US News and World Report recently released its annual ranking of the cities in the United States with the best quality of life. The cities were ranked based on the following factors:
• Crime rates
• Quality of education
• Well-being
• Transportation
• Quality and availability of healthcare
• Air Quality Index (AQI)
• National Risk Index from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is used to determine the risk of a metropolitan area experiencing natural disasters and community risk factors
The best city in the US for quality of life is Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Score: 7.9
Ann Arbor is the best city in the US for quality of life. A 2023 report from SmartAsset states that Ann Arbor saw its Generation Z population – ages 18 to 24 – grow the fastest in 2022. The city had 26.4% new members of Generation Z.
Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, which is one of the largest employers in the city. Ann Arbor is also considered part of the Detroit metropolitan area, just under an hour’s drive away.
The cost of living in the Michigan city is 4% above the national average, according to PayScale. The average home value in Ann Arbor is $471,650, a 5.7% increase from last year, according to Zillow.
Boulder, Colorado, is the second-best city in the US for quality of life, with a score of 7.7.
The city boasts over 60 parks and 250 kilometers of hiking trails. The downtown area is filled with restaurants and bars, while the outdoor Pearl Street Mall is considered a popular shopping destination.
Like Ann Arbor, Boulder was named a city with one of the fastest-growing populations among Generation Z, according to SmartAsset. The city had 23.4% new members of Generation Z and a total of 33.2% of that population last year.
Boulder is located about 40 kilometers north of Colorado’s capital, Denver, and is home to the largest campus of the University of Colorado.
The average home value in Boulder is $958,651, down 1.3% from last year, according to Zillow.
The 10 best cities in the US for quality of life
1. Ann Arbor, Michigan.
2. Boulder, Colo.
3. Madison, Wisconsin.
4. San Jose, California
5. Portland, Maine
6. Boston, Massachusetts.
7. Green Bay, Wisconsin.
8. Hartford, Connecticut.
9. Rochester, New York
10. Trenton, N.J.