City named five-star community

Expansion Management magazine has named Springfield a five-star community on its Quality of Life Quotient, which rates metropolitan areas and provides a basis for comparing living and working environments of various communities.

According to a press release from the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the rating puts Springfield in the top 15 percentile of rated cities nationwide. Other five-star cities include Denver, Hartford, Conn., Kansas City (Mo. and Kan.), Omaha, Neb., and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas.

Expansion Management evaluates all 329 metropolitan statistical areas in nearly 50 categories. "If your idea of a great place to live and work is based upon a reasonable cost of living, affordable housing, low crime, excellent transportation access, good public schools, proximity to community colleges and universities, an educated work force and low taxes, then our Quality of Life Quotient is worth a look," said Bill King, editor-in-chief of Expansion Management.