“We all have different priorities in life, and there is a place for each of us where we can live according to what those priorities are.” – Winona Dimeo

Winona Dimeo (@winona_rose) is the managing editor of Livability.com, a website that ranks America’s most livable small and mid-sized cities.

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Winona discuss what people are looking for in a place to live (2:00) and Livability.com’s latest rankings for America’s most livable cities (23:00). Then, Rolf takes recommendations from listeners on their favorite places to live in America (53:00).

For more livability tips, check out 2018 Top 100 Best Places to Live. Livability also publishes its methodology.

Cities mentioned in the main interview include: Portland, OR; Austin, TX; Minneapolis, MN; Pittsburgh, PA; Manhattan, KS; Lawrence, KS; Overland Park, KS; Lindsborg, KS; Ottawa, KS; Wichita, KS; Buffalo, NY; Rochester, MN; Kingsport, TN; Sevierville, TN; Fargo, ND; Savannah, GA; New Orleans, LA; Cincinnati, OH; Yellow Springs, OH; Athens, OH; Astoria, OR; Lincoln City, OR; Nashville, TN; Asheville, NC; Black Mountain, NC; Brevard, NC; Traverse City, MI; Marfa, TX; Charleston, SC; Bend, OR; and Hood River, OR.

Notable Links:

Konza Prairie (biological preserve)
Tallgrass National Prairie Preserve
Kanopolis State Park
Stiefel Theater
"One of the Coolest Cities in America Doesn't Even Realize It Yet" (Thrillist article)
Dollywood (theme park)
Alicia Underlee Nelson (travel writer)
Gooding (band)
1,000 Places to See Before You Die, by Patricia Shultz (book)
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Transcendental Meditation
Wollowa Mountains (mountain range)
Terminal Gravity (brewery)
Maharishi Vastu Architecture

Audio contributors:

Adam Karlin (Staunton, VA)
Alicia Ard (Bend, OR)
Sarah Bell (Phoenixville, Pennsylvania)
Gooding (Kingston Springs, TN)
Steven Gray (Pensacola, FL)
Avery Gunns (Truth or Consequences, NM)
Max Hartshorne (Northampton, MA)
Michele Hermann (Buffalo, NY)
Karen Hugg (Ashland, OR)
Jamie-Lee Josselyn (Galena, IL)
Brian Kevin (Joseph, OR and Enterprise, OR)
Tim Leffel (Chattanooga, TN)
Deborah Lewis (Middlebury, VT)
Dinty W. Moore (Athens, OH)
Chrystine Olson (Graham, NC)
Patricia Schultz (Beacon, NY)
Jessica Voigts (Traverse City, MI)
Jason Wisdom (Fairfield, IA)

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel's 2017 album Lumber.

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