Current:Home > FinanceBest cities to live in the U.S., according U.S. News & World Report-InfoLens
Best cities to live in the U.S., according U.S. News & World Report
View Date:2024-12-23 14:39:58
Why was Naples, Florida, just ranked the best place to live in the U.S.? It has much to do with the beachfront city's job prospects and overall quality of life for residents, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Naples, a resort city, scored especially high for the value residents get for their money and for the ample job opportunities, which were both weighted more heavily in the publication's ranking this year compared with previous editions.
"This year's survey found people are concerned about the economy and want more financial stability, so the value and job market categories were the factors that were most important to people. That's something that really helped Naples," Erika Giovanetti, U.S. News and World Report's loans expert, told CBS MoneyWatch.
Naples — with an ultra-low unemployment rate of just 2.9% as of April, well under the overall U.S. rate of 3.9% — also offers relatively high salaries and boasts one of the strongest job markets in the country. Top local industries in terms of job prospects include tourism and health care.
"There is a big retiree population, so there is a lot of well-paid work for health care employees willing to take care of an aging population in that part of the country," Giovanetti said.
U.S. News' analysis ranks 150 larger U.S. cities based on criteria including the health of the local job market, affordability of housing, value, quality of life and overall desirability. The rankings are designed to help Americans make informed decisions about where to reside based on their priorities, according to the media outlet.
To assess those priorities, U.S. News asked thousands of Americans what matters most to them when choosing place to live. It created four indexes based on respondents' answers, weighted as follows: Quality of Life (32%), Value (27%), Job Market (22%), Desirability (19%). The latter category takes into account factors such as weather, number of bars and restaurants per capita, and net migration.
This year's findings reflected rising consumer concerns about career opportunities and a city's general affordability. Quality of life remains Americans' top priority, and was therefore most heavily weighted to determine the rankings.
"While inflation has come down in recent months, Americans are still feeling the impact on their wallets, so finding a place that is affordable and where they feel like they have job stability is increasingly important," Giovanetti said. "We have also seen cooling off in the labor market over the past several years, and more people feel like they have less power with employers, so they want to live in places where they won't be unemployed."
Boise, Idaho landed at No. 2 on this year's ranking, earning high marks for its value while scoring less well in the desirability category, while Colorado Springs, Colorado, ranked third.
Greenville, South Carolina, ranked No. 4, while Charlotte and Raleigh in North Carolina ranked No. 5 and No. 6, respectively, with the three cities scoring well for their buoyant job market and quality of life.
All cities in U.S. News' top five "had a good balance of everything" and were especially strong in terms of value, housing affordability and job market, Giovanetti said. "We are really looking for cities that shine in those categories."
Not surprisingly, major cities like New York City and Los Angeles, California, faltered in the value category given their high costs of living. New York ranked No. 124 on U.S. News' list, while Los Angeles came in at No. 130.
"It can be very difficult for big cities to rank well, and a lot of that has to do with the value index, especially with the outsized impact value has on this year's rankings," Giovanetti told CBS MoneyWatch.
"Especially for people looking to buy, it's not reasonable for them to think of finding a place to buy in New York or L.A., even though the higher salaries help to cut into that. It's not enough to offset the value," she added
U.S. News' top 10 best cities to live in the U.S. are below. Click here for the full list.
- Naples, Florida
- Boise, Idaho
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Austin, Texas
- Boulder, Colorado
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.
veryGood! (8572)
Related
- Klay Thompson returns to Golden State in NBA Cup game. How to watch
- Minneapolis passes Gaza cease-fire resolution despite mayor’s veto
- TikToker Cat Janice Shares “Last Joy” With 7-Year-Old Son Amid Her Rare Sarcoma Cancer Battle
- Man who diverted national park river to ease boat access on Lake Michigan convicted of misdemeanors
- Judith Jamison, acclaimed Alvin Ailey American dancer and director, dead at 81
- Georgia football zooms past own record by spending $5.3 million on recruiting
- Botched's Dr. Terry Dubrow Has Officially Weighed in on RHOBH's Esophagus-Gate Controversy
- What women's college basketball games are on this weekend? One of the five best includes ACC clash
- Florida man’s US charges upgraded to killing his estranged wife in Spain
- Pakistan election offices hit by twin bombings, killing at least 24 people a day before parliamentary vote
Ranking
- Singles' Day vs. Black Friday: Which Has the Best Deals for Smart Shoppers?
- Tributes pour in as trans advocate Cecilia Gentili dies at 52, a week after her birthday
- 17-year-old boy shot and killed by police during welfare check in Columbus, Nebraska
- Jason Isbell files for divorce from Amanda Shires after nearly 11 years of marriage: Reports
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul VIP fight package costs a whopping $2M. Here's who bought it.
- A West Virginia ‘Women’s Bill of Rights’ is an effort to suppress transgender people, critics say
- Stock market today: Tokyo hits 30-year high, with many Asian markets shut for Lunar New Year holiday
- Biden aides meet in Michigan with Arab American and Muslim leaders, aiming to mend political ties
Recommendation
-
A list of mass killings in the United States this year
-
Back-to-back Super Bowl winners: Chiefs can join legendary champions with Super Bowl 58 win
-
What if the government abolished your 401(k)? Economists say accounts aren't worth it
-
Search resumes at charred home after shootout and fire left 2 officers hurt and 6 people missing
-
2 Florida women charged after shooting death of photographer is livestreamed
-
Maryland judges’ personal information protected under bill passed by Senate after fatal shooting
-
Sheriff’s deputies corral wayward kangaroo near pool at Florida apartment complex
-
In possible test of federal labor law, Georgia could make it harder for some workers to join unions