The best places to live in the United States ranked by livability score. Safety, affordability, schools, jobs, weather, and quality of life rankings for the United States cities.
| # | City | Population | Livability Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland, CA | 438,072 | 66.20 |
| 2 | New York, NY | 8,516,202 | 64.30 |
| 3 | Cleveland, OH | 367,523 | 63.10 |
| 4 | Houston, TX | 2,300,419 | 62.50 |
| 5 | Los Angeles, CA | 3,857,897 | 62.20 |
| 6 | Aurora, CO | 390,201 | 61.00 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | 577,193 | 58.70 |
| 8 | Anaheim, CA | 344,553 | 58.30 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | 1,582,432 | 57.40 |
| 10 | Washington, DC | 672,079 | 56.50 |
| 11 | Milwaukee, WI | 569,756 | 56.50 |
| 12 | Sacramento, CA | 524,802 | 54.90 |
| 13 | Fresno, CA | 543,615 | 54.40 |
| 14 | New Orleans, LA | 376,035 | 53.80 |
| 15 | Boston, MA | 663,972 | 53.50 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | 2,707,648 | 52.60 |
| 17 | Phoenix, AZ | 1,624,832 | 52.10 |
| 18 | Seattle, WA | 741,440 | 51.90 |
| 19 | San Jose, CA | 990,054 | 51.10 |
| 20 | Portland, OR | 642,715 | 48.40 |
| 21 | Jacksonville, FL | 961,739 | 47.90 |
| 22 | San Francisco, CA | 836,321 | 47.60 |
| 23 | Denver, CO | 713,734 | 46.10 |
| 24 | Minneapolis, MN | 426,845 | 46.10 |
| 25 | San Antonio, TX | 1,458,954 | 45.60 |
| 26 | Atlanta, GA | 499,287 | 45.10 |
| 27 | Dallas, TX | 1,299,553 | 44.10 |
| 28 | Tulsa, OK | 412,322 | 42.90 |
| 29 | Fort Worth, TX | 941,311 | 42.00 |
| 30 | San Diego, CA | 1,385,061 | 40.10 |
| 31 | Tampa, FL | 393,389 | 38.60 |
| 32 | Mesa, AZ | 507,478 | 36.90 |
| 33 | Virginia Beach, VA | 457,066 | 35.30 |
| 34 | Wichita, KS | 396,488 | 32.70 |
| 35 | Austin, TX | 967,862 | 32.30 |
| 36 | Columbus, OH | 906,480 | 31.40 |
Oakland, CA ranks #1 among the best places to live in america (2026) with populations over 25,000, with a value of 66.20. Rounding out the top cities are New York, NY, Cleveland, OH, Houston, TX. This ranking includes only cities with populations above 25,000. Data sourced from Multiple Sources.