Whether you're daydreaming about a future move or actually looking to relocate, browsing best of lists can be inspiring. Niche, a top platform connecting students and families with schools and colleges, has released its 2025 Best Places to Live in America rankings, so there's a fresh list available for your perusal.
This year's list evaluated 230 cities and over 18,000 locations nationwide, using a variety of data points to determine the best places to live, best cities to live, best cities to buy a house, cities with the lowest cost of living, most diverse places to live and other specialized rankings. Besides national rankings, you can explore the best places to live by state, metro area, or county, with tailored lists for families, young professionals, homebuyers, retirees and more.
What makes a place great to live?
Niche's rankings use data from the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the CDC, alongside millions of resident reviews. Factors that make a place great to live in include affordability, housing, diversity, public schools, and walkability.
According to these data points, Niche has deemed Colonial Village, VA the best place to live in the U.S. The Arlington neighborhood has a population of just over 3,000 people, mostly liberal young professionals. Colonial Village has a wealth of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and parks, and the schools are highly rated.
The best city to live in is—for the second year in a row—Naperville, Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, Naperville is home to nearly 150,000 residents, mostly families and young professionals. Homeownership is high, and it stands as an affordable place to live near Chicago. The city has plenty of restaurants, bars, shops and easy access to outdoor activities.
10 best places to live in the U.S. in 2025
- Colonial Village, VA
- Atlantic Station, GA
- Chesterbrook, PA
- Harbour Island, FL
- City Center, CA
- South Lake Union, WA
- Carmel, IN
- Midtown Atlanta, GA
- Madison, AL
- Johns Creek, GA
10 best cities to live in
- Naperville, IL
- The Woodlands, TX
- Cambridge, MA
- Arlington, VA
- Irvine, CA
- Plano, TX
- Columbia, MD
- Overland Park, KS
- Bellevue, WA
- Berkeley, CA
10 best suburbs and small towns in America
- Chesterbrook, PA
- Carmel, IN
- Madison, Al
- Johns Creek, GA
- Ardmore, PA
- Penn Wynne, PA
- Brookline, MA
- Cinco Ranch, TX
- Okemos, MI
- Naperville, IL