Tyler, Texas is getting some national attention all thanks to a new study that ranks it as the best Texas city to live in. According to USA TODAY, the research team at Homefront ranked 52 cities in Texas by analyzing 18 different metrics that include affordability and quality of life..
Factors which landed Tyler the top spot include low unemployment, which stands at 3.3%. Then there’s access to healthcare, with 9 providers for every 1,000 residents. And finally, Tyler has the lowest risk of damage from severe weather among the cities ranked.
Sheridan Smith is vice president of marketing and communication for the Tyler Convention and Visitors Bureau, referred to as Visit Tyler, a division of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. “We are a small city with big city amenities. We have three universities right here in our backyard. And we also have a great medical community. And then a new medical school that is being built that will be finished next July. And so right now we’re hosting our first medical students in this community that will stay and hopefully work in this area,” as Smith added, “we have a wonderful zoo. We have a great state park. We’re very nature-based. And so, our quality of life is really good for sure.” Tyler is perhaps best known as the Rose Capital of America, with several million roses distributed by local companies.
The 14-acre Tyler Municipal Rose Garden, the largest in the nation, has over 38,000 rose bushes and over 600 varieties.