Just in case you were considering moving elsewhere (blasphemy!), you should know that Chicago was just crowned the 17th best city in the world—one of only five U.S. towns to appear in an annual ranking by Resonance Consultancy, a marketing group, and Ipsos, a multinational market research and consulting firm.
To come up with the report, the agencies surveyed over 22,000 folks across 31 different countries, specifically looking at both "the performance and perception of cities around the world." In a way, the survey feels like an analysis of the current state of affairs, calling out various trends and developments that have come to define the various mentioned cities.
London tops the global list for the 10th year in a row and New York lands at No. 2, the best city in the U.S.
In addition to New York and Chicago, three other towns make the top 20 ranking: San Francisco (No. 12), Los Angeles (No. 14) and Seattle (No. 19).
"Few cities on the planet are firing on all cylinders like America’s great Midwest metropolis," reads the Chicago section of the report—and we couldn't agree more.
Among the standout mentions that helped Chicago land in the top 20 is the city's $275-million biomedical hub, the Millennium Park Summer Music Series, new nightlife spots and Michelin-starred restaurants.
Still thinking of moving?
The world’s 20 best cities in 2025, according to Resonance
- London, UK
- New York, USA
- Paris, France
- Tokyo, Japan
- Singapore
- Rome, Italy
- Madrid, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain
- Berlin, Germany
- Sydney, Australia
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- San Francisco, United States
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Los Angeles, United States
- Toronto, Canada
- Seoul, North Korea
- Chicago, United States
- Vienna, Austria
- Seattle, United States
- Milan, Italy
You can read the full Resonance report here.