Taking your quality of life into account
Many factors play into truly loving where you live. Affordability and career opportunities certainly contribute, but don’t discount daily commute, access to quality education and health care, crime rates and general well-being. As part of the Best Places to Live rankings, U.S. News compiled information on these important aspects of a top-notch place to live. (Find out more about the categories here). Read on for the 25 metro areas that scored highest across all five categories.
25. Dallas-Fort Worth
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 18
Median Home Price: $210,181
Median Annual Salary: $50,350
College Readiness Ranking: 38
Health Ranking: 115
Well-Being Ranking: 10
Crime Ranking: 4
Average Commute Time: 27.8 minutes
Dallas-Fort Worth is the largest metro area in Texas, but that doesn’t keep residents from being satisfied. The Dallas-Fort Worth area ranks 10th out of the 125 most populous places on the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, which measures residents’ satisfaction with where they live, plus their physical health and the area’s economic stability.
Learn more about Dallas-Fort Worth.
24. Des Moines, Iowa
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 4
Median Home Price: $181,217
Median Annual Salary: $49,420
College Readiness Ranking: 83
Health Ranking: 59
Well-Being Ranking: 22
Crime Ranking: 49
Average Commute Time: 20.1 minutes
Des Moines residents benefit from a particularly short commute: On average, residents spend just over 20 minutes getting to work in the morning. That’s the third-shortest average commute of the 125 U.S. metros ranked, tied with Brownsville, Texas.
Learn more about Des Moines.
23. Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 21
Median Home Value: $169,200*
Median Annual Salary: $43,620
College Readiness Ranking: 19
Health Ranking: 20
Well-Being Ranking: 91
Crime Ranking: 70
Average Commute Time: 21.3 minutes
High school students in the Lexington-Fayette metro area perform well in terms of college preparedness, ranking 19th in the category out of the 125 metro areas in the Best Places to Live ranking. This is based on the average college readiness score of all high schools in the area, which comes from U.S. News’ Best High Schools calculation.
Learn more about Lexington-Fayette.
(*The median home price for Lexington-Fayette was not available, so median home value is listed.)
22. Madison, Wisconsin
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 16
Median Home Price: $238,375
Median Annual Salary: $50,830
College Readiness Ranking: 32
Health Ranking: 21
Well-Being Ranking: 121
Crime Ranking: 15
Average Commute Time: 21.6 minutes
Madison’s best score contributing to the Quality of Life ranking is for crime, where Madison ranks 15th for low murder and property crime rates.
Learn more about Madison.
21. Austin, Texas
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 1
Median Home Price: $278,608
Median Annual Salary: $50,830
College Readiness Ranking: 12
Health Ranking: 100
Well-Being Ranking: 27
Crime Ranking: 40
Average Commute Time: 26.4 minutes
The No. 1 Best Place to Live in 2018 is a particularly strong place to live for high school students. Test scores indicate that Austin’s high schoolers rank 12th for college readiness out of the 125 most populous metro areas in the U.S.
Learn more about Austin.
20. Syracuse, New York
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 48
Median Home Value: $129,900*
Median Annual Salary: $48,530
College Readiness Ranking: 54
Health Ranking: 18
Well-Being Ranking: 46
Crime Ranking: 64
Average Commute Time: 21.1 minutes
This upstate New York metro area ranks 18th for its proximity to quality health care options.
Learn more about Syracuse.
(*The median home price for Syracuse was not available, so median home value is listed.)
19. Melbourne, Florida
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 29
Median Home Price: $163,042
Median Annual Salary: $46,520
College Readiness Ranking: 2
Health Ranking: 39
Well-Being Ranking: 120
Crime Ranking: 41
Average Commute Time: 24.2 minutes
Melbourne high school students rank second out of the 125 most populous metro areas for college preparedness.
Learn more about Melbourne.
18. Colorado, Springs, Colorado
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 2
Median Home Price: $255,233
Median Annual Salary: $49,450
College Readiness Ranking: 14
Health Ranking: 84
Well-Being Ranking: 39
Crime Ranking: 58
Average Commute Time: 22.7 minutes
Colorado Springs high school students also perform well, as their test scores rank it 14th for college readiness.
Learn more about Colorado Springs.
17. Portland, Maine
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 27
Median Home Price: $219,658
Median Annual Salary: $47,770
College Readiness Ranking: 37
Health Ranking: 40
Well-Being Ranking: 55
Crime Ranking: 8
Average Commute Time: 24.7 minutes
This New England metro area ranks eighth overall for low murder and property crime rates.
Learn more about Portland.
16. Santa Rosa, California
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 77
Median Home Price: $499,513
Median Annual Salary: $52,670
College Readiness Ranking: 29
Health Ranking: 29
Well-Being Ranking: 57
Crime Ranking: 10
Average Commute Time: 25 minutes
This city in the heart of California wine country scores well for low murder and property crime rates, taking the 10th spot in the crime category.
Learn more about Santa Rosa.
15. New Haven, Connecticut
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 88
Median Home Price: $193,483
Median Annual Salary: $55,480
College Readiness Ranking: 43
Health Ranking: 14
Well-Being Ranking: 102
Crime Ranking: 1
Average Commute Time: 24.6 minutes
Given that its murder and crime rates are well below the average rate for similar-sized metro areas, New Haven takes the No. 1 spot for crime out of the 125 places ranked.
Learn more about New Haven.
14. El Paso, Texas
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 105
Median Home Price: $137,842
Median Annual Salary: $37,440
College Readiness Ranking: 50
Health Ranking: 123
Well-Being Ranking: 1
Crime Ranking: 26
Average Commute Time: 23.3 minutes
According to a poll of its residents, El Paso scores highest of the 125 most populous metro areas in the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index.
Learn more about El Paso.
13. Rochester, New York
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 51
Median Home Price: $144,667
Median Annual Salary: $48,970
College Readiness Ranking: 15
Health Ranking: 32
Well-Being Ranking: 84
Crime Ranking: 55
Average Commute Time: 21.2 minutes
In Rochester, high school students are well prepared for higher education, ranking 15th for college readiness.
Learn more about Rochester.
12. Asheville, North Carolina
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 24
Median Home Value: $236,500*
Median Annual Salary: $40,330
College Readiness Ranking: 40
Health Ranking: 17
Well-Being Ranking: 45
Crime Ranking: 59
Average Commute Time: 21.3 minutes
Since this city is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville residents don’t have much traffic to worry about, with an average morning commute of just 21.3 minutes.
Learn more about Asheville.
(*The median home price for Asheville was not available, so median home value is listed.)
11. San Diego
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 30
Median Home Price: $521,067
Median Annual Salary: $55,480
College Readiness Ranking: 10
Health Ranking: 98
Well-Being Ranking: 32
Crime Ranking: 28
Average Commute Time: 25.3 minutes
San Diego’s best score in Quality of Life comes from high schoolers’ excellent test scores, giving the Southern California metro area the No. 10 ranking for college readiness.
Learn more about San Diego.
10. Reno, Nevada
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 33
Median Home Price: $279,631
Median Annual Salary: $45,210
College Readiness Ranking: 3
Health Ranking: 73
Well-Being Ranking: 122
Crime Ranking: 36
Average Commute Time: 21.4 minutes
Not only do Reno area high schoolers rank third for college readiness out of the 125 most populous metro areas in the U.S., but adult residents also benefit from a fairly short morning commute of just 21.4 minutes on average.
Learn more about Reno.
9. Sarasota, Florida
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 34
Median Home Price: $224,613
Median Annual Salary: $41,870
College Readiness Ranking: 26
Health Ranking: 46
Well-Being Ranking: 6
Crime Ranking: 46
Average Commute Time: 24.1 minutes
Sunny weather and access to beaches certainly make some people happy — and that’s the case in Sarasota. The area ranks sixth out of the 125 most populous metro areas in the U.S. on the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index.
Learn more about Sarasota.
8. San Jose, California
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 17
Median Home Price: $932,108
Median Annual Salary: $78,990
College Readiness Ranking: 1
Health Ranking: 88
Well-Being Ranking: 53
Crime Ranking: 29
Average Commute Time: 27.3 minutes
Recognized as the capital of Silicon Valley, San Jose is known for its intelligent, highly educated residents — and their children appear to be following in their footsteps. San Jose is first on the list for college readiness.
Learn more about San Jose.
7. Springfield, Massachusetts
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 59
Median Home Price: $189,958
Median Annual Salary: $50,780
College Readiness Ranking: 39
Health Ranking: 13
Well-Being Ranking: 40
Crime Ranking: 33
Average Commute Time: 22.6 minutes
Located in central southern Massachusetts, Springfield scores best for its access to quality health care, ranking 13th in the category.
Learn more about Springfield.
6. Fayetteville, Arkansas
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 5
Median Home Price: $182,508
Median Annual Salary: $44,980
College Readiness Ranking: 36
Health Ranking: 67
Well-Being Ranking: 13
Crime Ranking: 24
Average Commute Time: 21.2 minutes
Fayetteville residents commute just 21.2 minutes to work each morning, on average, which may contribute to their overall satisfaction. Fayetteville also ranks 13th out of the 125 most populous metro areas on the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index.
Learn more about Fayetteville.
5. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 12
Median Home Price: $166,608
Median Annual Salary: $43,610
College Readiness Ranking: 22
Health Ranking: 34
Well-Being Ranking: 21
Crime Ranking: 13
Average Commute Time: 21.7 minutes
In Western Michigan, Grand Rapids residents avoid tough traffic with an average morning commute of just 21.7 minutes.
Learn more about Grand Rapids.
4. Santa Barbara, California
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 68
Median Home Price: $464,392
Median Annual Salary: $53,090
College Readiness Ranking: 44
Health Ranking: 24
Well-Being Ranking: 12
Crime Ranking: 30
Average Commute Time: 19.2 minutes
Santa Barbara residents stay close to home for work, which makes their average morning commute just 19.2 minutes, the shortest out of the 125 most populous metro areas in the U.S.
Learn more about Santa Barbara.
3. Brownsville
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 121
Median Home Value: $86,700*
Median Annual Salary: $34,350
College Readiness Ranking: 28
Health Ranking: 97
Well-Being Ranking: N/A
Crime Ranking: 23
Average Commute Time: 20.1 minutes
Although their commute time is not quite as short as those in Santa Barbara, Brownsville residents can’t complain. The morning trip to work in Brownsville takes just 20.1 minutes on average.
Learn more about Brownsville.
(*The median home price for Brownsville was not available, so median home value is listed.)
2. Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 32
Median Home Price: $179,408
Median Annual Salary: $43,000
College Readiness Ranking: 52
Health Ranking: 1
Well-Being Ranking: 11
Crime Ranking: 5
Average Commute Time: 23.1 minutes
The Lancaster metro area takes the No. 1 spot for its proximity to quality health care, as well as the No. 5 spot for its low rates of murder and property crime.
Learn more about Lancaster.
1. McAllen, Texas
Best Places 2018 Ranking: 115
Median Home Value: $128,600*
Median Annual Salary: $34,930
College Readiness Ranking: 7
Health Ranking: 112
Well-Being Ranking: 2
Crime Ranking: 31
Average Commute Time: 21.9 minutes
McAllen is the No. 1 Best Place to Live for Quality of Life, due to its short average commute for residents, overall satisfaction as measured in the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index — ranking second — and test scores revealing that the area’s high school students rank seventh in the U.S. for college preparedness.
Learn more about McAllen.
(*The median home price for McAllen was not available, so median home value is listed.)
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The 25 Best Places to Live in the U.S. for Quality of Life in 2018 originally appeared on usnews.com
