Website Grades Grand Junction’s Vibe

Areavibes.com ranks communities across the country using a scoring system reminiscent of 3rd grade: A, B, C, D, and F. According to this website, how does Grand Junction hold up? What kind of "vibe" do we give off here in the valley?

For what it's worth, we scored a "livability" ranking of 76, which is interpreted as "Extremely Livable." When it comes to "Amenities," we get an A+. Where "Cost of Living" is concerned, we get a C+.

In the grand scheme of things, we didn't rate nearly as high on this site as we have from other sources. Per www.areavibes.com, we ranked:

• #72 in the state of Colorado
• #7,793 in the Unites States

Let's compare this to a couple of other communities in Colorado, namely Cortez and Greeley:

How exactly does AreaVibes arrive at their scores? What exactly do the scores imply? According to their website's official statement:

The AreaVibes Livability Score was designed to help you find the best places to live. It is created using a unique algorithm that takes into account dozens of characteristics in 7 different categories including nearby amenities, cost of living, crime rates, education, employment, housing and weather. - www.areavibes.com

When it's all said and done, according to www.areavibes.com, where are the best places in the Unites States to live?

Please note that Western states claim four out of the top five spots on their overall ranking. With the score of 76, Grand Junction isn't that far behind four of the top five highest-ranked states.