Which U.S. cities are setting the gold standard for quality of life?
To mark July as National Park and Recreation Month, LawnStarter ranked 2024’s Leading Cities for Quality of Life.
We compared 500 of the biggest U.S. cities based on 16 categories. We considered life expectancy, unemployment rates, state rankings of workers’ rights, and food security, among 53 total metrics.
See where your city landed below. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology.
Contents
City Rankings
See how each city fared in our ranking:
Top 5 Close Up
Check out the slideshow below for a closer look at each of our top 5 cities.
1st = Highest Quality of Life
Key Insights
Cities from the West Coast, particularly in Washington and California, offer greater employment protections and plenty of social and personal freedoms. Redmond, WA, (No. 1) and Bellevue, WA, (No. 4) provide overall quality of life but struggle with low percentages of sunshine, impacting vitamin D levels and depression rates.
Affluent suburbs of big Midwest cities, like Woodbury, MN, (No. 3), Carmel, IN, (No. 6), and Naperville, IL, (No. 14) offered surprising findings concerning affordable housing. All three cities finished near the top for the category. Residents also enjoy low poverty levels and high purchasing power.
Educational powerhouses in the Northeast: Newton, MA, (No. 2), Cambridge, MA, (No. 26), and New York, NY, (No. 193) excel in education and good mental health. Despite these strengths, 35% of Massachusetts and New York cities featured landed in the bottom half of the ranking. These cities face challenges with housing affordability and congestion. The high cost of living and dense urban environments impact overall satisfaction and quality of life.
Flint, MI, (No. 500) and Detroit, MI, (No. 499) provide the lowest quality of life, reflecting severe challenges with family and food security, economic stability, housing, and infrastructure. Both cities face significant economic hardships, making substantial improvements necessary to enhance residents’ well-being. While this study reflects the latest available data, it may not fully capture recent big investments and efforts aimed at Detroit’s turnaround.
Discover more details below.
Ask the Experts
We turned to a panel of experts to understand the critical factors contributing to a high quality of life and the potential impacts of various environmental and economic conditions.
- What are three key factors that contribute to a high quality of life in urban areas?
- How do environmental factors, such as air quality and green spaces, influence the quality of life in a city?
- What are three ways urban planning and infrastructure impact residents’ quality of life?
- How do economic variables like employment rates and cost of living affect the overall quality of life in different cities?
- What role do educational opportunities and institutions play in determining the quality of life in a city?
- How do access to healthcare and public health services contribute to the quality of life in urban populations?
Methodology
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Leading Cities for Quality of Life. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 16 categories: Environment, Air and Water Quality, Housing and Infrastructure, Healthcare Access, Physical Health, Mental Health, Economic Stability, Employment Protection, Housing Affordability, Safety, Education, Leisure Time, Recreational Facilities, Social and Personal Freedoms, Family and Food Security, and Health and Wellness Access. The categories, factors, and their weights are listed in the table below.
For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table.
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1) and the lowest “Worst ” (No. 500).
Notes:
- The “Worst” among individual factors may not be No. 500 due to ties.
- Note: We are aware wildfires currently are sweeping California and heatwaves are baking scores of cities across the U.S. We based our ranking on the most recent data from all of the sources linked below.
Sources: Other LawnStarter Studies, Global Forest Watch, National Centers for Environmental Information, Numbeo, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, U.S. Census Bureau, Health Resources & Services Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Census Business Builder, OXFAM, National Center for Children in Poverty, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Neighborhood Scout, Gun Violence Archive, U.S. Department of Transportation, Data Express, Walk Score, careeronestop, IPUMS Time Use, AllTrails, Trust for Public Land, Yelp, Playground Buddy, Center for Reproductive Rights, Human Rights Campaign, Movement Advancement Project, and Feeding America
Final Thoughts
Today, quality of life varies significantly across U.S. cities, influenced by various social, economic, and environmental factors. Residents in cities with lower quality of life often face challenges like poor air and water quality, limited healthcare services, and economic instability, all affecting overall well-being.
Efforts to enhance quality of life are underway in many areas. Local governments are investing in green spaces, improving healthcare infrastructure, and promoting economic development to create more livable cities.
The Affordable Care Act continues to address disparities in healthcare access nationwide, and federal initiatives aim to curb pollution and protect natural resources.
Improving the quality of life in America’s cities requires a multi-faceted approach. Individuals can also contribute to their community’s well-being through small, impactful actions.
Explore some tips below to enhance your quality of life and contribute to a healthier community:
- Improve your health and air quality by biking, walking, or taking public transportation.
- Plant a tree to improve the environment and combat local tree cover loss.
- Conserve energy by using energy-efficient appliances, investing in an electric vehicle, and installing solar panels.
- Reduce waste by composting.
- Volunteer at community gardens, local centers, or schools to support education, food security, and recreational activities.
- Join a Neighborhood Watch program to enhance community safety.
- Support local businesses to boost the local economy and create jobs.
Hire a local LawnStarter crew to help create a healthier and more enjoyable outdoor space, contributing to your quality of life.
Media Resources
Quotes from LawnStarter Editor-in-Chief Jeff Herman
- Southern cities, including those in Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia, faced challenges across many areas. Only 42 cities made it into the top half of the ranking. Among the bright spots were Alexandria, VA, which shined at No. 33 overall and took the top spot in Education, and Frisco, TX, which impressed with a second-place finish in Economic Stability, landing it at No. 62 overall. Living in Dallas, I can vouch for Frisco’s quality of life in a uniquely Texas way: Frisco was one of the first cities in DFW to get an H-E-B.
- Carmel, IN, at No. 6 is not a shock, as I worked two stints in Indianapolis over the years. The City of Traffic Circles has great schools, clean air, and lots of green space. Those who could afford to live there were in some ways the envy of many across the Indianapolis metro area. The life-size bronze sculptures downtown are a nice touch.
- Anchorage, AK, (No. 286) was a surprising performer with great natural wonders but some climate and urban challenges. Despite containing over half of the nation’s wilderness, Anchorage struggles with environmental factors, particularly a low percentage of sunshine and sustainability.
- Augusta, GA, (No. 407) excels in Safety (No. 1), but finished near the bottom of our Quality of Life ranking due to poor economic stability, education, and food security.
- Progressive tech giants in the West, San Francisco (No. 23) and Seattle (No. 15), boast excellent rankings in Physical Health and Social and Personal Freedoms. These sustainable cities offer low obesity and physical inactivity rates as well as green space initiatives.
- Southeastern cities like Cary, NC, (No. 49), Charleston, SC, (No. 180), and Durham, NC, (No. 172) boast education opportunities, plenty of leisure time, and affordable housing. Unfortunately, the Carolinas offer some of the worst employment protections and are a mixed bag when it comes to healthcare access.
- Among the bottom 25, 12 cities are in Texas, with cities spread across various regions including the Gulf Coast and Rio Grande Valley. This widespread distribution highlights significant regional challenges, from healthcare access to economic stability.
• High-resolution images of cities
Main Photo Credit: Jill Evans / Pexels / License