With more than 200 days of sunshine and the Ozark Mountains as its backyard, the “Athens of the Ozarks” has plenty to offer to the outdoorsy among us. But a royal moniker betrays Fayetteville’s decisive edge: the most affordable housing in the nation, arriving at the top of our rankings. Among the smallest cities in our report, Fayetteville has formidable industry might and low unemployment (#9) to boot. Key industries include education and technology, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ new Odyssey Clinic, specializing in schizophrenia care, adds to the city’s R&D chops. Placemaking efforts are plentiful, too. The Ramble, a 50-acre arts corridor through downtown, opened in late 2024. All visitors would be wise to stroll through. Hilton and Marriott alike are busy building their presence in a work hard, play hard metro that attracted more than 7 million visitors in 2022. Fayetteville is widely considered the entertainment capital of northwest Arkansas, and Dickson Street is the heartbeat of its downtown. Eat, drink and stop into George’s Majestic Lounge, where live music has lived since 1927. The city’s #68-ranked nightlife promises good fun, invigorated by the nearly 29,000 university students who call the city (temporarily) home.