Metrogrades Revealed

To locate which cities are the best places for men to live, we looked at 10 sets of data:

1. We started with the U.S. Census data on life expectancy to find where men live long, full lives.

2. Cities with high physician-to-population ratios were given higher rankings because when you're sick or injured, you don't want to wait a week until you can get an appointment. This information came from the American Medical Association.

3. Next we counted the number of fitness and recreational centers in each city. More gyms make it easier to find a convenient location to work out. This data also came from the Census.

4. Polluted air can wreak havoc on your lungs and overall health. We looked at AIRNow's statistics to see which cities have the highest percentage of "good" and "moderate" air quality days.

5. We all want a house that's worth something. So we compared house price appreciation in the cities over the last 5 years. The U.S. Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight provided these numbers.

6. No matter where you live, money is important. We checked out the Census data on median household income to find where men are pulling in the big bucks.

7. That income has to cover a lot of expenses. That's why the cost of living, calculated by Sperling's Best Places, is factored into each city's ranking.

8. Looking for a woman? Then you better consider the ratio of single women to single men in the city you're moving to. We did, thanks to Census Bureau.

9. You're a smart guy. You want to live in a smart city. So we looked at the percentage of men and women completing their bachelor's degree, according to the Census.

10. Finally, we asked the FBI for their crime rate for each city. That way, you know you're living in a safe place.


What the Numbers Mean
For the overall ranking, a lower ranking is better. That is, a city ranked No. 17 is a better place to live than one ranked No. 89.

For the individual criteria, however, a higher ranking is better. So a city ranked No. 92 for life expectancy has a longer life expectancy than a city ranked No. 3. You can see the top 10 cities in each category by clicking on the tabs on the Metrogrades map.