Lubbock has earned a high ranking on Forbes’ list of 19 cities where it's easier to leave your mark.

Lubbock came in 7th just behind Rockford, Illinois, but ahead of Philadelphia, Memphis and Cincinnati. Lubbock also beat out El Paso and Amarillo, which sit at 14th and 16th, respectively.

Forbes looked at factors including median home sales prices, unemployment and unemployment change over recent years, population growth, population of people ages 25-39 and change in that age group’s population over recent years.

To break that down a bit: they looked for cities with low housing costs, high job opportunities and a growing population.

According to Forbes:

For the most part, the cities on our Opportunity Cities list fall into two categories: poster children for urban decline that are trying, with varying degrees of success, to turn a corner…and Midwestern or Southern cities where real estate has always been cheap and civic efforts have focused on improving the array of amenities and the business climate.

Lubbock falls into the latter category. Forbes quoted John Osborne, president and CEO of the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance, who said it's easy to see why.

“We are the second-largest city between I-35 and the front range of the Rockies, we sit next to one of the largest oil plays in the U.S., we have a Tier 1 research institution in Texas Tech University and we have one of the fastest growing medical schools in Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center," said Osborne. "There are many reasons why people want to stay in or move to Lubbock, and that gives businesses many opportunities to grow.”

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