Mexico City, Mexico – A recent study revealed that Querétaro, Mérida, Colima, and the Monterrey Metropolitan Area are the most livable cities in Mexico, in terms of the quality of housing, schools, transportation, and cultural and recreational options, as well as their natural beauty.

The annual Quality of Life Index released by the Strategic Communication Committee (GCE) evaluated the perceptions of 28,000 residents of 51 cities across Mexico.

Mexico City was ranked 33rd of the 51 cities, while Oaxaca received the lowest ratings.

Quality of Life studies were first developed in the 1980s by US economists to measure the level of satisfaction residents of different countries feel with their lives. They have also been adopted by the Mexican government to evaluate the livability of different cities.

In telephone interviews conducted by the GCE between July 11th and August 19th, residents of 51 cities evaluated the quality of life in their cities by analyzing the availability of quality and affordable homes on the housing market, access to public and private schools, the ability to easily move about the city, and air quality.

Other factors in determining the Quality of Life Index included the ability to relax and access cultural and recreational activities, friendliness and sense of community, the reception of recent arrivals to the city, and a sufficient supply of museums and interesting historic areas that attract both residents and tourists.

The Quality of Life Index also takes into account natural beauty, how residents perceived improvements to the quality of life as compared to the previous year. and in comparison with other cities.

Residents’ happiness is measured on a scale that goes from zero to 100 with different criteria given points based on their perceptions of how things are changing; from much better to much worse, from very satisfied to not satisfied, and from better to worse.

The capitals of Querétaro, Yucatán, and Colima maintained their positions from last year at the top of the list, though Monterrey jumped from 15th place to second, while Hermosillo dropped from third to sixth place.

La Paz also ascended from 12th place in 2012 to fifth place this year, followed by Hermosillo, Saltillo, Los Mochis, Aguascalientes, Piedras Negras, Culiacán, and Tampico.

Chihuahua came in 13th place this year, followed by Guanajuato, Cancún, Mexicali, Pachuca, San Luis Potosí, Ensenada, the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, Matamoros, Tijuana, Puebla, Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, León, Durango, Ciudad del Carmen, Coatzacoalcos, Tepic, and Veracruz.

The remaining cities included Ciudad Juárez at 31st place, followed by Nogales, Mexico City, Ciudad Victoria, Campeche, Toluca, Chetumal, Xalapa, Reynosa, Tlaxcala, Morelia, Villahermosa, Torreón, Lázaro Cárdenas and Cuernavaca. Coming in last was Oaxaca, preceded by Zacatecas, Acapulco, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Tehuacán, and Chilpancingo.