Austin Named the Top Place to Live in the United States

In its 2018 rankings, U.S. News & World Report has named Austin, Texas the number one place to live in the United States. With a score of 7.8, the capital city was compared to the 100 most populous metro areas in the U.S. and scored based on value, desirability, job market, and quality of life.

Austin’s individual rankings included a score of 8.4 for desirability, 7.3 for value, 7.5 for job market, 7.3 for quality of life, and 9.8 for net migration. About 50 people per day move to Austin, according to the report, and the latest data put the area at a population of 1,889,094.

Austin’s unemployment rate was listed at 3.2 percent, with the top employment industries being Health Care and Social Assistance; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; and Wholesale Trade. The ranking listed the median home price at $262,449, “well above the national average” of $211,704.

In second place was Denver, Colorado with a score of 7.5. San Jose, California came in third with a score of 7.4. Washington, D.C and Fayetteville, Arkansas came in fourth and fifth with scores of 7.3. Seattle, Raleigh-Durham, Boston, Des Moines, and Salt Lake City rounded out the top 10.

California took four of the five worst places to live, with Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, and Modesto followed only by San Juan, Puerto Rico, which is recovering from a major hurricane.

The Best Places to Live rankings are intended to help readers make an informed decision about “where to settle down,” according to methodology. U.S. News & World Report also named Austin the ninth Best Place to Retire.