The top 10 places to live in the USA

Written by |
Advertisement

A Maryland community that’s located between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., has been named the best place to live in the United States, according to Money magazine.

And the best place to live in America is…

The publisher visited dozens of cities nationwide before naming the winner: Columbia, Maryland.

The nearly 50-year-old planned community received praise from the magazine for its good schools, job opportunities and access to affordable housing – as well as diversity.

Here are a few snapshots from this top-ranked town:

The annual list rates small towns on dozens of factors, including affordable housing, strong job opportunities and low taxes. The magazine prioritized economic factors to come up with the rankings.

Here are the top 10 places to live in the USA! 

10. Naperville, Illinois

  • Population 141,310
  • Median home price $350,000
  • Unemployment rate 5.1%

9. Beaverton, Oregon

  • Population 96,500
  • Median home price $319,950
  • Unemployment rate 4.7%

8. Weston, Florida

  • Population 69,081
  • Median home price $365,000
  • Unemployment rate 4.5%

7. Clarkstown, New York

  • Population 84,787
  • Median home price $360,000
  • Unemployment rate 3.9%

6. Highlands Ranch, Colorado

  • Population 105,132
  • Median home price $410,000
  • Unemployment rate 3.4%

5. Parsippany–Troy Hills, New Jersey

  • Population 53,173
  • Median home price $356,500
  • Unemployment rate 3.9%

4. West Des Moines, Iowa

  • Population 64,478
  • Median home price $187,500
  • Unemployment rate 3.9%

3. Plano, Texas

  • Population 277,767
  • Median home price $301,848
  • Unemployment rate 3.6%

2. Eden Prairie, Minnesota

  • Population 62,617
  • Median home price $310,000
  • Unemployment rate 3.5%

1. Columbia, Maryland

  • Population 102,221
  • Median home price $310,000
  • Unemployment rate 3.5%

You can check out the full top 50 list on Money magazine’s website, plus an interactive tool that lets you see how your town stacks up to the cities on the list or the national average.

Read more: 10 cities where you can live large on a $60,000 salary or less