Over the past 18 months, almost half of Americans either moved or thought about it. If you look into your options, you’ll find that the most livable places in the U.S. aren’t necessarily the biggest, and sometimes they’re surprising. So if you’re one of the millions of people contemplating moving and you’re looking for a small or mid-sized town that has it all, this list of the best places to live is for you.
How Did We Pick These 25 Best Places To Live?
For eight years, Livability.com has been collecting data from surveys and studies to analyze 1,000 cities in America to find some of our country’s best places to live. They look at the factors that people care about for a hometown, like how safe it is, how affordable it would be to live there, the stability and availability of well-paying jobs, opportunities for outdoor activities, and how engaged the community is.
Then they build a list of places that seemingly do the impossible. These unicorn cities score high on multiple factors and provide residents with so much. So what are you waiting for? Your next hometown could be one of these 25 Best Places to Live.
1. Madison, Wisconsin
One of the best college towns in the country, Madison, Wisconsin, is much more than meets the eye. Located between Lake Mendota and Monona (offering residents tons of hiking and biking trail options), it also has a strong economy. It is an excellent place for new college graduates and retirees, and anyone in between. On top of that, it also has beautiful architecture (thanks to Frank Lloyd Wright) and lovely farmers’ markets to enjoy.
2. Ann Arbor, Michigan
Known mainly as the home of the University of Michigan, this college town is buzzing with culture, green vistas, and innovation, making it one of the best places to live in the U.S. Ann Arbor has a tech startup scene that helped launch Nokia and Duo Security and helping make tomorrow’s innovations a reality.
3. Overland Park, Kansas
If you’re looking for a suburb with peaceful scenery, look into Overland Park. With excellent schools, affordable houses, and plenty of theatres, this nearby city to St. Louis received high marks. Overland Park offers a lot, from a killer barbeque scene, an extensive botanical garden, and large employers like T-Mobile.