Which US cities are the best to live in? See the top 10 ranking
U.S. News and World Report has released its annual list of the best U.S. cities to live in for 2024. (Scripps News)
Scripps News
Arizona and metro Phoenix continue the rapid growth seen in the past decade.
A recent study showed that many people are moving to the Grand Canyon State from California, Texas, Colorado and more.
If you’re considering moving to Arizona or relocating within the state, there’s a city for you to call home whether you’re focused on the best schools, home prices or general happiness.
From metro Phoenix to Greenlee County, here’s what to know about all the cities and towns ranked as great (or not-so-great) places to live in 2024.
Chandler ranked among the best places for families in the US
Chandler was ranked as one of the best places in the United States to live for families in a study from Forbes.
Chandler came in at No. 37 on the media organization’s third annual list. Published in July, the list bestowed 50 cities across the country with the honor, describing a great place to live as one that supports a family in the present and then continues to serve them for “the long term.”
Consider this Arizona city if you move. It was named one of the best places to live in the US
Gilbert named the best Arizona city to raise a family in
Gilbert was ranked sixth out of more than 180 cities to raise a family in, according to a study from Wallethub, which analyzed 45 metrics like housing costs, quality of schools, and health care systems and opportunities for family fun.
Gilbert, which had the highest percentage of families with young kids, received an overall score of 64.02, ranking fifth highest for socioeconomic factors and 12th for affordability. The city ranked 20th in health and safety and 43rd for education and childcare.
Gilbert received its lowest ranking for family fun, where it came in 79th. The town had the second-fewest playgrounds per capita, according to Wallethub. The city lists 22 parks, including the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, on its website.
While Gilbert has been in the news lately for a rash of teen violence, it was ranked lowest fourth lowest violent crime per capita.
Some Arizona cities ranked low on quality of life by US News
Arizona cities didn’t rank high on a recent list of the best United States cities to live in, according to an analysis by U.S. News and World Reports.
For its annual Best Places to Live ranking, U.S. News evaluates quality of life across 150 major cities and ranks them from the best to the worst places to live. In this year’s list, Phoenix and Tucson both barely made it to the top half, situated between cities such as Columbus, Indianapolis and Anchorage.
Although both Arizona cities scored 6.3 out of 10, Tucson led Phoenix by four slots on the list, likely because the southern Arizona city obtained better scores on the quality of life and value categories.
The poor attainment of both cities on the list is also a reflection of Arizona’s low position on another U.S. News ranking of the best states in America.
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Arizona ranks low on a list of best states
Arizona was ranked 32 on U.S. News’ ranking of the best states, placing it about five spots up from last year’s ranking but still in the bottom half of the list.
The Grand Canyon State performed best in the economy category, where it ranked 10, likely due to the state’s population and business growth.
Arizona also ranked 18th for infrastructure; 20th for health care; 30th for fiscal stability and crime and corrections; 34th for opportunity; 42nd for natural environment; and 44th for education.
Bisbee named one of the ‘best kept secret’ cities to live in
Bisbee, a historic copper mining town nestled in the Mule Mountains about 10 miles north of the Mexican border, was named one of the 50 best places to live in the U.S. by the finance magazine Money. It was the only Arizona city to make this year’s list.
The southern Arizona town of just under 5,000 residents spans about five square miles, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Additionally, a Cochise County Tourism Study conducted from 2019 to 2020 revealed that 62.1% of county visitors went to Bisbee, more than any nearby communities.
The magazine, which has been producing its best places to live list for over 30 years, analyzes the state of the job market, average housing costs, poverty rates, public school quality and reader opinion to measure whether a city or town is deserving of a spot.
2 Arizona cities named best for renters
A recent study from Forbes named two Arizona cities as best for renters because of the cost and availability of rentals.
Tucson was ranked ninth overall, with a score of 79.4 out of 100, Forbes showed. The median monthly rent was $1,650, or about 21.3% of the median monthly income. Tucson was “the sixth-best city in the availability and amenities category,” the study said. The study showed that Tucson was the eighth-best U.S. city for rental availability.Gilbert ranked 13th of the 95 cities Forbes analyzed for its study, scoring 72.55 out of 100. The median monthly rent price is $2,491, according to Forbes, which makes up about 17.4% of the median household income. The study found that the average monthly rent had decreased by $9 in the past year. The study showed there were 25 rentals available per 100,000 households.Scottsdale named the happiest city in Arizona
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Scottsdale was named the 10th happiest city in the U.S. in a WalletHub ranking that examined 182 cities based on 29 key indicators of happiness, including depression rates, income-growth rates and average leisure time per day.
Scottsdale ranked fourth in the community and environment category, 27th for emotional and physical well-being, and 170th for income and employment, WalletHub said.
“Money can buy happiness to a certain degree because a stable income is essential for a person’s physical and mental well-being,” said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. “However, plenty of other factors affect happiness as well, and the happiest cities combine economic security with kind communities and conditions that are conducive to low depression rates and high life satisfaction.”
These Arizona cities are growing more than metro Phoenix
A U.S. Census Bureau report released on Thursday indicated strong growth in cities outside of metro Phoenix, contributing to Arizona’s fast-growing status.
Yuma, a southern Arizona city that borders California, was one of four cities in the nation that surpassed the 100,000 population mark in 2023. According to World Population Review, Yuma is Arizona’s 13th largest city.
In northern Arizona, Prescott Valley also reached a key milestone, as one of five cities to reach a population of 50,000 last year. Prescott Valley is the 23rd largest city in Arizona by population.
This Arizona county was named the best to live in
Greenlee County was rated the best Arizona county to live in, according to Niche’s list of the 2024 Best Counties to Live in Arizona.
Located on the eastern side of the state, Greenlee County has a population of less than 10,000 residents. Niche said its public schools were highly rated and its median home value and rent were far below the national median.
Former Republic reporter Abigail Beck contributed to this article.
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Publish date : 2024-08-12 02:01:00
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