The best place to live in the U.S. isn't a major metropolis such as New York City or Los Angeles, but a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to Niche's 2023 ranking.
The list ranked 17,932 towns and neighborhoods using data from the U.S. Census, FBI, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and CDC in combination with millions of reviews from residents. The best places to live were decided based on the following factors:
- Affordability
- Local housing market
- Neighborhood diversity
- Area public schools
- Walkability
Top 10 best places to live in the U.S. 2023
- Chesterbrook, Philadelphia, Pa.
- Colonial Village, Arlington, Va.
- Ardmore, Philadelphia, Pa.
- Hyde Park–Spanishtown Creek, Tampa, Fla.
- Penn Wynne, Philadelphia, Pa.
- City Center, Santa Monica, Calif.
- Cambridgeport, Mass.
- North Quarter, Orlando, Fla.
- Devon, Philadelphia, Pa.
- Great Neck Gardens, Long Island, N.Y.
Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, is the No. 1 best place to live in America for the fourth year in a row.
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The Philadelphia suburb is known for its high-ranking education system. The local Tredyffrin-Easttown School District placed No. 2 in the state and No. 27 in the country on Niche's ranking this year, Cortland Reed, data analyst at Niche, told CNBC Make It.
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The suburb is also near several colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College, Haverford College and Villanova University.
Though Chesterbrook has high scores in education, housing and in its reviews from residents, it scored low in affordability and weather.
The median listing home price in Chesterbrook is $434,750, according to Realtor.com.
Colonial Village, Virginia, is the second-best place to live in the U.S. It also topped Niche's list of the best neighborhoods to live in.
Colonial Village is a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, and ranks high thanks, in part, to its nearness to prestigious schools like Georgetown University and George Washington University.
Colonial Village's local public school system, Arlington Public Schools, is No. 2 in Virginia, according to Niche. The town also scored high marks for its diverse population, family friendliness, nightlife, health and wellness.
Also ranked as one of the best neighborhoods to raise a family in, Colonial Village "has proven to be a well-rounded place for residents of all ages," Reed said.
Rounding out the top three is another Pennsylvania suburb, Ardmore, which Reed said is "a lot like its neighbor, Chesterbrook."
Ardmore scored high among Niche's family categories, which includes being the eighth-best place to raise a family in America.
"Like Chesterbrook, Ardmore's weaker factors are affordability and weather, but very high scores in every other factor outweigh those weaknesses," Reed said.
The average Ardmore home value is $425,051, up 4.5% over the past year, according to Zillow.
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