If you’ve ever read the Odyssey, you’d know that Ithaca is the name of the place that Odysseus spends 10 years pining after – though if he had had the opportunity to call Ithaca, NY home, he might’ve tried even harder to get back. After all, Ithaca is well-known to us at Livability.com, earning spots on a lot of our rankings, including the Top 100 Best Places to Live and the Best Places for Entrepreneurs. So what is it that makes living in Ithaca so great?
To get a spot on this list, a city has to be strong all-around, but Ithaca shines particularly brightly in the categories of education and healthcare. For example, for those of you with kids in the K-12 range, Ithaca won’t disappoint. According to GreatSchools, six of Ithaca’s schools rank at a 7 or higher out of 10, which is further reflected in certain key statistics. While the average US school spends a little more than $12,000 per student, Ithaca schools shell out $21,180. There are also many more teachers, librarians, and counsellors per student than the American average.