The Best Places In The US To Live In 2025, According To US News

Across the United States, there are tons of small jewels that you might not know about, towns and cities that have a high quality of life and a thriving job market. Every year, U.S. News & World Report puts together a list of the Top 250 Best Places to Live in the U.S. This year, the top of the list was primarily occupied by smaller cities in the 30-minute surrounding area of larger urban centers. These cities benefit from thriving job markets nearby while offering quiet and safe living for families.

In this list's top 15, U.S. News' ranking surfaced many cities in the Midwest, Texas, and North Carolina. The very top spot of the list, however, is occupied by a small city, Johns Creek, situated near Atlanta, Georgia. Some places have a high cost of living, like Sammamish in Washington state, with median home values above $1 million. Others are much more affordable, like Broken Arrow in Oklahoma, where houses go for a quarter million instead. All in all, it's a helpful indicator of where people are moving to for affordable housing, better jobs, and healthy communities.

To complete this ranking, U.S. News looks at some key data points across five indexes of varying weight. A quality of life index takes into account things like education, health care, and the economy and infrastructure of the state. A value index looks at affordability and cost of living, and a desirability index considers stats like crime rates, weather, and commute times. The other major part of the calculation relies on the job market, including both unemployment rates and median incomes. These calculations come together to give each city a score that can help you find your dream home's optimal location.

First on the list is Johns Creek in Georgia. This is a small city of nearly 80,000 people that's roughly a 30-mile drive away from Atlanta. Its unemployment rate is 2.9%, lower than the country's average. Johns Creek is an attractive option for young parents, with a median age of 40. If you're considering purchasing a home in Johns Creek, budget for about half a million dollars (higher than the average in the United States and Georgia). Thanks to the region's mild winters, this town is a good location for people wanting to avoid snowstorms.

Renowned for its numerous roundabouts, Carmel is a mid-size Indiana city on the northern side of Indianapolis. This is a more affordable option for renters, with the median monthly housing costs coming in at $1,455, according to U.S. News & World Report. Aspiring homeowners will need a budget of around $480,000 for a home, which is higher than the national and state home value averages. However, Carmel has a strong job market and a high median household income of $142,597. Temperatures in Carmel drop to freezing in winter but stay relatively cool in summer (about 72 degrees Fahrenheit).

Pearland, Texas, is a mid-size city is on the southern edge of Houston, about a 25-minute drive from the city center. Pearland benefits from mild winters, a strong job market, and lots of outdoor shopping, entertainment, and recreation spaces. Pearland is slightly more affordable for homeowners than the other towns in the top three, with a median home value of about $343,703, which is below the national average. This city is particularly attractive to younger people, with a median age of just 36 years old.

Fishers, Indiana, didn't make it into the top three of U.S. News' rankings, but it's still one of the best places to live in America. This is a medium-sized city of slightly more than 100,000 people that borders Indianapolis and is only 7 miles from Carmel, which you may recognize from this ranking's second spot. In Fishers, the median home value is more affordable at $406,024. It's near tons of trails, parks, markets, and outdoor activities ideal for a family. It's also a young city, where only 12% of the population is aged 65 or older.

Next up in the ranking, we're heading to North Carolina and the town of Cary, near both Raleigh and Durham. Median home values here are relatively high, at more than half a million dollars. To match, the median household income is also on the higher end (about $135,260), and unemployment is low (2.6%). Though it's still considered mid-sized, Cary has grown rapidly over the past 25 years. It's an attractive spot for young families and dynamic professionals who are looking for a balance of community, career opportunities, and great schools.

League City is a town in the suburbs of Houston that offers its more than 100,000 residents some stunning waterfront properties. For a home in this lovely town full of parks and marinas, you should budget around $344,000, which is lower than the national average. This community is also ideal for renters, with properties averaging $1,314 per month. Having access to both the water and the job market of Houston without having to pay high prices makes League City a great place to live.

Apex is a small North Carolina town that's just 25 minutes from downtown Raleigh. Apex's proximity to arguably the region's fastest-growing city and its booming job market make it a fantastic option for young professionals looking for suburban living. To live here, families already have to pay a premium, with homes costing more than the national average, upwards of half a million dollars. While the cost of living is on the higher end, this is a comfortable town with great schools, access to nature escapes, and plenty of quality restaurants.

Earning the eighth spot in U.S. News' ranking, Leander, Texas, is a small town of about 80,000 people in the Austin suburbs. The median home value is just below the half-million mark at $492,064. Like other towns at the top of this list, Leander's unemployment rate is well below the national average at 2.8% (versus 4.5% nationally). It's conveniently close to Austin (one of the top cities millennials should consider moving to) and its job market while supplying a small-town lifestyle. It has good public schools and access to parks, trails, and river activities.

Rochester Hills is the first town in this ranking to be located in Michigan. The small city near Detroit is the northernmost place on the list so far, and it has the winters to show for it. Nonetheless, it's a great place to live because it boasts a small-town vibe alongside high incomes, low unemployment, and affordable housing. The median home value in Rochester Hills is $386,746, with rentals going for about $1,293. It has easy access to Detroit, Lake Erie, and Lake Huron, and it's a short drive from the Canadian border for weekend getaways.

The state of Michigan makes its second entry in the ranking of best places to live with Troy, a town of almost 90,000 people bordering Rochester Hills (number nine on the list) with a comparable 20-minute commute into Detroit. The median home value is just slightly higher than its neighbor's, at $397,951, and its rental prices are nearly identical (about $1,292). Unemployment in the area is at about 3.5%, one percentage point lower than that of the nation.

Up next in the ranking, U.S. News placed Sammamish in Washington state just outside the top ten. A small city of 65,000 people, this quaint hamlet is a half-hour away from Seattle and surrounded by stunning nature. This is the most expensive town yet on the ranking, with a median home value of $1.3 million. Looking to rent? It's not much better, with a median monthly rent of $2,452. Logically, this town has the highest household income in the ranking so far, more than three times the national average.

Number 12 on the list is Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. This is a medium-sized city that's a quick drive from the Tulsa city center. The town is the most affordable on the list, with median home values at about $251,667, though the incomes are lower to match, with $88,112 as the median. Nonetheless, that's still $10,000 more than the national average. This is a typical suburban district, with access to Tulsa's prominent industries, like aerospace, but with a lower cost of living than some of the other towns on this list.

The first mid-Atlantic city on U.S. News' list of best places to live is Ellicott City, Maryland. A short drive from Baltimore and an hour away from Washington, DC, this is a small suburb with high property values of $651,724. It's got a cute city center with a traditional Main Street, quaint cafes, bars, and walkable streets. Unemployment is at only 2%, and household incomes are about double the national average. It's great for families, with more than a quarter of the residents being kids under 20 years old.

For the end of this ranking of the best places to live in the United States, we're back in Texas. Flower Mound took the 14th spot, but unlike the other Texan towns on this list, this one is in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. It's a smaller city of close to 80,000 people, featuring easy access to jobs and high property values. In this town, aspiring homeowners need to budget for a bit over half a million dollars, though the median household income is also relatively high at $165,675.

In 15th place, we find the town of Pflugerville, Texas. This suburb of Austin is attracting young professionals and families, with nearly half of the population under the age of 35. The median home price is $411,902, which places it just $40,000 above the national average. While Pflugerville is last on this list of the 15 best places to live in the United States, according to U.S. News, it's a fantastic option, especially considering its numerous community events and on-lake activities.