Consider your quality of life.
What factors will make you happy when you move to a new place? As part of the Best Places to Live in the U.S. 2016 rankings, U.S. News surveyed people across the country about what matters the most when determining where they wanted to live. Based on that survey, the Quality of Life rankings were compiled, which include crime rates, quality and availability of health care, quality of education, well-being and average morning commute time (read more about the categories). These are the 20 U.S. metro areas that scored the best among all five areas.
20. Albany, New York
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 36
Median Home Price: $165,050
Average Household Salary: $49,690
College Readiness Ranking: 59
Health Ranking: 26
Well-Being Ranking: 52
Crime Ranking: 18
Average Commute Time: 22.5 minutes
New York’s capital city rounds out the top 20 with a short average morning commute of just 22.5 minutes and low crime — ranking 18th out of the 100 metro areas examined. With a population just under 900,000, Albany is large enough to bring cultural attractions to the city and be home to high-quality health care — ranking 26th in that category — but it doesn’t come with the high cost of living found in a major city like New York.
19. Rochester, New York
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 60
Median Home Price: $125,000
Average Household Salary: $45,770
College Readiness Ranking: 17
Health Ranking: 43
Well-Being Ranking: 83
Crime Ranking: 49
Average Commute Time: 20.9 minutes
The second city in upstate New York to make the list — but not the last — has an even shorter commute time than Albany, with its residents travelling just under 21 minutes to work on average. Students in Rochester receive high-quality education, ranking 17th out of the 100 metro areas ranked for high school students’ college readiness.
18. Los Angeles
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 83
Median Home Price: $478,992
Average Household Salary: $53,000
College Readiness Ranking: 22
Health Ranking: 2
Well-Being Ranking: 14
Crime Ranking: 45
Average Commute Time: 29.3 minutes
The country’s second-largest metro area also happens to rank second in the U.S. for accessibility to high-quality health care. The LA metro area has six nationally ranked hospitals, per U.S. News Best Hospitals, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center and the Keck Medical Center of USC. But as an area well-known for its big traffic jams, Los Angeles has an average commute time of more than 29 minutes.
17. Syracuse, New York
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 53
Median Home Price: $75,800
Average Household Salary: $46,340
College Readiness Ranking: 39
Health Ranking: 62
Well-Being Ranking: 41
Crime Ranking: 40
Average Commute Time: 20.8 minutes
Edging out its upstate New York neighbors, Syracuse has an even shorter average morning commute of 20.8 minutes — the fifth shortest commute of the 100 metro areas ranked. Syracuse residents not only have more free time outside of work due to the short commute, but they have more money in their pockets as well — Syracuse ranked No. 34 for cost of living, spending less than 31 percent of their income on housing expenses.
16. Salt Lake City
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 27
Median Home Price: $250,000
Average Household Salary: $46,730
College Readiness Ranking: 47
Health Ranking: 28
Well-Being Ranking: 57
Crime Ranking: 10
Average Commute Time: 22.2 minutes
Salt Lake City gets its top Quality of Life score for having a low crime rate. The area saw less than two homicides per 100,000 people in 2013, according to the FBI. Utah’s capital and home of the Great Salt Lake also does well for accessibility to quality health care, with area hospitals Intermountain Medical Center and University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics ranked highly in the region, according to U.S. News Best Hospitals.
15. Santa Rosa, California
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 62
Median Home Price: $495,500
Average Household Salary: $49,800
College Readiness Ranking: 21
Health Ranking: 94
Well-Being Ranking: N/A
Crime Ranking: 5
Average Commute Time: 25.2 minutes
The commute may be a bit longer than other places on this list, but residents of this city in California’s wine country enjoy the fifth lowest crime rate. Plus, Santa Rosa’s schoolchildren score high for college readiness, ranking 21st out of the metro areas ranked. However, Santa Rosa’s prime location for vineyards and vacation retreats means renowned health care isn’t as accessible, as it ranks 94th overall in the health category.
14. Hartford, Connecticut
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 59
Median Home Price: $227,850
Average Household Salary: $55,580
College Readiness Ranking: 14
Health Ranking: 41
Well-Being Ranking: 58
Crime Ranking: 26
Average Commute Time: 23.3 minutes
The Hartford area takes the 14th spot for college readiness among younger students. The capital of Connecticut ranks 26th for combined homicide and property crime as well, with just over three murders per 100,000 people in 2013, according to the FBI.
13. Madison, Wisconsin
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 24
Median Home Price: $228,350
Average Household Salary: $47,490
College Readiness Ranking: 24
Health Ranking: 25
Well-Being Ranking: 87
Crime Ranking: 8
Average Commute Time: 21.6 minutes
Another college town, the home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison manages an average morning commute of just 21.6 minutes. The Madison area also excels in low crime rates, ranking eighth out of the 100 metro areas ranked. But Madison ranked 87th in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which measures residents’ feelings and satisfaction with where they live, as well as their physical health and economic stability.
12. Portland, Maine
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 29
Median Home Price: $229,400
Average Household Salary: $45,480
College Readiness Ranking: 25
Health Ranking: 68
Well-Being Ranking: N/A
Crime Ranking: 2
Average Commute Time: 24.6 minutes
The northernmost metro area in the top 20, Portland has the second-lowest combined homicide and property crime rates out of the 100 places surveyed. Additionally, Portland’s high scores in college readiness among high school students leads to its spot in the overall Best Places to Live ranking at No. 29.
11. Austin, Texas
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 2
Median Home Price: $240,000
Average Household Salary: $48,150
College Readiness Ranking: 10
Health Ranking: 87
Well-Being Ranking: 1
Crime Ranking: 25
Average Commute Time: 25.9 minutes
The No. 2 metro area on the overall Best Places to Live in the U.S. list ranks as the No. 1 area for general well-being, based on the Gallup-Healthways poll, being a popular destination for millennials and job seekers of all ages thanks to the area’s active tech industry. Austin’s students are also well-prepared for college, ranking 10th overall based on data from U.S. News Best High Schools.
10. San Diego
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 16
Median Home Price: $477,500
Average Household Salary: $53,020
College Readiness Ranking: 8
Health Ranking: 74
Well-Being Ranking: 38
Crime Ranking: 11
Average Commute Time: 24.6 minutes
Sunny Southern California makes the list a second time with San Diego. The area ranks eighth in the country for college readiness, and with just 2.2 murders per 100,000 in 2013, according to FBI data, it achieves the 11th spot for crime as well.
9. El Paso, Texas
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 71
Median Home Price: $111,800
Average Household Salary: $36,410
College Readiness Ranking: 51
Health Ranking: 67
Well-Being Ranking: 6
Crime Ranking: 3
Average Commute Time: 23.2 minutes
El Paso is just about as West Texas as you get. Located near the border with New Mexico, El Paso ranks sixth among the 100 metro areas ranked in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. Nicknamed Sun City, El Paso is also one of the safest metro areas in the country, ranking third overall for low homicide and property crime rates.
8. Melbourne, Florida
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 40
Median Home Price: $160,500
Average Household Salary: $44,040
College Readiness Ranking: 6
Health Ranking: 35
Well-Being Ranking: 44
Crime Ranking: 35
Average Commute Time: 24.1 minutes
Melbourne claims the sixth place spot for college readiness among high school students. As a part of the Space Coast region on Florida’s east coast, with NASA’s Cape Canaveral rocket launching point located nearby, it’s no wonder the numerous aerospace and technology gurus lead to strong attention paid to education for young students.
7. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 13
Median Home Price: $149,475
Average Household Salary: $41,350
College Readiness Ranking: 16
Health Ranking: 84
Well-Being Ranking: 49
Crime Ranking: 12
Average Commute Time: 21.6 minutes
Also one of the Best Affordable Places to Live in the U.S., Grand Rapids has high scores for college readiness among students and low crime. Its western Michigan locale does pose some obstacles for access to high-ranked health care, however, as it comes in 84th overall in that category.
6. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 4
Median Home Price: $215,730
Average Household Salary: $47,430
College Readiness Ranking: 28
Health Ranking: 3
Well-Being Ranking: 12
Crime Ranking: 28
Average Commute Time: 24.3 minutes
Raleigh-Durham’s close proximity to innovative medical centers like Duke University Hospital and University of North Carolina Hospitals place it third for access to high-quality health care. Raleigh-Durham also sees general satisfaction from its residents, ranking 12th based on the Gallup-Healthways well-being poll. The area’s average commute time at 24.3 minutes is still below average for the rest of the country, and public transit isn’t as fully developed as other major metros, with only 2 percent of residents taking advantage of it for their commute.
5. Fayetteville, Arkansas
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 3
Median Home Price: $177,200
Average Household Salary: $42,410
College Readiness Ranking: 33
Health Ranking: 36
Well-Being Ranking: N/A
Crime Ranking: 13
Average Commute Time: 21 minutes
Ranking third on the overall Best Places to Live in the U.S., Fayetteville also makes the list for Quality of Life. Fayetteville takes the No. 13 spot for crime, due to low combined homicide and property crime rates. And an average commute of just 21 minutes means residents get to spend more time relaxing before and after work.
4. Boise, Idaho
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 6
Median Home Price: $232,500
Average Household Salary: $41,550
College Readiness Ranking: 37
Health Ranking: 77
Well-Being Ranking: 18
Crime Ranking: 1
Average Commute Time: 21.5 minutes
Boise has the lowest crime rate of any city ranked, which certainly helps it capture the No. 6 ranking on the overall Best Places to Live in the U.S. list. With an average commute of 21.5 minutes and a place in the top 20 for Gallup’s well-being poll, Boise takes the No. 4 spot for Quality of Life.
3. Sarasota, Florida
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 14
Median Home Price: $226,750
Average Household Salary: $39,960
College Readiness Ranking: 11
Health Ranking: 46
Well-Being Ranking: 10
Crime Ranking: 22
Average Commute Time: 23 minutes
This popular retirement destination certainly does a good job of keeping its residents young and old happy — Sarasota ranks No. 10 in the Gallup-Healthways poll. Schoolchildren also excel in the area, as it comes in at No. 11 for college readiness.
2. San Jose, California
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 10
Median Home Price: $777,600
Average Household Salary: $75,770
College Readiness Ranking: 1
Health Ranking: 80
Well-Being Ranking: 16
Crime Ranking: 21
Average Commute Time: 25.7 minutes
It’s no surprise the capital of Silicon Valley puts a strong emphasis on education, with San Jose claiming the top spot for college readiness among high school students. While the area is also appealing for the low crime rate and general well-being, residents have to travel an average of nearly 26 minutes to work.
1. McAllen, Texas
Best Places to Live 2016 Ranking: 89
Median Home Price: $115,100
Average Household Salary: $33,260
College Readiness Ranking: 3
Health Ranking: 78
Well-Being Ranking: N/A
Crime Ranking: 27
Average Commute Time: 21.8 minutes
Just north of the Mexican border, McAllen takes the top spot of the Quality of Life ranking. With a high-ranking school system, McAllen’s students are also well-prepared for higher education, as the city ranks third in college readiness. And with an average commute of less than 22 minutes, McAllen residents don’t have to travel far for work.
More from U.S. News
The 20 Best Places to Live in the U.S.
The 20 Best Affordable Places to Live in the U.S.
The 20 Most Desirable Places to Live in the U.S.
The 20 Best Places to Live in the U.S. for Quality of Life originally appeared on usnews.com
