Jinhuahas been named one of the “top ten most livable cities in China”. The main factors leading to this recognition include the affordable housing, low cost of living, clean air, clean water, and generally manageable pace of life. 

Jinhua strikes a nice balance between rapidly developing cities like the provincial capital, Hangzhou, and the smaller towns and villages in rural areas. Money, technology, and education are growing fast in Jinhua, but it has not yet hit the overdeveloped, overpriced, and overcrowded state that many larger cities are facing. While 2013 was a bad year for air pollution, Jinhua generally has better air quality than other nearby cities both larger and smaller as a result of the weather patterns, and the city water supply, collected in mountain reservoirs outside of town, is impressively clean (though we still don't usually recommend drinking it from the tap). All in all, Jinhua provides a good home both for locals and outsiders, and ZJNU faculty generally find a contented, satisfying life here.