The 25 Best Places to Live in America

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
The 2021 Livability review of the top places to live in America looks a little different in its eight year. After the pandemic shook up the way we live and work, the data-driven list received new variables to adust for remote work options. It specifically aimed to answer the questions:
  • "If a remote job allowed you to work anywhere, what factors would you consider most important when deciding where to relocate?"
  • "What monthly housing cost would you consider affordable?"
  • "How have your housing needs and priorities changed since the start of the pandemic?"
Livability found that since March 2020, more than 42% of the U.S. population has either moved or considered moving. Analyzing more than 1,000 small- to mid-sized cities to help people determine their best options, Livability looked at several factors, including safety, affordability, economic stability, outdoor recreation, accessibility, and community engagement.
It's top 100 cities offer "the exact things so many of us are craving right now: connection, affordability, and the space and opportunity to grow."
If you are considering relocating, these are the 25 best places to go right now.

25. Durham, North Carolina

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 275,758
Livscore: 712
Top Industries & Employers: "Duke University, IBM, Fidelity Investments and Cree Inc. are some of the region’s largest employers."

24. Boise, Idaho

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 234,844
Livscore: 712
Top Industries & Employers: "St. Luke’s Health System, Boise State University, Micron Technology Inc. and nearby Mountain Home Air Force Base are some of the Boise’s largest employers."

23. Tacoma, Washington

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 217,721
Livscore: 714
Top Industries & Employers: "Maritime, tech and tech startup, arts, health care, aerospace, banking and insurance, construction" are Tacoma's biggest industries.

22. Framingham, Massachusetts

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 72,044
Livscore: 714
Top Industries & Employers: "Biotechnic, education, medical, office, and retail; Bose, Metrowest Medical Center, and Staples are major employers" in Framingham.

21. Bloomington, Indiana

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 86,048
Livscore: 715
Top Industries & Employers: No surprise, Indiana University provides loads of career opportunities in this college town. Health care in Bloomington is a strong industry, too, with major employers like Cook Group and Baxter Healthcare Pharmaceuticals.

20. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 184,962
Livscore: 717
Top Industries & Employers: "Health care, food processing, manufacturing and finance" are Sioux Falls' top industries.

19. Asheville, North Carolina

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 94,858
Livscore: 718
Top Industries & Employers: "From health care and technology to arts and culture and tourism, Asheville’s robust economy stands on several legs. Mission Health, Ingles Markets, and the Veterans Administration are some of the city’s major employers."

18. Lincoln, Nebraska

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 291,693
Livscore: 719
Top Industries & Employers: You'll find "state government, health care, higher education, transportation" as Lincoln's leading industries.

17. Plano, Texas

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 302,806
Livscore: 719
Top Industries & Employers: "Pizza Hut is Plano’s largest employer with 300,000 employees. Additionally, The Electronic Data System and J.C. Penney have a strong presence here, and Plano is widely regarded for its corporate headquarters, numerous manufacturers, small businesses, and startups from a variety of industries."

16. Franklin, Tennessee

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 83,534
Livscore: 720
Top Industries & Employers: "Manufacturing, health care and tech are significant economic drivers. Major corporations, including Nissan and Mars Petcare, have headquarters in Franklin."

15. Columbia, Maryland

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 106,585
Livscore: 721
Top Industries & Employers: Columbia's top industries are "health care, research and development, telecommunications."

14. Rochester, Minnesota

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 121,137
Livscore: 726
Top Industries & Employers: "The Mayo Clinic is the largest employer in Rochester, followed by IBM, which operates more than 3.5 million square feet of space here."

13. Omaha, Nebraska

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 483,455
Livscore: 727
Top Industries & Employers: "Military, health care, finance, transportation and manufacturing" provide the biggest opportunities in Omaha.

12. Raleigh, North Carolina

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 471,317
Livscore: 728
Top Industries & Employers: "Health care, education, advanced manufacturing, technology, life sciences" are tops in Raleigh.

11. Corvallis, Oregon

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 58,077
Livscore: 732
Top Industries & Employers: "Oregon State University and Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center are the largest employers. Corvallis also has a lesser-known tech scene with Hewlett-Packard, several software startups and a strong engineering program at OSU providing a talent pipeline."

10. Vancouver, Washington

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 188,923
Livscore: 733
Top Industries & Employers: "Small businesses are the heart of Vancouver’s economy, representing 95 percent of businesses. Major industry sectors in the region include health care, business services, retail trade, leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing."

9. Colorado Springs, Colorado

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 479,619
Livscore: 734
Top Industries & Employers: "Military, aerospace, electronics, health care, education are found in Colorado Springs, home to Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base and the U.S. Air Force Academy."

8. Roseville, California

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 147,773
Livscore: 744
Top Industries & Employers: "Health care is a top industry, with Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente and Adventist Health among the top employers" in Roseville, located just outside Sacramento.
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7. Hillsboro, Oregon

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 107,391
Livscore: 747
Top Industries & Employers: "Technology, manufacturing, health care, finance and insurance" are robust in Hillsboro.

6. Quincy, Massachusetts

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 98,882
Livscore: 749
Top Industries & Employers: "Insurance, financial services, health care, retail" are tops in Quincy.

5. Charlottesville, Virginia

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 49,262
Livscore: 760
Top Industries & Employers: "Higher education, health care, Department of Defense and related military industries" are found in Charlottesville.

4. Frederick, Maryland

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 74,032
Livscore: 760
Top Industries & Employers: "The U.S. Army (Frederick is home to Fort Detrick), education, health care, medical and life sciences research, biotech manufacturing."
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3. Overland Park, Kansas

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Poopulation: 195,920
Livscore: 765
Top Industries & Employers: "T-Mobile, which recently acquired Sprint, is the biggest employer in Overland Park. In addition to telecommunications, other top industries include education, technical services, health care, finance and insurance."

2. Ann Arbor, Michigan

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 122,982
Livscore: 773
Top Industries & Employers: "Higher education, health care, automotive research and manufacturing. Ann Arbor is also home to world-renowned tech startups like Google, Nokia and Duo Security, just to name a few."

1. Madison, Wisconsin

The 25 Best Places to Live in America
Population: 262,418
Livscore: 790
Top Industries & Employers: "Madison’s diverse economy is rooted in a variety of sectors, thanks to major employers like University of Wisconsin, Epic and American Family Insurance."

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