Columbus, Ohio
Rank: 20
Population: 796,520

Columbus excels in education as the home of Ohio State University, which keeps life flowing through Ohio’s largest city and state capital. That helps support historic neighborhoods such as German Village, whose Schiller Park recently celebrated its bicentennial and hosted a speech by President Barack Obama. Columbus, Ohio's best city on our list, can also take pride in its zoo, well known for its longtime director emeritus, Jack Hanna.

Bars: 249
Restaurants: 1,656
Museums: 13
Libraries: 27
Pro sports teams: 2
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 14.7
Colleges: 8
Percent with graduate degree: 7.8
Median household income: $54,763
Percent unemployed: 6.5