Iowa City Named Healthiest Town in US

City also named 10th best city for jobs

Rob Daniel Iowa City Press-Citizen

The Iowa City area is getting some credit from national publications.

In the February issue of Men's Journal, Iowa City is named the "Healthiest Town in the United States," based on criteria set by CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta. The area also ranked 10th on MSN CareerBuilder's "Today's Best and Worst Cities for Jobs" list.

According to a news release, Gupta, in Men's Journal, provided information about the healthiest diets in the world, the importance of regular exercise, and how to "quiet your mind" to increase mental focus and reduce stress to live longer. He also said there is a relationship between where a person lives and how that affects how long they live, saying people should look for local farms, short commutes, sidewalks, low pollution, green spaces and good weather.

Iowa City ranked at the top of the list despite its winters, followed by Boulder, Colo.; Logan, Utah; Northampton, Mass.; and Charlottesville, Va.

Wendy Ford, Iowa City economic development coordinator, said Iowa City often is overlooked in these lists because of its location.

"It really puts us in a good light," she said. "We've got a lot to be as healthy as those other places are."

The CareerBuilder article cited the Iowa City metro area's 1.2 percent job growth between July and October 2009, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to a news release, 77 of the nation's 281 metro areas added jobs during the same period, though only 19 posted growth rates of 1 percent or higher.

Joe Raso, president of the Iowa City Area Development Group, said the ranking was a good indication of how the area continues to grow.

"It's not surprising that we rank highly, but it's satisfying that we continue to grow," he said.