U.S. News and World Report has released its annual list of the best U.S. cities to live in for 2024. At the top of this year’s list: Naples, Florida; Boise, Idaho; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Greenville, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Naples, Florida
Naples scored high as a retirement destination. It offers a range of beaches, golf, shopping and dining, and its sunshine and warmth give it a seasonal appeal for those looking to escape the cold. Continued development is cramping its affordability, however, and traffic is getting worse.
Boise, Idaho
Boise scored high for its wide range of outdoor recreation options, as well as its boom-town development and food and arts scene. The city of Boise and state of Idaho also claim relatively low taxes and cost of living.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is another city with a wide array of outdoor recreation on offer, with lots of hiking and biking trails and a relatively mild climate at more than 6,000 feet above sea level. While the city can be relatively affordable compared to Denver up the road, it’s growing fast, especially in its suburbs to the north and east of downtown.
Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville focuses on its downtown quarter, where the culinary and arts scene is thriving. The city is getting a boost from new manufacturing jobs, which in turn help support a local economy of boutiques and restaurants. College football is a big draw as well, with the University of South Carolina and Clemson University nearby.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is a regional banking hub that has retained its Southern charm. The city is relatively affordable and has temperate weather, a booming brewery scene and is a few hours’ drive from the beach and the Appalachian mountains.
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Rounding out the top ten on this year’s list of best cities are Raleigh, North Carolina; Huntsville, Alabama; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Austin, Texas and Boulder, Colorado.
U.S. News and World Report crunches data from the U.S. Census, the FEMA national risk index, air quality measures, crime rates, weather, tax indexes and other sources to come up with its rankings. You can read about its methods and findings here.
