Top Ten Best Places to Live

There are some many choices where to live in the United States. Each cities offers a unique set of attractions and benefits. To help you decide, we put together a list of the top ten best places to live in the United States.

10

Raleigh, North Carolina

Population: 416,000

Raleigh, North Carolina offers many of the top jobs in the nation. It offers a ton for young-professionals and for students. The unemployment in Raleigh trends several percentage points below the national average.

9

San Diego, California

Population: 1,300,000

If you are searching for beautiful weather, San Diego is the place to be. The city experiences over 266 days of sun per year with daily temperatures year-round average about 70 degrees. San Diego does have a much higher than average cost of living, but for those who can afford it, the rewards are astonishing. San Diego is nicely situated between the ocean and the mountains. No matter what you want to do you can do it in San Diego.

8

Portland, Oregon

Population: 593,000

Perhaps Portland, Oregon is most famous for their quantity, quality, and diversity of restaurants. It has quickly established itself as the food capital of the west. Despite the sheer number of dining options, Portland, Oregon is also one of the most healthy cities in the nation as well. Portland is ideally located just one hour from the beach and offers thousands of acres of parkland dispersed throughout the city.

7

Kansas City, Missouri

Population: 463,000

In March 2011, Google selected Kansas City as the first city where its fiber optic internet network would be deployed.  For $70 per month you can receive a 1Gbps internet connection. For comparison the average person in the United States has only about a 3Mbps internet connection. This is nearly 330x faster! This alone is probably enough for techies out there, but Kansas City also offers many other attractive features. It is one of the best mid-west cities in terms of climate. It is known for its fairly mild winters. It also has a below average cost of living. In addition, there are two professional sports teams in town, so there is always something to do. Kansas City, Missouri is also famous for their barbecue.

6

Charlotte, North Carolina

Population: 751,000

Charlotte, North Carolina is the home to many fortune 500 headquarters. It is home to headquarters of Bank of America, Duke Energy, Family Dollar, and Lowe’s. Since the early 2000’s Charlotte has seen a population increase of over 22.1%.

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5

San Francisco, California 

Population: 802,000

It is hard to go wrong with San Francisco. San Francisco is home to many amazing restaurants, museums, and education institutions. The average income is $75,000, but San Francisco can be a very expensive city to live in. The average home cost is $750,000 and income tax is 9.3%, making San Francisco one of the highest costs of living in the nation. However if you can afford it, there isn’t much wrong with San Francisco. San Francisco is also home to two professional sports teams.

4

Boise, Idaho

Population:  205,600

There is always something to do in Boise Idaho. During summertime Lucky Peak reservoir nearby offers a ton to do. Hop on a sail boat or a fishing boat and enjoy the lake. There are over 3100 miles of whitewater in the state of Idaho, with most accessible within a few hour drive of Boise. On top of that there are countless forests and wilderness areas for hiking and camping including the famous Sawtooth National Recreation Area. In the winter, Bogus Basin Ski Resort is located just an hour north of Boise. Feel free to go there to ski, snowboard, snowshoe, or snowmobile. After you are done, go to the natural hot springs to warm up. Boise offers pretty much the same assortment of recreational activities as Boulder, Colorado does, but at a much more affordable cost. Boise also has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation.

3

Boulder, Colorado

Population: 97,385

Located just northwest of Denver, Boulder finds itself nestled aside the Rocky Mountains. If you are an outdoor person, Boulder is the place for you. The city features world-class skiing, hiking, biking, and camping. This is on top of hundreds of great restaurants. The median income in Boulder is roughly $65,000 per year and the average cost of a home is $410,000. Most people find themselves working in professional, technical services, and scientific industries. The population of Boulder is mostly comprised of early 30’s singles who enjoy living green. Boulder is also home to the University of Colorado and is a great place for college students.

2

Omaha, Nebraska

Population: 409,000

Omaha boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation coming in at a mere 4.7 percent. In the city of Omaha there are over 12 colleges and universities. Another appealing aspect of Omaha is its relatively affordable cost of living. The average home price is only $129,000 and the average rent is only $716 per month. The overall cost of living comes in at 11% less than the national average. Omaha has over 214 sunny days per year, clean air, and a top-notch medical system. It is a perfect place for young adults as there is currently an up-and-coming cultural scene with art galleries, nightclubs, and restaurants included.

1

Austin, Texas

Population: 820,000

Austin, Texas is known for its live music. Everywhere you turn you will find music blaring. Austin also has a much lower than average unemployment rate at just 6.3%. Another benefit of living in Austin is no state income taxes.

Source: Money Crashers

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