Lynn Coyne, assistant vice president of real estate at IU, said the survey, completed by the website NerdWallet, measured four major areas of community life: weekly hours worked, commute time, income and cost of living.
NerdWallet is a website that gathers data and creates lists about economic and social ?statistics.
Bloomington’s population has grown 33 percent since 1990 and has a low number of weekly working hours and a shorter average commute, according to NerdWallet’s posting.
Bloomington is also home to IU, the largest university in the state and the top employer in the region.
Hard-working people need options to give their lives balance, Coyne said.
He said IU was a big part of helping Bloomington make the list because the campus community offers residents a variety of theater experiences, athletic events and other community outreaches.
Several college towns appeared on the list, as well.
Bloomington itself is the location of events such as Lotus World Music and Arts Festival and a variety of events at theaters such as the Buskirk-Chumley.
All of these additions help to create a high quality of life, Coyne said.
The student population might also have helped to lower the average number of hours worked per week to 31.9, he added.
This high ranking helps people know more about the Bloomington community and might lead them to consider conducting business or attending college nearby, he said.
Bloomington has made other Forbes lists, including best small places for businesses and ?careers.
“I don’t think it would surprise people,” Coyne said of seeing Bloomington at the top of the list.
