People attending an outdoor concert in downtown Rochester, Minnesota
Courtesy of Minnesota's Rochester

No. 15

Rochester, Minnesota

Residents of Rochester can expect to enjoy their great place to live for a very long time. After all, the city of 116,000 people has been recognized as the healthiest in the nation.

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Minnesota as a whole is a pretty healthy place — the North Star State has among the highest life expectancy rates in the country — but there's a reason Rochester is known as Med City. The city is the birthplace of the Mayo Clinic , which today employs 36,300 people, and is home to more primary care physicians per 100,000 people (227), than any other place we considered.

The heavy presence of a healthcare leader isn’t just good for wellness. It’s also good for jobs. Rochester residents have a 17-minute commute on average, and employment is projected to grow 5.8% at a county level by 2023, according to Moody’s Analytics.

But it's not all work and no play in Rochester. The Rochester Art Center — along with the riverfront Mayo Park behind it — regularly hosts events like art exhibitions and concerts. Other cultural institutions, from the family-friendly Minnesota Children’s Museum to the hip Gray Duck Theater and Coffeehouse, mean there’s always something to do on the weekend. — Shaina Mishkin

Rochester, Minnesota population, median household income and home price, projected job growth, average commute, clear days per year

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