Mayor&Rsquo;S Office

Burlington Accolades

August 2014
Burlington Ranked #10 Among Top 12 College Towns for Commuting on Foot by The SpareFoot Blog

August 2013
Burlington Ranked #2 Among America's 10 Great Places to Live by Kiplinger's Personal Finance

July 2012
Burlington-South Burlington metro area ranked 20th in the nation of cities with highest concentrations of the creative class

October 2011
Top 10 Downtowns, Burlington # 3 - Livability.com Magazine

Top 10 Cities for Outdoor Recreation - Outside Magazine

August 2011
Top 10 for "Volunteering in America", #8 out of 75 mid-sized cities - Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)

May 2011
HOME Program "Door Knocker Award" recognition of exceptional contribution to affordable housing - HUD

March 2011
#1 "Top Ten Small Cities" State of Well-Being 2010 - Gallup-Healthways Poll

Top 10 Real Estates Markets to Watch in 2011 - Inman News

December 2010
Home Depot Foundation Award of “Excellence for Sustainable Community Development” - Sustainable Cities Institute

June 2010
#1 Bass Fishing Capital - Outdoor Life

Top 10 City for the Next Decade - Kiplinger's Personal Finance

May 2010
Prettiest Town in America - Forbes.com

Tree City USA - Arbor Day Foundation

One of Best Cities for New Jobs This Spring - Forbes.com

April 2010
Top 100 Places to Live in America - RelocateAmerica.com

First Wave City - Carbon War Room

June 2009
Burlington's Hill Section named one of ten "Best Old House Neighborhoods 2009: Northeast" by ThisOldHouse.com. The designation was given because the Hill Section's "mid-19th-century housing stock has kept its architectural character and charm," making it one of the "ten best places to buy an old house in the Northeast, from Delaware to Maine."

March 2009
Recognized with the runner-up 2009 City Cultural Diversity Award by the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials and National League of Cities. The award seeks to promote and honor community leadership in developing creative and effective programs designed to improve and advance cultural diversity.

November 2008
Designated the "Healthiest City in the USA" by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Burlington ranked highest in exercise, and among the lowest in obesity, diabetes and other indicators of ill health.

Burlington Area deemed one of six "Safe Havens in Real Estate" nationwide according to a review of housing data conducted by Kiplinger.com and published on-line on Yahoo! Real Estate.

October 2008
The Church Street Marketplace outdoor pedestrian mall designated as one of ten "Great Public Spaces for 2008" through the American Planning Association's Great Places in America program. The APA "singled out the Church Street Marketplace because of its inclusive and careful planning and design process, historic buildings, thriving retail trade, carefully maintained streets and walkways, and strong community support."

Named one of America's "Prettiest Towns" in a listing published by the travel website Forbestraveler.com. Burlington was third among the 20 places profiled.

May 2008
Given "Level 5" award (highest possible level) by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (one of two ICLEI member cities to receive this award)

March 2008
Named as the "Best Walking City" in Vermont and one of the "Top Walking Cities" (ranked #42) in the U.S. by Prevention Magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association.

February 2008
Named one of "America's Greenest Cities" by Organic Gardening Magazine (ranked second among cities with less than 150,000 residents).

August 2007
Ranked among "Best Towns" 2007 by Outside Magazine

September 2007
Ranked #1 in a regional study of downtowns commissioned by the Rues Principales Vieux-Saint-Jean (compared to 16 other downtowns in Quebec

May 2007
Ranked among "Top Ten Greenest Cities" by real estate service, Move.com.

"Tree City USA" award by National Arbor Day Foundation for 13th year

April 2007
Top 25 "Small Cities and Towns" Arts destinations by readers of American Style Magazine

Ranked #5 among "Top Ten Places to Retire Young" by Money Magazine

March 2007
Ranked Burlington metropolitan area as "Greenest City" in the country in survey of 379 metropolitan areas nationwide. Based on air and watershed quality, mass transit use, power use, and number of organic producers and farmers' markets.

February 2007
Ranked 2nd out of 72 cities (50 largest cities in the country plus largest cities in each state) nationwide by The Earth Day Network on its Urban Environment Report.

November 2006
Ranked 4th among "Top 10 cities for Beer Lovers" by ShermansTravels.com.

Ranked 5th in "America's Healthiest Places for Women," Self Magazine.

June 2006
One of the "Top 25 Cities for Art" in the small cities and towns category, American Style Magazine.

August 2006
Burlington's Five Sisters neighborhood on the list of "Top Cottage Communities," Cottage Living Magazine.

April 2006
Burlington named the "Best of the Best" places to live (top 5 of their "50 Best Places to Live," Men's Journal Magazine.

2005

The Top 10 Greenest Cities, homestore.com (AOL Real Estate)

Ranked as the "third-funkiest city in the world" by British Airways' magazine Highlife.

Economy.com ranked Burlington #1 in the U.S. on its index of business vitality.

One of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations, The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

No.3 Best State for Healthy Kids, Child Magazine.

One of "50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live," by author Gregory Kompes.

Burlington was number 12 among the top 25 small cities in American Style Magazine's "Top Arts Destinations" for 2005.

2004

US Conference of Mayor's presents Burlington with a "City Livability Award."

No.7 Most student-friendly U.S. City for populations under 1 million, Collegia Magazine.

No.2 Happiest and No.4 Healthiest Place to Live in the U.S., Self Magazine.

No.1 Best State for Women, Institute for Women's Policy Research.

No.3 Healthiest State, United Health Foundation, (see full report titled "America's Health: State Health Rankings" at www.unitedhealthfoundation.org).

No.6 in the World for Destination Stewardship & Sustainable Tourism Initiative, National Geographic Magazine.

"One of the 10 Best Small Cities in America," Men's Journal Magazine.

Burlington is one of five U.S. cities to receive Delicious Living Magazine's "Impressive City Award" for its "exceptional efforts toward sustainable living."

"Top 25 Small Cities for Doing Business in America" (job bases up to 150,000). No. 7 Best Small Cities to Do Business. Inc Magazine.

2003

"Best Overall Program: Population 25,000-50,000" from Sister Cities International for the Burlington-Bethlehem-Arad Sister City Relationship.

"One of the 5 Best Places to Live & Ride." Bike Magazine.

Ranked number 1 in Northeast, "Best Places to Live" (Metro 50,000 - 500,000). Men's Journal Magazine.

2001-03, 2005

Vermont is Nation's Healthiest State, Morgan Quitno Press.

2002

International Association of Public Participation gave Burlington a "Core Value Award" for the Burlington Legacy Project.

Burlington's Marathon, the Vermont City Marathon, was named top 20 best marathon events in the country. Runner's World Magazine.

Sixth most artist-friendly alternative to N.Y. and L.A. according to Susan M. Brackney, author of "The Not-so-Lost Soul Companion," based on cost of living, unemployment rate, availability of affordable housing, projected economic grown, local flavor, charm, and the value placed on performing arts.

Ranked No. 4 for "Healthiest" and No. 2 for "Happiest" City for Women. Self Magazine.

One of the Top Ten Best Cities for: Economy (10): Jobs (1); Education (8); Child Care (2). Ladies Home Journal Magazine.

2001

Ranked No. 1, "Kid-Friendly," smaller city (100,000 to 2 million metro) for quality of life, Zero Population Growth.

2000

One of the "50 Best Places to Live," Maturity Magazine.

One of America's "Ten Fittest Cities for Women," Health Magazine.