What are the best qualities of your hometown? It may be the fact that it’s easy to get around, there are plenty of job opportunities or that it attracts new residents every year. To determine the Best Places to Live rankings, U.S. News looks at data on the country’s 125 largest metro areas, including the cost of living, job market, crime rates, quality of education and more. The data is weighted based on the responses from a survey of more than 2,000 people throughout the U.S. to determine what matters most to them when picking their next place to live. Read on for the 25 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2018.
Metro Population: 4,728,844 Median Home Price: $399,458 Median Annual Salary: $64,080
Beantown takes the No. 25 spot, earning recognition for its strong job market. However, Boston’s job market, net migration and desirability scores all dropped slightly compared to its ranking in 2017, when the New England metro area ranked the No. 8 Best Place to Live.
Metro Population: 441,724 Median Home Value: $223,600* Median Annual Salary: $40,330
Making its first appearance in the Best Places to Live rankings, Asheville receives its highest scores for quality of life – a measure that combines health care, education, crime and commute data – as well as desirability, which is based on a Google Consumer Survey of 2,500 people throughout the U.S.
(*The median home price for Asheville was not available, so median home value is listed.)
Metro Population: 663,680 Median Home Price: $221,475 Median Annual Salary: $43,040
Idaho’s capital makes the list with high scores for population growth due to net migration and housing affordability compared with its median annual household income. However, compared with previous years, Boise fell back in its perceived desirability among U.S. residents, ranking No. 74 in that category.
Metro Population: 2,381,152 Median Home Price: $200,942 Median Annual Salary: $49,600
Like Boise, Charlotte saw its largest year-over-year ranking drop in desirability, where it ranked No. 44 out of the 125 largest metro areas in the U.S. Still, Charlotte gets high scores for its low cost of living and growing population due to net migration.
Metro Population: 495,193 Median Home Value: $161,600* Median Annual Salary: $43,620
Lexington-Fayette is a small but flourishing metro area with a low cost of living compared to median household income, as well as an average morning commute of just 21.3 minutes – putting it in the top 20 places on the list for shortest commute – and high levels of college preparedness among high school students.
(*The median home price for Lexington-Fayette was not available, so median home value is listed.)
Metro Population: 4,577,530 Median Home Price: $790,233 Median Annual Salary: $69,110
Despite being one of the most expensive places to live in the country, San Francisco is a top market to find a job and continues to reign as a desirable place to live among U.S. residents. Still, an increased cost of living and slowed population growth due to net migration are significant factors in San Francisco’s fall from the No. 16 spot last year.
Metro Population: 4,486,153 Median Home Price: $235,333 Median Annual Salary: $47,540
With roughly the same population as San Francisco, Phoenix is on the list at No. 19. With a median home price one-third than that of San Francisco, according to real estate information company Zillow, Phoenix jumped into the top 20 this year from No. 44 in 2017.
Metro Population: 6,957,123 Median Home Price: $210,181 Median Annual Salary: $50,350
The largest metro area in the top 25, Dallas-Fort Worth's highest score is for population growth due to net migration between 2012 and 2016, when the area saw a 5.6 percent increase.
Metro Population: 1,943,107 Median Home Price: $932,108 Median Annual Salary: $78,990
San Francisco’s Bay Area neighbor and the capital of Silicon Valley, San Jose slides from the No. 3 spot in 2017 to No. 17 this year. While San Jose saw drops in desirability and affordability, the area maintains its hold on the No. 1 job market in the U.S.
Metro Population: 634,269 Median Home Price: $238,375 Median Annual Salary: $50,830
Madison takes the No. 16 spot in the Best Places to Live ranking, in large part due to the metro area’s growing job market. The Madison metro area boasts an unemployment rate of just 2.4 percent and a median annual salary of $50,830, just above the national average of $49,630.
Metro Population: 2,361,981 Median Home Price: $280,894 Median Annual Salary: $46,221
Salt Lake City is recognized for its strong job market, ability to attract new residents and overall quality of life. The biggest contributor to the Utah capital’s top-15 ranking is the fact that it’s one of the 10 most affordable places to live out of the 125 metro areas considered.
Metro Population: 2,332,345 Median Home Price: $200,667 Median Annual Salary: $45,210
San Antonio moves up nine spots in the Best Places to Live ranking this year, with particular growth in its desirability among U.S. residents. San Antonio is also the 16th fastest-growing metro area, with a population increase of more than 6.5 percent between 2012 and 2016 due to net migration alone.
Metro Population: 1,786,119 Median Home Price: $227,814 Median Annual Salary: $52,669
The Raleigh and Durham metro area continues to be an attractive place for people to consider living, thanks to its affordability and job market. Research, technology, education and health care are consistently growing industries in the area.
Metro Population: 1,028,173 Median Home Price: $166,608 Median Annual Salary: $43,610
Ranking highest on the list for quality of life, this western Michigan metro area comes in just outside the top 10 on the overall Best Places to Live ranking. Grand Rapids has particularly high scores for its quality of education, short commute time, low rates of property crime and murder and general happiness among residents, per the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, which examines residents' satisfaction with where they live and their physical health, combined with the area's economic stability.
Metro Population: 1,794,570 Median Home Price: $236,267 Median Annual Salary: $45,780
Nashville moves up two spots from last year, with many U.S. residents viewing the Tennessee metro area as a desirable place to live. People are also acting on that feeling, as Nashville has grown by 6.7 percent between 2012 and 2016 due to net migration alone.
Metro Population: 3,671,095 Median Home Price: $403,650 Median Annual Salary: $61,170
Seattle rounds out the top 10, with its consistently strong job market and high desirability among U.S. residents as a place to live. But the Emerald City falls four spots from 2017, when it ranked No. 6 in the overall Best Places to Live list.
Metro Population: 3,488,436 Median Home Price: $237,367 Median Annual Salary: $55,010
Minnesota’s Twin Cities metro area takes the No. 9 spot after scoring No. 17 in 2017. The primary reason for the eight-spot jump: In addition to a steadily strong job market, population growth due to net migration and affordability, Minneapolis-St. Paul saw a sizable increase in the area’s image as a desirable place to live among U.S. residents.
Metro Population: 6,011,752 Median Home Price: $368,642 Median Annual Salary: $68,000
The nation’s capital maintains a strong job market – the third-best, after San Jose and San Francisco – with job opportunities in both the public and private sectors. The District of Columbia is also considered desirable among U.S. residents polled, ranking 25th out of the 125 metro areas considered.
Metro Population: 440,230 Median Home Value: $159,800* Median Annual Salary: $52,960
Making its first appearance in the Best Places to Live ranking, Huntsville is the smallest metro area in the top 10. This northern Alabama metro area is the most affordable place to live out of the 125 largest metro areas in the U.S. and offers a flourishing job market, with many local companies focused on science, technology, engineering and math.
(*The median home price for Huntsville was not available, so median home value is listed.)
Metro Population: 2,351,319 Median Home Price: $349,675 Median Annual Salary: $53,960
Portland jumps 26 spots this year, making its way to No. 6 from No. 32 in 2017. U.S. residents view Portland as a highly desirable place to live, and it takes the No. 2 spot in that category. Additionally, a strong job market and consistent growth in population due to net migration over a five-year period leads to the Rose City’s rise in the rankings.
Metro Population: 503,642 Median Home Price: $182,508 Median Annual Salary: $44,980
The fast-growing metro area in northwest Arkansas has long been a strong contender in the Best Places to Live ranking, and this year is no different. Low cost of living compared with household income, strong population growth due to net migration and high quality of life scores all contribute to Fayetteville’s No. 5 ranking for 2018.
Metro Population: 611,755 Median Home Price: $181,217 Median Annual Salary: $49,420
Des Moines takes the No. 4 spot this year, with continued growth in its job market, sustained net migration to the metro area and solid quality of life scores. Des Moines also maintains a low cost of living compared to the median household income.
Metro Population: 2,752,056 Median Home Price: $362,492 Median Annual Salary: $55,910
Denver inches back another spot from No. 2 in 2017 and No. 1 in 2016. Denver remains a strong metro area with a flourishing job market and is desirable to U.S. residents, but migration to the area has slowed over the last couple of years.
Metro Population: 688,643 Median Home Price: $255,233 Median Annual Salary: $49,450
Colorado Springs makes a jump this year from No. 11 in 2017. High marks for college preparedness among high school students, a flourishing job market with multiple military bases as well as industries from aerospace to tourism and high desirability contribute to Colorado Springs’ spot near the top of the ranking this year.
Metro Population: 1,942,615 Median Home Price: $278,608 Median Annual Salary: $50,830
For the second year in a row, Austin is the No. 1 Best Place to Live in the U.S. The capital of Texas continues to receive interest from the tech industry, leading to a strong job market and high desirability among Americans as a place to live. Aside from the job opportunities, new residents are attracted to Austin for its eclectic arts and music scene, which are highlighted in the annual South by Southwest festival, which features music, film and television attractions.
Devon Thorsby
is the Real Estate editor at U.S. News & World Report, where she writes consumer-focused articles about the homebuying and selling process, home improvement, tenant rights and the state of the housing market.
She has appeared in media interviews across the U.S. including National Public Radio, WTOP (Washington, D.C.) and KOH (Reno, Nevada) and various print publications, as well as having served on panels discussing real estate development, city planning policy and homebuilding.
Previously, she served as a researcher of commercial real estate transactions and information, and is currently a member of the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Thorsby studied Political Science at the University of Michigan, where she also served as a news reporter and editor for the student newspaper The Michigan Daily. Follow her on Twitter or write to her at dthorsby@usnews.com.