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Home > Best Places to Live in the US in 2022

For the last nine years, Livability editors and data scientists have combined our great love of cities and data to create our annual ranking of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America. 

Every year, the list changes: we conduct exclusive studies and surveys, adjust our algorithm and add new variables and data points. But one thing remains constant: We always start with the data. This year, we examined more than 2,300 cities based on more than 50 data points that are grouped into eight categories, measuring a city’s economic stability, housing, amenities, infrastructure, demographics, social and civic capital and health care. This is how we calculate each city’s LivScore. 

Livscore Categories

  • Amenities
  • Economy
  • Demographics
  • Housing
  • Social and Civic Capital
  • Education
  • Health Care
  • Transportion and Infrastructure
  • Remote Readiness

Our Rankings,by the Numbers

  • >2,000 cities researched
  • >50 data points
  • 8 categories
  • Focus on mid-sized cities

Next, we craft the rankings. This year, we started with the age-old question: Why should someone want to live here?

Yes, these are all statistically great places to live, but would you actually want to live here? What are the ways in which each of these cities is creating an environment that is accommodating for remote workers? Where can you spend a Saturday afternoon or meet your friends for happy hour after a long day? How is this city different from other places?  

Since March 2020, more than 42% of the U.S. population has either moved or considered moving. As home prices hit historical highs and inflation continues to rise, it is more important than ever that we create homes in places that are both affordable and functional for a diverse and growing population. Affordability is a core value for Livability, so we look for places that are growing wages and home values while maintaining an affordable cost of living. 

This year, we focused on mid-sized cities (generally defined as 500,000 population or smaller) that are attracting big waves of young people. We also added more weight to some of our measures of diversity and inclusion in order to reflect what millennials are looking for in the cities they choose to call home. If you want to learn more about how this list came together, please check out our methodology page and ranking criteria.

At Livability.com, we are passionate about finding the good and praising it, and each of these cities has something special to offer its residents. If you’re a young person looking for a fresh start, sick of living paycheck to paycheck due to insane rent prices and want to find a community that will welcome you with open arms, this list is for you.  

These 100 cities are welcoming, affordable and offer the space and opportunity to grow, both professionally and personally. 

The only thing missing? You.

List Edited by Cara Sanders, Managing Editor & Director of Digital Marketing
Contributing Writers: Brittany Anas, Dmytryk Carreno, Lindsey Hyde and Cindy Sanders

1-25 of 231 results

  1. #5 Best Cities to Live in America.

    Overland Park

    City in Kansas,

    451 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

    Featured Review: Current Resident says Overland Park is a nice, warming, growing city, with lots of fun hidden things to do. For example, there are many fun hiking trails, exhibits, and neat restaurants to eat. Overland Park is apart of....

    Read 451 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Population: 193,412,

    • How Much Home Can You Afford?

    • 2022 Best Suburbs to Live

  2. #13 Best Cities to Live in America.

    Seattle

    City in Washington,

    1002 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

    Featured Review: Current Resident says Lived in this city most my life, almost 40 years. Due to the tech industry it’s ungodly expensive now. However, it’s a fun city, beautiful, so much to do. Lots of sports, art, cinema, and nearby....

    Read 1002 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Population: 741,251,

  3. #25 Best Cities to Live in America.

    Austin

    City in Texas,

    2405 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

    Featured Review: Current Resident says I would consider the Commute Time and Cost of Living to be the biggest downsides of Austin, TX. It's a huge and rapidly growing city, which means everything is pretty expensive and traffic is bad.However, I have lived here for the past 5 years and I love it! There is so much diversity and so much to do. There are so many different people from different backgrounds to meet, and so many...I've spent all of my high school experience in Austin. The school I go to has it's down sides, but it's pretty great. My high school in Austin has definitely been better than my middle school in...Overall, Austin is a great place to live..

    Read 2405 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A,

    Population: 965,872,

  4. Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    ATLANTA, GA,

    PK, K-12,

    94 Niche users give it an average review of 4.4 stars.

    Featured Review: Parent says Our children graduated in 2016 & 2018 & AIS keeps on giving! They have a great network of friends and connections all around the world. It's true that the IB curriculum is challenging but (& this is unusual) the entire school follow it, not just an elite few, so the level of IB expertise, resource and support is unparalleled. There are myths about the language programs, you really don't need to be a linguist! Ours had no 2nd language when they joined, one finished with a bilingual IB Diploma, another took standard level...AIS prepared our kids well for universities in the US and abroad & the school gave us all a really interesting, supportive community. We wanted them to have a great education, a friendly community and a truly international outlook and that is exactly what the school gave them..

    Read 94 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 1,314,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 7 to 1,

  5. Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    DACULA, GA,

    PK, K-12,

    154 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

    Featured Review: Senior says I have personally enjoyed gaining an education at Hebron, as the teachers, staff, and faculty fully care for and invest in all students attending, and they are well experienced in their subject and....

    Read 154 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A minus,

    Students: 950,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 15 to 1,

What's the top 10 best places to live in the United states?

The Best Places to Live in America: 10 Best Cities.
The Woodlands, Texas..
Cambridge, Massachusetts..
Naperville, Illinois..
Arlington, Virginia..
Overland Park, Kansas..
Ann Arbor, Michigan..
Columbia, Maryland..
Berkeley, California..

Where is the best town to live in USA?

Atlanta, Georgia is the best place to live in the U.S. in 2022 because of its booming jobs market and eye on equality.

What are the Top 5 Best Places to Live in the US?

Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2022-2023.
Huntsville, AL..
Colorado Springs, CO..
Green Bay, WI..
San Jose, CA..
Raleigh & Durham, NC..

What US city has the highest quality of life?

The U.S. Cities With The Highest Quality of Life 2022.
San Diego, California..
Hartford, Connecticut..
Portland, Maine..
Reno, Nevada..
Fort Collins, Colorado..
Boston, Massachusetts..
Madison, Wisconsin..
Trenton, New Jersey..