Gracie WarhurstNaples, Florida, ranked first in U.S. News and World Report’s (USN) 150 best places to live. The annual list compiled data from government and internal resources to help readers determine where to settle down.
USN evaluated four factors: quality of life (32%), value (27%), job market (22%) and desirability (17%), weighing them based on what respondents said they cared about most in a 2024 survey.
Quality of life considers crime rates, education quality, resident well-being, commute times, healthcare quality, air quality and natural hazard risks. The value index includes housing affordability and regional price differences.
Desirability was determined by migration trends, weather and density of restaurants and bars. The job market index looked at unemployment rates and median household incomes. Data, from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI and the Department of Labor, was standardized and converted to a 0-10 scale.
Through these measures, USN determine the top 10 cities to live are:
| Rank | City | Overall score |
| 1. | Naples, Florida | 7.1 |
| 2. | Boise, Idaho | 7.0 |
| 3. | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 7.0 |
| 4. | Greenville, South Carolina | 6.9 |
| 5. | Charlotte, North Carolina | 6.8 |
| 6. | Raleigh, North Carolina | 6.8 |
| 7. | Huntsville, Alabama | 6.8 |
| 8. | Virginia Beach, Virginia | 6.8 |
| 9. | Austin, Texas | 6.8 |
| 10. | Boulder, Colorado | 6.7 |
