Chapel Hill, NC aerial shot of downtown

2021 Top 100 Best Places to Live In America Sponsored by:

UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.

liv score
681
How We Calculate Our Data
Civics 79
Demographics 44
Economy 53
Education 62
Health 69
Housing 42
Infrastructure 43

#63. Chapel Hill, NC

Home to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC is part of a “research triangle” that also includes nearby Duke University and North Carolina State University. Because of this, a lot of innovation and collaboration happens in this highly educated region. In addition, residents here enjoy a legendary basketball rivalry, a delicious food scene and beautiful amenities like the North Carolina Botanical Garden.  

Top Colleges/Universities: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Top Industries & Employers: Health care, science, manufacturing and education are powerhouse industries. The University of North Carolina, Advanced Sports Enterprises and Armacell are the top three employers in Chapel Hill. 

Weekend Plans: Practice yoga under the stars in the full-dome theater at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. For families, the Kidzu Children’s Museum is a multisensory, play-centered museum with exhibits like an outdoor learning garden.

Favorite Place to Feast: Hawthorn & Wood, a neighborhood eatery with seasonal menus and an impressive wine list.

Beloved Beverage: Coffee cocktails from Carolina Coffee Shop, the oldest restaurant in North Carolina.

Outdoorsy Activity: Go for a bike ride or hike in the 613-acre Brumley Forest Nature Preserve.

Rooftop Bar: Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery. Order the lizard chips, which are sliced dill pickle and jalapeño chips crispy-fried in-house beer batter.

Why Your Pet Will Love It, Too: Spend time with adoptable cats and enjoy coffee and beer at Cat Tales Cat Café.

Remote Work Perk: The North Carolina Botanical Garden has daily plant sales so that you can bring lots of greenery to your home office and yard.

One More Thing … The Tar Heel state’s pride runs deep, even firetrucks here are painted Carolina blue. 

– Brittany Anas

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