Trip Ideas

50 Best Places to Live in the U.S.

These are the best places to live in the U.S., according to a survey by Niche, a website that compiles ratings and reviews.

By

Elizabeth Rhodes

Updated on December 13, 2022

Fact checked by

Olivia Young

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Aerial view of Uptown Downtown Charlotte North Carolina — Photo: Pawel Gaul/Getty Images

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.

Aerial view of Bellevue, Washington — Ultima_Gaina / Getty Images

Niche ranked the best places to live in the U.S. according to their overall livability, considering factors such as the quality of local schools, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics, and access to amenities.

Below, you'll find its list of 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. Other states, including New York, Oregon, and Hawaii, among others, are noticeably absent from the group.

Swinging hammock in Vinoy Park enjoying the growing skyline of Saint Petersburg, Florida. — John Coletti / Getty Images

You'll also notice some popular tourism destinations that ranked among the top 15 U.S. cities in Travel + Leisure's 2022 World's Best Awards, including Charleston, South Carolina, Alexandria, Virginia — a suburb of 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, and the best places for young professionals or retirees, so you can find the perfect spot for you and your crew.

According the the 2022 list, the top five places to raise a family are Chesterbrook and Penn Wynne in Pennsylvania (which took the top two spots), with Great Neck Gardens in New York, Long Grove in Illinois, and Syosset in New York taking the third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively. The top three spots for the most diverse places in the U.S. — Rodeo, Vallejo, and Valley Hi / North Laguna — are all in California, while Dunlap, Washington, and Queens, New York, rounded out the top five.

Hell's Kitchen and Nolita in New York took the two spots for best places for young professionals in 2022, while Telegraph Hill in California, Center Square in New York, and Showplace Square in California took spots three through five. As for retirees, Florida locales dominated, with Pelican Bay, Highland Beach, Indian River Shores, and South Palm Beach taking the first, third, fourth, and fifth spots — only the second spot, Lake Success in New York, was located outside the Sunshine State.