Accolades

Sioux Falls made the list of the top 100 best places to live in America, according to RelocateAmerica.
The process is based on site nominations and issues most important to relocating consumers and homeowners for the upcoming year. For 2011, the researchers found the best communities that are well positioned for economic recovery, already experiencing strong economic recovery or have proven overall economic stability. Factors such as employment, education, community leadership and overall quality of life are strongly considered and all the data is examined to determine the Top 100. (July 2011)

On Forbes’ 13th Annual list of the Best Places for Business and Careers, Sioux Falls ranked No. 2 among the best small places.
Twelve metrics relating to job growth (past and projected), costs (business and living), income growth, educational attainment, projected economic growth, quality of life issues (crime rates, cultural and recreational opportunities), college rankings and net migration patterns were factored in. Previously, Sioux Falls was ranked No. 1 from 2003-10. (July 2011)

Sioux Falls is one of 10 Cities That Embody the American Dream, according to TheStreet.
TheStreet limited its search to cities that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported as having 5 percent unemployment or less in May 2011. That whittled the list to only 17 cities in the U.S., which included Sioux Falls. The affordability of the remaining cities was judged based on the ratio of the median prices of existing single-family homes in the first quarter of this year provided by the National Association of Realtors to the area median incomes. Education, a community’s walkability, economic stability and friendliness to the business community were also factors. (July 2011)

Sioux Falls has the 10th strongest local economy in the U.S., according to POLICOM Corporation's annual economic strength rankings.
Sioux Falls is the only community that is not a capital city or typical “college town” that is included on the list. (May 2011).

The average credit score, a measure of financial responsibility, is finally starting to stabilize after a steady slide from 2006-09, suggesting consumer belt tightening is starting to work. The national average was 747.10 at the end of 2010, according to credit reporting agency Experian. On a scale of 501 to 990, Sioux Falls residents’ average credit score was 773.44. Sioux Falls was No. 10 on a list of cities with the highest credit scores in information collected by CNBC (April 2011).

In a ranking compiled for Businessweek.com, location-analysis firm Gadberry Group identified the fastest-growing place per state, based on growth in households year-on-year and from 2000-10, as well as the 2010 average length of residence and the change in average household income from 2000-10. Sioux Falls was named South Dakota’s fastest-growing city, with 1.13 percent growth year over year and a 26.37 percent change since 2000.

CNN Money Magazine thinks Sioux Falls is one of America's Best Places to Live (July 2010).
In its annual survey, the magazine named the city No. 77, citing how Sioux Falls has weathered the economic storm better than most other communities, the number of employment opportunities, affordable homes and top-notch health care facilities.

Sioux Falls is one of the best cities for families, according to Parenting Magazine (June 2010).
Thanks to a low crime rate, rare traffic congestion and little pollution, South Dakota's largest city ranks No. 11 overall. Sioux Falls ranks No. 3 when ranked by both health and economy.

Sioux Falls is No. 1 — again! Forbes magazine picked the city as its Best Small City for Business and Careers for eight years running (April 2010).
Forbes ranked areas on 12 metrics, including: costs (business and living), job growth (past and projected), income growth, educational attainment and projected economic growth. Quality-of-life issues like crime, cultural and recreational opportunities as well as net migration patters were also factored in.

Sioux Falls placed No. 12 out of 124 small cities ranked in the 2009 Best-Performing Cities index.
Sioux Falls leaped 11 spots from the 2008 list. The rankings, which were jointly released by the Milken Institute and Greenstreet Real Estate Partners, primarily focused on job creation, wage gains, concentration of technology firms and technology growth (November 2009).

Sioux Falls was named a 2009 Fall Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) by the League of American Bicyclists, receiving a "bronze" designation.
The application process to become a BFC is rigorous; currently only 124 of the 318 total applicants have a BFC four-year designation. The renewal process and four levels of the award — platinum, gold, silver and bronze — provide a clear incentive for communities to continuously improve (October 2009).

Sioux Falls was ranked as "America's Safest City" for the fourth consecutive year by Allstate Insurance Co.
The annual report ranks America's 200 largest cities in terms of car collision frequency to identify which cities have the safest drivers; according to the report, the average Sioux Falls driver will experience an auto collision every 13.5 years (July 2009).

Sioux Falls was ranked No. 16 in Outdoor Life's "Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen."
The magazine compiled a list of the top communities for people who love the outdoors but don't want to sacrifice decent homes an schools, good-paying jobs and everyday amenities. This is the second year for the survey. The communities chosen "offer affordable housing, low unemployment rates and the potential to earn a decent living, all within a short drive of first-rate hunting and fishing," according to the web site. Pierre, the only other South Dakota city in the Top 20, ranked No. 8 (June 2009). 



Sioux Falls ranked No. 8 on Next Generation Consulting's Mighty Micros list for "Next Cities" for 20-40 year old workers.
NGC, a national consulting firm based in Madison, Wis., interviewed 39,000 young professionals and studied residential and relocation patterns of 20-40 year olds to determine the rankings. Scores were based on 45 measures in seven indexes including earning, learning, vitality, around town, after hours, cost of lifestyle and social capital (June 2009).
Sioux Falls was named No. 1 on Forbes' list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers — for seven years in a row (April 2009).

Sioux Falls is among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the nation and one of only two metro areas in the Midwest to make the top 50 according to a U.S. Census Bureau report (March 2009).
From July 1, 2007-July 1, 2008, the Sioux Falls MSA grew by almost 6,000 people to 232,930, ranking it No. 19 on the list with a growth rate of 2.6 percent. Lincoln County was the 12th fastest-growing county in the nation at a rate of 5.3 percent during that same time period.

For the third year in a row, Sioux Falls was named a finalist for the National Organization on Disabilities' Accessible America Award.
The city was recognized as a national model for its focus on disability issues and successful design of programs, services and facilities that are accessible for citizens and visitors who have disabilities. (March 2009)