The Best (And Most Affordable) Places To Live In America

Looking for the best places to live in the United States? What about the cheapest places to live? Niche just issued the new report, “2024 Best Places to Live in America,” which has the answers.

Niche, a data-driven platform with ratings and reviews of cities across America, analyzes a number of categories, including the best cities (which it defines as urban areas with a population of 100,000 or more), the best suburbs, the best neighborhoods, the best places (defined as a non-rural town with a population of 1,000 or more, including neighborhoods, suburbs, and cities), the best spots with the lowest cost of living, the best locations for young professionals and more.

This is the 10th year that Niche has issued the Best Places to Live in America report. “It provides people with the tools and information they need to discover their best-fit options based on whatever they value most,” Zach Chatham, PR manager at Niche, told me in an interview. “It’s a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about what a place is really like, whether that be to visit on vacation or to call home when moving.”

Niche’s Best Places to Live rankings are built using a wide range of public data sources. “Each year we review those sources and our methodology to ensure we’re providing people with the most accurate, informative, and helpful rankings possible,” says Chatham. “This year, we adjusted crime and safety data to rely more on Niche user data rather than third party sources.”

Compare the results to last year’s list of the best (and cheapest) places to live in America, 2022’s list of the best places to live in America, as well as the cheapest places to live in the US in 2021.

So what is the best city to live in America in 2024? Coming in at the top of the list is Naperville, Illinois—located an hour’s drive from Chicago. The city is home to an extensive parks and forest preservation network, and it performs well in several factors. “In addition to being this year’s number one Best City to Live in America (up from number three last year), Naperville is also number one in Best Cities to Raise a Family in America and number one in Cities with Best Public Schools in America, followed by a number three ranking in Best Cities to Buy a House,” says Chatham.

Other factors driving Naperville to the top include health and fitness, jobs and diversity. The weakest factor for Naperville—the weather, where it rates a C+.

This year, America’s best suburb is Carmel, Indiana, located just north of Indianapolis. It’s got lots of restaurants, coffee shops, parks and a few other winning qualities: “With a strong overall placement of number two for Best Places to Live in America, Carmel ranks highly within the key categories for a strong suburb, with top 40 placements in both Best Places to Buy a House and Best Places to Raise a Family,” says Chatham.

Coming in at the top for the best place (a non-rural town with a population of 1,000 or more): Colonial Village in Arlington, Virginia. Not far from Washington, DC, it’s got a lot to offer. “Colonial Village has done well over the years, placing in our Best Places to Live rankings since 2019, including the number spot in 2023,” says Chatham. “With improvements across many key factors such as cost of living, housing, diversity, jobs and shortest commute, Colonial Village secured the number one spot for the first time.”

Colonial Village is also the winner in the best neighborhood division—which it also topped in 2023. “It’s no surprise Colonial Village would rank number one within the neighborhood category as well,” says Chatham. “Colonial Village has been on the rise in recent years within our rankings and this year is no different with solid representation across multiple rankings, including strong ratings within our crime safety report.”

In its report, Niche also ranks the cheapest cities to live in the US At the top of the list this year is South Bend, Indiana, a three-point jump from 2023, when it ranked number four. “Carrying a top 100 ranking for overall Best Cities to Live in America, South Bend is well represented within the cost efficiency categories, with the key contributor being their number 12 ranking for Best Cities to Buy a House,” says Chatham.

In addition to its affordability, South Bend is known for the University of Notre Dame. One of the big downsides for South Bend—crime and safety, where it rates a D+.

In its report, Niche also ranks the cheapest places to live in the US The winner is the Texas Hill Country town of Heidelberg, a small enclave located just outside McAllen. “Heidelberg performs strongly within the cost efficiency categories and is supplemented with the added value of no state income tax,” says Chatham. “Heidelberg ranks highly within Texas for cost to buy a home and they are number one for lowest cost of living for both places and suburbs in America.”

In its report, Niche also ranks the best spots for young professionals. The best city for young professionals is Cambridge, Massachusetts. It’s not only home to Harvard University, it also has a thriving technology industry. The downside—expensive housing. “Cambridge has consistently ranked highly since 2018, earning the number three Best Place to Live in America in 2024, after landing at number one overall just last year,” says Chatham. “Boasting ranks of number nine for Best Cities with Outdoor Activities and number five for Healthiest Cities in America, Cambridge provides a great opportunity for a young professional.”

For young professionals, Niche also ranks the best places and the best neighborhoods. The winner in both categories—Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. In addition to all the opportunities afforded here, reviewers rave about this Manhattan neighborhood’s diversity, sense of community and surprisingly family-friendly vibe. “Providing a hotbed of employment opportunities in the heart of New York City, Hell’s Kitchen has shown why they are a strong option for young professionals, earning the number one ranking for Best Place for Young Professionals for the 3rd time in as many years,” says Chatham. “Beyond ample employment opportunities, Hell’s Kitchen has also earned a top 100 ranking (number 79) for overall Best Places to Live in America in 2024.”

Read on for the lists of the best cities to live in the US, the most affordable places to live and more. And head to Niche.com, where you can see longer lists, plus the healthiest cities, the best spots for families and more.

10 Best Cities To Live In The US

A city is defined as a principal city for an urbanized area with a population of 100,000 or more.

1. Naperville, Illinois
2. The Woodlands, Texas
3. Cambridge, MA
4. Arlington, Va
5. Plano, Texas
6. Irvine, California
7. Columbia, Maryland
8. Overland Park, Kansas
9. Ann Arbor, Mich
10. Bellevue, Washington

10 Best Places To Live In The US

A place is defined as a non-rural town with a population of 1,000 or more, including neighborhoods, suburbs, and cities.

1. Colonial Village – Arlington, Virginia
2. Carmel, Indiana
3. Chesterbrook, Pa
4. Uptown – Tampa, Florida
5. Cinco Ranch, Texas
6. Hyde Park-Spanishtown Creek – Tampa, Florida
7. Evergreen Park – Palo Alto, California
8. Radnor/Fort Myer Heights – Arlington, Virginia
9. Harbor Island – Tampa, Florida
10. College Terrace – Palo Alto, California

10 Best Suburbs To Live In The US

A suburb is defined as a place located within a Census-defined urbanized area, but outside the principal city with a population of at least 1,000.

1. Carmel, Indiana
2. Chesterbrook, Pa
3. Cinco Ranch, Texas
4. Brookline, MA
5. Ardmore, Pa
6. Johns Creek, Georgia
7. North Bethesda, Maryland
8. Okemos, Mich
9. Blue Ash, Ohio
10. Brentwood, MO

10 Best Neighborhoods To Live In The US

A neighborhood is defined as a place with a population of at least 1,000 located within a city.

1. Colonial Village – Arlington, Virginia
2. Uptown – Tampa, Florida
3. Hyde Park-Spanishtown Creek – Tampa, Florida
4. Evergreen Park – Palo Alto, California
5. Radnor/Fort Myer Heights – Arlington, Virginia
6. Harbor Island – Tampa, Florida
7. College Terrace – Palo Alto, California
8. South Lake Union – Seattle, Washington
9. Audubon Park – Orlando, Florida
10. Clardendon/Courthouse – Arlington, Virginia

10 Most Affordable Cities To Live In The US

A city is defined as a principal city for an urbanized area with a population of 100,000 or more.

1. South Bend, Indiana
2. Brownsville, Texas
3. Evansville, Indiana
4. Fort Wayne, Indiana
5. Dayton, Ohio
6. Wichita Falls, Texas
7. Toledo, OH
8. Akron, OH
9. Springfield, Illinois
10. Rockford, IL

10 Most Affordable Places To Live In The US

A place is defined as a non-rural town with a population of 1,000 or more, including neighborhoods, suburbs, and cities.

1. Heidelberg, Texas
2. Chattahoochee, Florida
3. El Cenizo, Texas
4. Seth Ward, Texas
5. Banner Hill, Tenn
6. Tornillo, Texas
7. Falfurrias, Texas
8. Pearl River, Mississippi
9. Pine Ridge, South Dakota
10. Llano Grande, Texas

10 Best Cities for Young Professionals

A city is defined as a principal city for an urbanized area with a population of 100,000 or more.

1. Cambridge, MA
2. San Francisco
3. Seattle
4. Washington, DC
5. Arlington, Va
6. Boston
7. Berkeley, California
8. Minneapolis
9. Santa Clara, California
10. Alexandria, Va

10 Best Neighborhoods for Young Professionals

A neighborhood is defined as a place with a population of at least 1,000 located within a city.

1. Hell’s Kitchen – New York City
2. Civic Center – San Francisco
3. Lower Nob Hill – San Francisco
4. Downtown – Washington, DC
5. Golden Triangle – Washington, DC
6. Little Italy – New York City
7. South of Market – San Francisco
8. Downtown – Seattle, Washington
9. South Lake Union – Seattle, Washington
10. Mount Vernon Square – Washington, DC

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