More than 24 million Americans moved homes in 2023. According to research from RentCafe, the majority of those people cited wanting “newer or better housing” as the reason for their move. But if you want to make a move this year and get even more out of the place you call home, then it’s time to check out the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Live rankings, which promises to help people “make the most informed decisions when choosing where to settle down.”
Each year, the publication creates a list of the top spots to move around the U.S. using a number of metrics sourced via Applied Geographic Solutions (AGS) and U.S. News’ internal resources.
“AGS develops its core database and specialized indexes from both private and government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve, and the Bureau for Economic Analysis, as well as state and local sources,” it noted in its methodology. The data is then categorized into five indices, including housing affordability, overall location desirability, the job market, and the key one we’re looking at today, quality of life. The findings are weighted based on percentages pulled from a February 2025 public survey, which gave people across the nation the chance to vote for the things that mattered most to them when considering where to live, with quality of life coming out on top.
After doing all that data work, it named Brookline, Massachusetts, a quaint suburb of Boston, as the No. 1 best place to live for quality of life.
“The Quality of Life Index measures important factors contributing to overall well-being, which do not consistently impact a resident’s immediate day-to-day living,” it explained. As for what’s factored into this particular ranking, the publication noted it includes the quality of education in each place using data from the U.S. News Best High Schools rankings, along with the quality and availability of health care, sourced from the U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings. It also accounts for the Air Quality Index, extreme weather risk, the state economy, and its infrastructure, all of which shine in Brookline and Massachusetts at large.
One particular place where Brookline looks particularly attractive is the job market. As U.S. News reported, “The job market in Brookline is better than the national average. Unemployment in Brookline is lower than the national average of 4.5 percent.” And the jobs that are here pay rather well, with the publication explaining that the median household income in Brookline” is $144,602, compared with the national median household income of $79,466.”
Other top spots for quality of life in the U.S. include nearby Newton, Massachusetts, in second, followed by Bethesda, Maryland; Bellevue, Washington; and Malden, Massachusetts, rounding out the top five.
See the full list and start making moves to make a move at realestate.usnews.com.
