The 50 best places to live in America based on cost of living, quality of life, and more

• U.S. News & World Report releases a list of the best places to live in America every year.
• Its 2022 ranking for the best places to live looked at five metrics: job market, value, quality of life, desirability, and net migration.
• The best place to live in America is Huntsville, Alabama, followed by Colorado Springs, Colorado.

When deciding where to put down roots, many factors are in the eye of the beholder, such as climate, politics, or proximity to extended family.

Other aspects are desirable to nearly everyone: affordable housing, access to well-paying jobs, a low cost of living, good schools, and quality healthcare. In its ranking of the best places to live in America for 2022, U.S. News & World Report gathered data on these crucial components for more than 100 US cities.

U.S. News categorized the data into five indexes for each city — job market, value, quality of life, desirability, and net migration — to definitively rank these major metro areas. You can read U.S. News’ full methodology here.

Scores for “value,” a blend of annual household income and cost of living, and “quality of life,” which accounts for crime, college readiness, commute, and other factors, are included below on a 10-point scale, as well as the city’s population and average annual salary.

Huntsville, Alabama, came out on top, while Colorado Springs trailed close behind.

Keep reading to discover the 50 best places to live in America.