Aurora has been ranked the number one city in the country to live the American Dream.  

In its annual study, SmartAsset, a personal finance company, uncovered the best places to live the American Dream by ranking the largest 261 cities in America. Aurora tied for the top spot with West Valley City, Utah.   Last year, Aurora ranked 44th.  

To find the cities where the American Dream is still alive and well, SmartAsset started with data of the 261 largest cities. The study compared diversity, inter-generational economic mobility, home-ownership rates, home values and unemployment rates - all important facts when considering the American Dream.

"The definition of the American Dream will vary depending on who you ask," said SmartAsset representatives. "For some, it means a white picket fence, a trimmed green lawn and 2.5 children. For others, it means achieving your own personal goals and dreams, regardless of your background."  

Aurora Mayor Richard C. Irvin certainly is certainly proof of the latter.  

"I live the American Dream right here in Aurora every day," said Mayor Richard Irvin. "I went from a kid raised by a single mom in public housing who saw most of his friends go into gangs and drugs to joining the military, becoming a lawyer and now serving as the Mayor of our great city. If that isn’t the American Dream, I don’t know what is."  

According to the study, Aurora moved up the ranks from its 44th spot last year with improved mobility numbers. This means that the citizens of Aurora have the opportunity to move to higher economic percentiles than the generations before them. Further, Aurora’s unemployment rate dropped by about 2%.  

Other cities in the Top 10 include: West Valley City Utah (tied for 1st); Midland, Texas (3rd), Aurora, Colorado (4th), Rochester, Minnesota (5th), Sioux Falls, South Dakota (6th), Kent, Washington (7th), Cedar Rapids, Iowa (8th), Round Rock, Texas (9th) and Palmdale, California (10th).