In the last year, the city of Gainesville has seen its share of No. 1 titles. Not only can it lay claim to three NCAA titles brought by UF, but now it has become the No. 1 city in North America. On May 6, it was announced that Gainesville topped the list of Cities Ranked and Rated written by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander and published by Frommer’s. The 400-plus page book is on sale now. Out of 400 Metropolitan areas evaluated in the United States and Canada, Gainesville ranked No. 1. Although it didn’t rank first in any individual category, it scored well over the average of the national categories propelling it to the top. While the three national titles were not a determining factor, they did add to the high quality of life rating. The cities included in the book are compared and contrasted in nine different categories: Economy & Jobs, Cost of Living, Climate, Education, Health Care, Crime, Transportation, Leisure, and Arts & Culture. The rankings attempt to capture a well-studied picture of the cities, offering a complete feel for the lifestyle and residents. In 2004, when book’s first edition was published, Gainesville did not even break the top 50. But a strengthening of the employment rate and an increase in the number of people with four-year degrees helped boost the score. Statistics in the new edition showed recent job growth at 3.8 percent an increase from the 2.7 percent in 2004. In addition, its projected future job growth is 16.5 percent. Such economic growth in such a short amount of time makes Gainesville and ideal place to start a small business. According to, Cities Ranked and Rated, “Not only attractive as a lifestyle destination, Gainesville has also become an attractive place to start a small business.” But Cities Ranked and Rated wasn’t the only one to pick up Gainesville for their top list. Gainesville ranked No. 12 on a list in the April edition Forbes Magazine for the best places to do business and have a career. More recently, the city has also ranked eighth among the “Top Ten Value Towns for Those Considering Retirement in 2007,” and was No. 11 on an AARP list of “Best Places to Reinvent Your Life.” With such national publicity, including mentions in the New York Times and USA Today, this could be the final push for businesses on the hedge about relocating, expanding or starting in Gainesville.