Wilmington rated best city on the rise in Southern Living survey

Wilmington claimed the No. 1 spot for the South's Best City on the Rise in a Southern Living survey.

"From the beaches and charm of Wilmington, North Carolina, our top city on the rise, to the hidden desert gem of Marfa, Texas, this year's South's Best Issue celebrates the places and experiences that define our beloved region," said Sid Evans, editor-in-chief of Southern Living magazine, in a news release.

According to the release, Southern Living's eighth annual South's Best Awards were determined by an online survey by third-party agency Proof Insights. The survey, fielded from July 12 to Aug. 23, 2023, asked Southern Living consumers to rate their favorite places in the South and had more than 20,000 respondents.

"From a tourism standpoint, the importance of scoring the No. 1 spot on Southern Living’s Best Cities on the Rise list cannot be overstated," said Kim Hufham, president and CEO of the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau. "This third-party endorsement by readers of Southern Living is priceless because it will be seen by millions of people in our top visitor feeder markets."

This year's South's Best Awards survey also measured the South's Best Cities, Best Small Town in Every State, Best New Restaurants, Best BBQ in Every State and more, the release stated.

The others on the list ranking behind Wilmington were:

2. Franklin, Tennesee
3. Spartanburg, South Carolina
4. Huntsville, Alabama
5. Columbia, South Carolina
6. New Braunfels, Texas
7. Bowling Green, Kentucky
8. Cary, North Carolina
9. Alpharetta, Georgia
10. Bentonville, Arkansas

"These reader-selected cities have excellent food scenes, cool yet quaint downtown districts, incredible natural beauty, thriving arts communities, and the warmth our region is known for. And they’re not done growing," according to Southern Living's rising cities story.

The top 5 Best Cities in the survey were:

1. Charleston
2. Savannah
3. Nashville
4. New Orleans
5. Asheville

More information can be found on Southern Living's website and the magazine's March 22 issue.