2019 Top 100 Best Places To Live

Take a walk around this year’s #1 city and ask people where they’re from, and chances are you’ll meet a lot of recent transplants from places like Portland, the Bay Area and New York.

North Carolina’s capital city truly has something for everyone, which is why it scored high in the amenities category. Whether you’re a sports fan, a foodie, an outdoor adventurer, an entrepreneur, a college student or some combination of all of the above, there’s a long list of things to do in Raleigh to entertain and delight you.

Madison has a reputation as one of the best college towns in the country (and one of the best places for recent college grads), but Wisconsin’s capital city has so much more to offer.

Award-winning public schools? Check. World-class hospitals? Yep. A walkable, thriving, vibrant downtown? For sure. Throw any hyperbole-laden statement at your description of Iowa City, and it will probably stick. It’s no surprise that this extraordinary Big Ten University town continues its reign as a top-five place to live in our Top 100.

Maybe you’ve never heard of this city of 116,000 in southeastern Minnesota, but we bet you’ve heard of its biggest employer: The Mayo Clinic.

Located about halfway between Kansas City and St. Louis, Columbia is a vibrant, youthful city that is home to the University of Missouri and the quintessential college town.

Ask anyone who lives here and you’ll learn that Sioux Falls, has a lot going for it — the people here are ridiculously friendly, it’s clean, it’s safe and it has a strong economy, just to name a few perks.

Ninety unique neighborhoods make up this city that’s especially proud of its rich sports history, visual arts and Heinz ketchup.

Lincoln is the state capital of Nebraska and the home of the University of Nebraska, so there’s always something going on here, yet it feels a lot like a small town.

There’s no getting around it: Greenville is having a moment. The city’s downtown is a premier destination for dining, shopping and entertainment, but outside of that, Greenville is home to an array of outdoor recreation opportunities thanks to its prime location in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.