By Paige Reynolds | KRDO
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – It’s a dramatic fall that has residents and city officials asking, what happened?
Colorado Springs, ranked #3 in the nation just last year by U.S. News & World Report for “Best Places to Live, has plummeted to #406 in the latest release.
The rankings, which consider factors like affordability, desirability and quality of life, are used nationwide as a snapshot of where people want to live and why.
So why the drop?
“Colorado Springs was in the top 16% for crime, which is not really a designation that you want to see when looking for a place to live,” said Erika Giovanetti, Consumer Lending Analyst with U.S. News & World Report.
According to Giovanetti, both violent and property crime rates are significantly higher here compared to other mid-sized cities.