What do Naples, Florida, and Boise, Idaho, have in common? According to a new ranking by U.S. News and World Report, they lead the pack for the 150 Best Places to Live.
“I think what did surprise me the most was the variety of different places at the top of the list,” said Erika Giovanetti with U.S. News and World Report.
Topping the list is Naples, and it’s not just the sunshine behind the desire to live there but also the strong job market.
“Naples has a really low unemployment rate and relatively high salaries,” she said. “It’s a resort city. So of course, there’s the tourism industry, but it’s also a place where a lot of retirees live. So, a lot of health care work in Naples.”
U.S. News ranked the cities based on their job markets, value, quality of life and desirability.
Boise was No. 2 and did better than Naples when it comes to quality of life. Colorado Springs, Colorado, was No. 3 followed by Charlotte and Raleigh in North Carolina, which rounded off the top five.
D.C. came in at No. 44 — not bad for a big city, according to Giovanetti.
“It was really lifted up by its strong job market and quality of life,” she said.
The cost of living was a big mark against the city, which left the District, and several other pricey big cities, further down on the list.
No other cities in the D.C. region made the ranking. In Virginia, Virginia Beach did come in at No. 8 and Richmond ranked No. 64. In Maryland, Baltimore was ranked No. 118 and Salisbury was No. 126.
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