2019 Top 100 Best Places To Live

Fargo is more than an Oscar-nominated movie and an award-winning TV series. It’s also a surprisingly cool city of 122,000 in southeastern North Dakota, directly across the Red River from Minnesota.

A killer beer scene, superior Cubano sandwiches (just don’t tell Miami we said that) and glittering bay views — what’s not to love? This city-on-the-rise received high ratings in the economics category, which is especially notable due to the fact that Tampa was hit so hard by the recession in 2008.

Prince famously said of Minneapolis, “I like Hollywood. I just like Minneapolis a little bit better,” and that’s how most locals feel. In fact, many Minneapolis natives leave this city of 240,000 to explore bigger metropolises, only to return a few years later.

With a population just under 100,000, Asheville provides a lot of bang for your buck. Known primarily for its love of beer and good food, Asheville is the world’s only Foodtopian Society and has an unparalleled foodie scene.

North Dakota’s capital has the perfect blend of strong-rooted tradition and a bold willingness to try new things. Bismarck’s young residents aren’t afraid to get creative and take on innovative ventures.

Far from the hustle and bustle of NYC is “The Little Apple” — better known as Manhattan, Kansas — home to Kansas State University, a blossoming food scene and a charmingly restored downtown.

“The House of the Mouse” is so much more than its internationally famous theme parks. This central Florida city is a bustling metropolis in its own right, with high scores in economics for its scorching hot tech scene and a strong demographics score courtesy of both a growing Puerto Rican population and a vibrant LGBTQ community presence.

Arizona State University calls Tempe home, and the Los Angeles Angels baseball team is a part-time resident, which brings a youthful vibrancy to this Arizona city.

First things first: if you’ve never visited Bloomington, you need to go. Now. We’ll wait. Now that you’ve been there, you can see how it’s nearly impossible to wander the downtown square, sample craft beers with friendly locals and explore the gorgeous Indiana University campus without thinking, “Man, this would be a great place to live.”

When you hear the word “Omaha,” chances are your mind flashes to mail-order steaks or Warren Buffett. And while these might be two of the city’s most famous denizens, Omaha has a lot more going for it than beef and billionaires.