Magazine rated the city in the top 25 most livable cities last year.