U.S. News & World Report has released their new Best Places to Live rankings for 2024-2025, and the Tar Heel state got some major love! In a list of 150 major cities, two North Carolina cities were ranked among the top 10 best places to live in the US.
How Cities Were Ranked
According to U.S. News & World Report, the ranking was compiled using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor, and some of the publication’s own internal resources. The data was then sorted into four different categories by which each major city would be scored.
The categories were assigned different weights depending on how strongly Americans felt each factor mattered when choosing a place to live. The four categories in order of weight are as follows:
- Quality of Life (crime rates, quality of education, health care availability, etc.)
- Value (housing affordability, price parity, etc.)
- Desirability (net migration, weather temperateness, establishments-to-population ratio, etc.)
- Job Market (unemployment rate, average salary, etc.)
Which North Carolina Cities Are The Best Places To Live?
According to the official rankings, Charlotte and Raleigh are the two best places to live in North Carolina. The two cities made it to #5 and #6 respectively.
Charlotte scored extremely well overall, with the Queen City’s quality of life and economic value placing it among the top places in the country to live. Charlotte was also commended for its sprawling metro area and bustling downtown scene, while still maintaining its southern charm.
Raleigh ranked almost neck-and-neck with Charlotte, with North Carolina’s capital scoring highly in the Quality of Life category. The publication highlights Raleigh’s bustling art and music scenes, as well as its beautiful green spaces and activity space. The city of Raleigh also received high marks for its strong sense of community among the residents.
Additional Ranking Information
The full rankings (seen here) reveals some interesting information about other major cities in the US, including other cities in North Carolina. Here are some of the key takeaways.
