The 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S.

Ready to move to a new city? Looking to live in one of the best places in the United States?

Whether you’re looking for a better job, a fresh start or you’re simply stuck in a rut – change can be a good thing. Thankfully, our beautiful country is home to thousands of amazing cities. From large, densely populated metropolises to quaint, mid-size towns, there’s a city to fit everyone’s individual lifestyles, interests and budgets. Before you start the house-hunting process though, we recommend taking a look at these 10 great places (listed below alphabetically) to call home. In our opinion – and many others – these metro areas offer booming job markets and a high quality of life, as well as plenty of cultural activities, good eats and beautiful surroundings!

Atlanta, GA – Looking for great weather, schools and job opportunities? Consider moving to the Atlanta, Georgia area. This fast-growing southern city offers all this and more. The capital of Georgia is quickly becoming a hotspot for young professionals, given its thriving business landscape and cost-efficient housing markets in nearby suburban towns. Not only does the city boast a high median annual income of $50,424, but it also claims the fifth highest job growth rate in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report . With major companies, like Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola and The Home Depot, all calling Atlanta home, it’s certainly a city to consider when choosing a new place to live.

Austin, TX – Without a doubt, the state capital of Texas is one of the best places to live in America. While Texas boasts a multitude of thriving cities and towns to choose from, Austin is certainly one of its more interesting areas. This wonderfully “weird” city’s culture, restaurant scene and job market make it a magnet for millennials. According to NerdWallet’s latest study, Austin is also the best large city in America for job seekers. The study, which took into account unemployment rates, monthly rental rates and salaries, found that Austin residents earn a median annual income of $45,669. This city is also a particularly great place to live if you’re a young professional. The study found a higher-than-average percentage of 20-somethings in Austin – many of them working in the technology sector at places like Dell, Apple and IBM.

Denver, CO – Have a hankering for the great outdoors? We recommend moving to the beautiful city of Denver, Colorado. The Mile High City, famous for its ideal location at the base of the Rocky Mountains, offers numerous outdoor activities nearby, including skiing and snowboarding, as well as plenty of other recreational things to do. With a median annual income of $47,741, the state capital of Colorado features a thriving cultural scene, beautiful surroundings, unique weather and – best of all – plenty of tech jobs in the aerospace industry. The city is such a great place to live that U.S. News and World Report even ranked it as number one in its most recent “Best Places to Live” list.

Jersey City, NJ – Located just across the Hudson from the bright lights of Manhattan, Jersey City is quickly gaining attention for being one of the best cities in terms of cost-of-living and lifestyle factors. According to a study by SmartAsset , the New Jersey town is the number one most livable city in the United States. Residents of Jersey City benefit from high salaries and a lower cost-of-living, thanks to the city’s affordable housing market and access to top jobs in the New York City area. According to the study, Jersey City also has the third-highest income after housing and ranked fourth in overall walkability.

Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN – Looking for a job? You’ll likely find one in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Given its booming economy and excellent quality of life, it’s no wonder this thriving metropolis has ended up on numerous “best of” lists lately. According to The Atlantic , the Twin Cities rank in the top 10 for “highest college-graduation rate, highest median earnings, and lowest poverty rate.” The Midwestern cities both offer a hopping downtown scene and a handful of interesting neighborhoods to choose from. According to U.S. News and World Report , residents get to experience all of the pros of big-city amenities, like museums, sports, restaurants and shopping, without the typical cons that go along with living in a big city.

Newton, MA – Located next door to Boston, this suburban city gained plenty of attention in 2016 for being named one of the “Best Places to Live in America” by Money – and for good reason. The picture perfect town sits just seven miles west of a major city, making it an easy commute to all of the good eats, rich history, job opportunities and everything else that Boston has to offer. Newton, itself, is made up of 13 different villages, many of which have their own “downtown” scenes. Additionally, the town boasts an excellent public school system (rated an A+ by Niche.com .), as well as a slew of cultural events, family-friendly activities and an up-and-coming food scene.

Raleigh-Durham, NC – If you’re looking for an area with a family-friendly atmosphere and a strong job market, then I suggest looking into the Raleigh-Durham metro area. Located next door to each other, the southern tri-city region (which includes Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill) was recently listed as a top five place to live in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. The report states that Raleigh-Durham attracts 80 new residents daily with its “job growth, high quality of life and strong sense of community.” For the gastronomes and craft beer enthusiasts out there, you should also know that this area offers a hot restaurant scene and a wide-selection of buzz-worthy microbreweries.

San Jose, CA – Named one of the top 10 most liveable cities in America by SmartAsset , this sunny and sprawling California city is located just south of San Francisco. The city, nicknamed “the capital of Silicon Valley,” offers a solid job market and excellent schools. Despite its close proximity to major tech headquarters, U.S. News and World Report notes that San Jose retains its charm, boasting a 160-room, maze-like Winchester Mystery House; a 120-acre flea market complete with ponies; and a larger-than-life-size Monopoly board listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.” Recently, the magazine also dubbed San Jose the 10th best place to live in the U.S., citing a high median annual salary for its residents of $75,770.

Sarasota, FL – Anyone looking for a tropical paradise should strongly consider Sarasota. The city, located on Florida’s Gulf Coast (near Tampa), is quickly becoming a hotspot for families, snowbirds and retirees looking for warm temperatures, a hot job market, top-notch restaurants and fabulous shopping. U.S. News and World Report notes that the city of Sarasota boasts “ one of the highest rates of population growth from net migration out of all the metro areas in the top 20.” However, this will come as no surprise to anyone who has experienced Sarasota’s incredible, award-winning beaches. In 2015, one of Sarasota’s beautiful beaches, the Siesta Public Beach, was even named the number one beach in the United States by TripAdvisor’s 2015 Travelers’ Choice awards.

Seattle, WA – Ranked as the seventh “Best Place to Live in America” by U.S. News and World Report , this Pacific Northwest city is filled to the brim with interesting places to see and fun things to do. The city offers numerous top-notch restaurants, nearby wineries, forests, mountains and beautiful parks. In addition to being a beautiful place to live, Seattle ranked as the fourth best city in the country for job seekers by NerdWallet. The city boasts an above-average number of young professionals, as well as an impressive median annual salary of $62,903. Big deal Seattle-based employers like Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing and Providence Health lure thousands of people to this booming city, making it the perfect hotbed for a large tech industry.

Other great cities to consider:

Lucky for us, America has many potentially great places to live. In addition to these towns listed above, I recommend researching these other highly regarded cities (listed below).