Once again, Prescott is in the national spotlight. The prestigious Millken Institute ranked Prescott as the “…Number 26—Best Performing Small Cities in the U.S.” for 2017-2018. More than 200 small communities nationally were evaluated.
That is a jump of seven spots up from the 2016 ranking of No. 33.
That’s not all.
A second survey conducted by travel blog Expedia Viewfinder named Prescott as “…one of 19 Cities That You Must See in 2019.”
In a press statements issued by the City, Prescott Mayor Greg Mengarelli expressed pleasure about each rating.
“We are very pleased with this Millken ranking and the fact that Prescott is climbing on the list every year.” He said he thought a strong housing market, increasing health care and light manufacturing were key factors.
Also mentioned were more job opportunities. High tech industries were additionally cited as positive factors, especially in cyber security, aviation and aerospace. The four higher education institutions in the greater community—Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Northern Arizona University-Yavapai, Prescott College and Yavapai College—were considered influences.
Prescott was the top city in Arizona to make the “best performing cities” list. Others were Lake Havasu City-Kingman —# 59; and Flagstaff—# 71.
Results of the Millken survey came from the institute founded by Michael Millken in 1991 as a non-profit, non-partisan think-tank based in Santa Monica, Calif. Its purpose — to increase global prosperity through stimulating capital growth, creating jobs, improving health, and stressing data-driven research.
Second Time for Prescott by Expedia
Mengarelli was equally appreciative of the Expedia announcement. “Our historic downtown, the area’s natural beauty, our mild climate and our great outdoor recreational opportunities are all factors.
It is the second year in a row that Prescott has been cited on that Expedia list. The announcement said, “Prescott appeals to the get-away-from-it-all traveler in us.”
Mentioned are the 500 plus miles of trails and the historic downtown, including The Palace Saloon, the Grand Highland Hotel and the Barley Hound.
Expedia names Prescott among other cities such as San Diego, Chicago, and New York. Only two other Arizona communities—Tusayan and Bisbee—were named.
