U.S. News and World Report Names Ann Arbor the Best City for Quality of Life
U.S. News and World Report recently released its annual ranking of U.S. cities with the best quality of life, and Ann Arbor was awarded the coveted top spot.
Cities were ranked based on the following factors:
- Crime rates
- Quality of education
- Well-being
- The Commuter Index
- Quality and availability of healthcare
- Air Quality Index (AQI)
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Risk Index, which is used to determine a metropolitan area’s risk to natural hazards and community risk factors
Data from a March 2023 public survey was used to rank the cities, the report notes.
The best U.S. city for quality of life is Ann Arbor, Mich.
Quality of life score: 7.9
Ann Arbor is the best U.S. city for quality of life. More than 90% of the city’s residents live less than a 10-minute from a public park, according to the U.S. News and World report. A 2023 SmartAsset study report says Ann Arbor saw its Gen Z population — those ages 18 to 24 — grow the fastest in 2022. The city had 26.4% new Gen Zers and a total population of 35.9%. Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, which is one of the biggest employers in the city. Ann Arbor is also considered part of the Greater Detroit area at just under an hour’s drive away. Cost of living in the Michigan city is 4% higher than the national average, according to PayScale. The average Ann Arbor home value is $471,650, up 5.7% over the past year, according to Zillow.
10 Best U.S. cities for quality of life
- Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Boulder, Colo.
- Madison, Wis.
- San Jose, Calif.
- Portland, Maine
- Boston, Mass.
- Green Bay, Wis.
- Hartford, Conn.
- Rochester, N.Y.
- Trenton, N.J.