50 Best Places to Live in the U.S.
What makes any town or city a great place to live? When you're looking for the perfect place for relocation, you might consider housing costs, nearby attractions, access to transportation, crime rates, and the list goes on and on. Thankfully, Niche, a website that compiles profiles, ratings, and reviews for schools and places throughout the U.S., has gathered a list of the best places to live in the country so you can narrow your search (or see how your town stacks up).
Niche ranked the best places to live in the U.S. according to their overall livability, considering factors like quality of local schools, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics, and access to amenities.
Below, find the 50 best cities to live in the U.S. Some states, like California and Texas, are particularly well-represented on this list, with eight and seven cities included, respectively. Many other states, including New York, Oregon, Hawaii, and more, are noticeably absent from the group.
You'll also notice popular tourism destinations that ranked among the top 15 U.S. cities in Travel + Leisure's 2020 World's Best Awards, including Charleston, South Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas, on the list.
Niche even breaks things down by category, such as the best places to raise a family, the most diverse places, the best places for young professionals or retirees, and more so you can find the perfect spot for you and your crew.
Related: More trip ideas
50 Best Places to Live in the U.S.
- The Woodlands, Texas
- Arlington, Virginia
- Naperville, Illinois
- Overland Park, Kansas
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Plano, Texas
- Columbia, Maryland
- Berkeley, California
- Bellevue, Washington
- Irvine, California
- Richardson, Texas
- Seattle, Washington
- Madison, Wisconsin
- San Francisco, California
- Sunnyvale, California
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Boulder, Colorado
- Sandy Springs, Georgia
- Torrance, California
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Alexandria, Virginia
- Santa Clara, California
- College Station, Texas
- Columbia, Missouri
- Austin, Texas
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Rochester, Minnesota
- Round Rock, Texas
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Lincoln, Nebraska
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Carlsbad, California
- Washington, D.C.
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Gainesville, Florida
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Tampa, Florida
- Irving, Texas
- Atlanta, Georgia
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- Pasadena, California
- Tempe, Arizona
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Salt Lake City, Utah
