Here Are The 150 Best Places To Live In America, U.S. News Says

Admin May 21, 2024

ACROSS AMERICA — Strong job markets and high quality of life were the drivers for the top finishers in the the 2024-2025 Best Places to Live in the U.S., a new ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

Naples, Florida, topped the list with high performance in both of those key ratings, U.S. News said. A change in data collection, including a shift from metropolitan area-based data to city-based data — brought some new appearances in the top 25 from the Midwest and South.

“The incorporation of city-based data further localizes the Best Places to Live rankings, empowering those looking for a place to call home to consider factors directly impacting the livability and overall experiences associated with a given place,” Erika Giovanetti, a loans expert and reporter for U.S. News, said in a news release.

This year, U.S. News also adjusted its scoring weights for stronger considerations of a city’s value and job market.

“Rising concerns about career prospects, housing affordability and increased cost of goods and services are reflected in this year’s rankings,” Giovanetti said. “While quality of life remains the top priority for many Americans, a city’s value and job market are becoming increasingly important for those looking for a place to live.”

The top places to live in the United States, according to the U.S. News methodology, are:

Naples, Florida
Boise, Idaho
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Greenville, South Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Huntsville, Alabama
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Austin, Texas
Boulder, Colorado
Sarasota, Florida
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Charleston, South Carolina
Madison, Wisconsin
Lexington, Kentucky
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Asheville, North Carolina
Omaha, Nebraska
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fayetteville, Arkansas
San Francisco, California
Greensboro, North Carolina
Lincoln, Nebraska
South Bend, Indiana
Hickory, North Carolina
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Seattle, Washington
Knoxville, Tennessee
Atlanta, Georgia
Pensacola, Florida
Honolulu, Hawaii
Salt Lake City, Utah
Buffalo, New York
Tampa, Florida
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Fort Myers, Florida
Portland, Maine
Fort Collins, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
Portland, Oregon
Louisville, Kentucky
Davenport, Iowa
Washington, D.C.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
San Diego, California
Reno, Nevada
McAllen, Texas
Melbourne, Florida
Nashville, Tennessee
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Kansas City, Missouri
Little Rock, Arkansas
Montgomery, Alabama
Des Moines, Iowa
Jacksonville, Florida
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Springfield, Missouri
Spartanburg, South Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Columbus, Ohio,
El Paso, Texas
Tucson, Arizona
Richmond, Virginia
Spokane, Washington
Indianapolis, Indiana
Phoenix, Arizona
Orlando, Florida
Anchorage, Alaska
San Jose, California
Santa Barbara, California
Wichita, Kansas
Syracuse, New York
Rochester, New York
Tallahassee, Florida
Tulsa Oklahoma
Corpus Christi, Texas
Ocala, Florida
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lakeland, Florida
Albany, New York
Peoria, Illinois
Port St. Lucie, Florida
Lafayette, Louisiana
Augusta, Georgia
Huntington, West Virginia
Brownsville, Texas
Boston, Massachusetts
San Antonio, Texas
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Columbia, South Carolina
Las Vegas, Nevada
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dallas, Texas
Daytona Beach, Florida
Houston, Texas
Toledo, Ohio
Beaumont, Texas
Cincinnati, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Mobile, Alabama
Manchester, New Hampshire
Lansing, Michigan
Rockford, Illinois
Savannah, Georgia
Killeen, Texas
Salem, Oregon
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Visalia, Florida
Shreveport, Louisiana
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Fayetteville, North Carolina
St. Louis, Missouri
Eugene, Oregon
Sacramento, California
Providence, Rhode Island
Baltimore, Maryland
Chicago, Illinois
Jacksonville, Mississippi
Bakersfield, California
Memphis, Tennessee
Miami, Florida
New York, New York
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Salisbury, Maryland
Santa Rosa, California
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Birmingham, Alabama
Los Angeles, California
Fresno, California
Youngstown, Ohio
Salinas, California
Gulfport, Mississippi
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Worchester, Massachusetts
York, Pennsylvania
Springfield, Massachusetts
Modesto, California
New Orleans, Louisiana
Cleveland, Ohio
Reading, Pennsylvania
Vallejo, California
Stockton, California
Trenton, New Jersey
Flint, Michigan
New Haven, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Detroit, Michigan
San Juan, Puerto Rico

U.S. News takes into consideration the city’s job market, value, quality of life and desirability. The measures were weighted in part based on a public survey of thousands of people to find out what qualities they think are important in deciding where to live.

The 2024-2025 Best Places to Live were determined based on a methodology that takes into account the city’s job market, value, quality of life and desirability. These measures were weighted in part based on a public survey of thousands of individuals throughout the U.S. to find what qualities they consider important in a place to live.

Data and information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, Sharecare, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other U.S. News rankings were also used in the rankings.