Many of the metros that top the list are located in the Midwest due to the region’s affordability
Oct. 7, 2024
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Portland, Maine, tops the list of the most livable cities in the U.S.
Rising home costs are a major contributing factor for people moving out of large cities and into smaller, more livable communities. From their lower cost of living to their access to amenities, there are a number of factors that make a city livable. To figure out which housing markets offer the best quality of life, the RentCafe blog analyzed 139 U.S. metros. Midsize cities—primarily located in the Midwest—make up the majority of locales on the list, with top contenders including Portland, Maine, Lincoln, Nebr., and Des Moines, Iowa.
Finding the perfect place to live might be hard, especially if you're on the hunt for a location that checks all of the boxes for livability. Fortunately, the Midwest's potential is more than obvious: Claiming 9 of the top 20 spots on our list, this region shines with high-ranking metro areas like Lincoln, NE (#2); Des Moines, IA (#3); Minneapolis (#4); Ann Arbor, MI (#5); Milwaukee (#6); and Green Bay, WI (#9).
