Two Colorado cities make U.S. News and World Report top 10 best cities to live in 2024

Two Colorado cities make U.S. News and World Report top 10 best cities to live in 2024

May 24, 2024

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Colorado scored two cites in the top 10, and four in the top 40 of the U.S. News & World Report’s latest Best Places to Live in the U.S. 

The report, which was released Tuesday, explores how 150 top U.S. cities measure up when it comes to such things as affordability, job market, desirability, net migration and quality of life.

U.S. News and World Report’s top 10 best places to live in the U.S. 2024

  1. Naples, Florida
  2. Boise, Idaho
  3. Colorado Springs, Colorado: No. 9 in 2023
  4. Greenville, South Carolina
  5. Charlotte, North Carolina
  6. Raleigh, North Carolina
  7. Hunstville, Alabama
  8. Virginia Beach, Virginia
  9. Austin, Texas
  10. Boulder, Colorado: No. 4 in 2023

Where other Colorado cities ranked in the top 150 cities

39. Fort Collins: It was ranked No. 23 in 2023 and No. 54 in 2022.

40. Denver: It was ranked No. 99 in 2023

What the report said about Colorado cities

  • Colorado Springs: Overall score of 7.0 out of 10. Scored 6.5 on quality of life and 7.0 on value.
  • Boulder: Overall score of 6.7. Scored 7.4 on quality of life and 5.5 on value.
  • Fort Collins: Overall score of 6.5. Scored 6.7 on quality of life and 6.5 on value.
  • Denver: Overall score of 6.5. Scored 6.5 on quality of life and 5.8 on value.

Digging deeper into report on Fort Collins’ ranking

Fort Collins received high marks for its craft brewing, outdoors scene, Old Town, arts and entertainment, days of sunshine and being home to CSU, according to the report.

The city received mixed reviews on housing costs and taxes.

It listed the median home cost in Fort Collins at $477,475 at the time of the evaluation, compared to the national average of $281,900.

And while the report said Colorado has a relatively low sales tax rate, Fort Collins and Larimer County each charge additional taxes, pushing the total sales tax higher. Another knock was the state income tax.