Plano is the best city in the country for living an uncluttered life, according to a ranking released Sept. 15 by StorageCafe, a website that lists self-storage units.
The StorageCafe Uncluttered Living Index scored 345 U.S. cities on 20 measures, from home sizes and rents to commute times, parks, life expectancy and crime. Plano finished first, ahead of Boise, Idaho, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. The study called the city "the best performer in the whole ranking," strong on nearly every measure at once.
What put Plano on top
The index weighs four categories. The heaviest, worth 36% of the score, is what StorageCafe calls "life without hustle": income, jobs, commute times, walkability, parks and grocery costs. Plano ranked 11th of 345 cities there.
It also placed 21st in the safety and environment category and 25th in health and wellbeing. The study cited Plano's median household income of more than $112,000, its access to health care and a life expectancy above 80. The life expectancy figure is measured at the county level.
The report also pointed to the city's parks and trails, pools and rec centers, and to Oak Point Park, home of the Plano Balloon Festival. This year's festival ran Sept. 17 through 20.
Not because of the closets
The one category where Plano did not stand out is the one that sounds most like decluttering. In "room to breathe at home," which covers home and apartment sizes, household size, self-storage space and housing costs, Plano ranked 153rd.
