When thinking about moving to a new city, several factors may come to mind, including climate, cost of living and job opportunities.
Another important one is quality of life.
U.S. News and World Report recently compiled a list of the 25 Best Places to Live for Quality of Life, and a Midwest city clinched the top spot.
Classified as a "city of contrasts" by the publication, Ann Arbor, Michigan, the home of the University of Michigan, is a community of approximately 120,000 residents, roughly 40 miles west of downtown Detroit.
"It is at once rural and urban, sporty and smart, outdoorsy and high-tech, counterculture and high society..." the website stated. "Aside from the university, excellent public schools, and an increasingly diverse job market, a robust public parks system and low crime rates make Ann Arbor an attractive place for all ages."
To compile its rankings, U.S. News and World Report measured criteria such as crime, quality of education, average commute time as well as quality and availability of health care. Cities were evaluated using data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. News' own internal resources, the website stated.
Ann Arbor wasn't the only Midwest city to make the rankings. Madison, Wisconsin, took the sixth spot.
Local
Several other cities in the region, including Kalamazoo, Michigan, and South Bend, Indiana, rounded out the list.
Find the complete rankings below:
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- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Boulder, Colorado
- Boise, Idaho
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Portland, Maine
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Asheville, North Carolina
- San Diego, California
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Richmond, Virginia
- Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Washington, D.C.
- Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Spokane, Washington
- South Bend, Indiana
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Santa Barbara, California
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Albany, New York
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
