Reno Ranked as Sixth Best Small City

Reno launched from number 11 last year to number 6 this year in the annual “America’s Best Cities 2018” list.

From the buzz, the recreation and the booming tech industry, Reno was a no brainer to land in the top ten overall among small cities. Nevada landed a one-two punch with Las Vegas ranking as the number 5 best large city. The Resonance Consultancy releases the rankings, with their clout as a global destination branding consulting firm with offices in NYC and Vancouver.

The report bases its rankings on six different categories, a mix of traditional and non-traditional metrics like economic factors, infrastructure, housing affordability, Google results and social media trends. It’s no longer accurate to rely only on economic indicators. Where you live is so much more than facts on a sheet of paper – it’s about the feeling! User-generated metrics represent accurate feedback and create a more complete picture about a city.

Chris Fair, Resonance Consultancy president, said that “you get a holistic view with respect to the performance of a city in all these areas that determine desirability.”

Reno ranked very high in the product category, earning itself the third best in the nation among small cities for institutions, attractions and infrastructure including university rankings, airport connectivity and convention centers. This makes perfect sense when you look at Reno for all of its awesome events, variety of interests and the many trade shows that come through the region. The city is a hub for innovation and a place where its residents are easy going but also like to enjoy the finer things.

The city ranked eighth in the nation for programming and promotion categories. Basically, this includes arts, culture, restaurants and shopping lumped in with Google search results and mentions in social platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TripAdvisor. The strong rankings make it one of eight small cities that Resonance Consultancy will be keeping their eye on as an up-and-comer in the destination space.

“I’ve been to Reno many times working on projects and I think Reno’s story wasn’t very well known outside of Nevada and California,” Fair said. “We expect people to be talking about Reno and looking at the city in a new light after its rapid ascent in the rankings.”

None of the cities ranked in the best cities list paid for their placement. The company created this list completely on their own, not for the City of Reno or any of its affiliates, or anyone else this might benefit. This is all organic data that has been collected and analyzed. The small cities category list is limited to places with a population of less than 1 million. The top ten this year are:

1. Honolulu, HI
2. Omaha, NE
3. Albuquerque, NM
4. Charleston, SC
5. El Paso, TX
6. Reno, NV
7. Tulsa, OK
8. Madison, WI
9. Myrtle Beach, SC
10. Asheville, NC

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve is not the least bit surprised that Reno has made the top 10. The changes that the Reno community has seen in the last few years has set this area up for fantastic growth. The arrival of major companies such as Apple, Tesla and Google along with the burgeoning foodie scene are proof of this.

“We’ve seen so much success in such a short period of time that we’re able to tell this comeback kid-type of story,” Schieve said. “People are really discovering Reno and all it has to offer.”

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