Looking at NYC today, it’s difficult to imagine that just four years ago there were prominent declarations that its global, vibrant, cheek-by-jowl urban experiment was finally over. The mid-pandemic exodus and subsequent cratering of real estate sales and rentals has since shot up to the highest-ever median rents in Manhattan (currently registering at a new all-time high in the mid-$5,000s per month). 

Tourism, the accelerant for so many of the city’s amenities, was a priority for a sustainable recovery, and city leaders are doing everything in their power to bring back not only those apprehensive New Yorkers whose hunger for regular bites of the Big Apple is finally being sated, but also the nearly 70 million people who visited in 2019 and spent $46 billion across the expansive quilt of its #1-ranked Sights & Landmarks.

The city has no other choice: office occupancy remains about 50% of pre-pandemic levels, according to local numbers. For example, Bloomberg examined data from eight major Manhattan office buildings and discovered that “foot traffic is down about 52% on Fridays and 45% on Mondays compared with pre-COVID.”

The domino effect is perilous: an estimated 40% drop in office market value as office towers sit partially empty could cost $5 billion in lost tax revenue (an astonishing 5% of the city’s annual budget). Subway ridership is equally concerning, resulting in service cuts.

Fortunately, tourism numbers have had a breathtaking return, from 33 million visitors in 2021 (less than half of 2019’s total) to 62.2 million in 2023 (11.6 million international and 50.6 domestic)—and onward to a projected

64.5 million in 2024 according to New York City Tourism + Conventions, the city’s official tourism marketing arm.

“We are so appreciative of New York City’s recognition as #1 on Resonance’s 2024 America’s Best Cities Ranking—for the ninth year in a row,” says Nancy Mammana, the organization’s CMO and interim CEO. “We believe it’s a testament to our steady tourism recovery and growth. Our destination continues to shine—with only-in-NYC experiences, including Broadway, world-class dining and sporting events, diverse arts and culture offerings, rich history and more across the five boroughs.”

“Last year we saw robust growth in visitor volume, up almost 10% from 2022, generating $74 billion in economic impact. By the end of 2024, we are expecting a 97% recovery of pre-pandemic record visitation levels.”

First order of business: getting those not already here to town. The suspension of travel for more than a year expedited the long-planned transformations of New York’s international gateways. LaGuardia Airport, Newark

Liberty International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport all have new terminals, with the new Terminal B at LaGuardia alone boasting 35 gates (to say nothing of the FAO Schwarz on site). After the new Terminal C came online last year, LaGuardia is suddenly getting international kudos like it’s the 1950s. After an $8-billion multiyear reno, they’re well deserved.

Newark Liberty International’s updated Terminal A has opened with 33 new gates and construction has started on a congestion-easing 2.5-mile elevated guideway train system. 

Up next is JFK. The airport just unveiled 130,000 square feet of new and renovated space, and it will open a brand-new, $9.5-billion international terminal in 2026, part of a larger $19-billion airport transformation plan. The New Terminal One will become the largest terminal in the airport, featuring 23 gates and more than 300,000 square feet of dining, NYC-inspired retail and lounges. It’s also going to be an ode to the city’s five boroughs with green spaces and city festival activations.

Back in Manhattan, Moynihan Train Hall is a new 17-track expansion of Penn Station that, if you squint, could pass for a Northern European transit hub from the future.

With so many expected arrivals, NYC is trying to make sure everyone has a place to stay—no easy feat given last year’s introduction of Local Law 18, a government measure to crack down on short-term rentals. It requires landlords to register their short-term rental properties with the city, prohibits the likes of Airbnb from taking payment for unregistered rentals and requires that the permanent resident of a short-term rental is present during a guest’s stay. The number of short-term listings fell by more than 80% between August and October 2023, sending already pricey hotel rates soaring.

Which explains the continued new openings. While almost 10,000 new or renovated hotel rooms opened in 2022 alone, including the headline-grabbing Aman New York, an “urban sanctuary” on Fifth Avenue, dozens followed in 2023 and 2024. The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad—named for its ’hood—features José Andrés’ Nubeluz lounge on the 50th floor and plenty of massive windows from which to watch the street action. Better yet, soak in the 360-degree city panorama on the rooftop patio. The buildout stretches across the city, with a newly opened Thompson in Midtown and new Renaissance Hotels properties in Harlem and Flushing. Moxy Hotels is also opening multiple locations in the Lower East Side and Williamsburg. The just-opened Fifth Avenue Hotel is an ornate, whimsical microcosm of its city’s attention to detail, from silk space dividers to bejeweled bar carts, with the Café Carmellini among the city’s hottest dining spots this summer. Even more boutique is London-based The Twenty Two hotel and private club in Union Square.

At street level, the city’s firehose turns cultural, with massive museums (ranking #1 in the country) going all-in on expansions and new openings. The Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona, Queens, is a new cultural center that includes an interactive exhibit, archival collections, a 68-seat jazz club and a store. The Bronx Children’s Museum also reopened last year after moving to a new home in Mill Pond Park. Dia Chelsea is a new contemporary installation space, and the iconic Frick prepares to reopen its museum and library in December after a multiyear reno of its historic home at 1 East 70th Street.

Speaking of the Met, New York’s 153-year-old cultural institution (housing 1.5 million objects and hosting seven million visitors in a non-pandemic year) announced a $500-million reno of its modern and contemporary wing. Not as storied but equally New York is the new Museum of Broadway, the first permanent museum dedicated to the famed heartland of the stage, which opened in Times Square with a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of major theater productions.

It’s also the 100-year anniversary of the underrated Museum of the City of New York, which celebrates and documents 750,000 objects, including photographs, prints, costumes, paintings and more, to allow NYC-philes to obsess over this place like nowhere else. Well, except maybe the new Perelman Performing Arts Center, one of the last parts of the World Trade Center complex redevelopment. It’s an elegantly simple cube-shaped jewel box being lauded for its groundbreaking theatrical design and elegy to the horror of its location.

For those who prefer their immersion outdoors, classics like the High Line and Central Park are joined by the city’s newest green space, Little Island—2.4 acres floating on the Hudson near the Meatpacking District on the site of an old pier. Like most things here, you have to see it to believe it.

When it’s your turn to return to America’s best city, do yourself a favor and make time to see the phoenix rise from above: there are the classics, like the Empire State Building and the Top of the Rock, but there are also spectacular new perches, like SUMMIT One Vanderbilt and its all-glass exterior elevators, called Ascent. Go up, look down and breathe out. This city is back.

Few American cities fell harder both in visitor numbers and economically since 2020 than Chicago, even after the city deftly rode its gilded pre-pandemic decade. But the hardship of the pandemic, combined with spiking inflation, only meant that the Windy City was spring-loaded for a breakout 2024 powered by a fully operational O’Hare International, ranked #3 in the country as measured by the number of direct destinations served. Meetings and conventions of all sizes are back, pouring into McCormick Place and its stunning Lake Michigan perch, ranked #1 in our Convention Center subcategory.

The city’s quiet productivity is humming again, too, and is leaner and more efficient than ever, with the second-most Fortune 500 headquarters in the country, behind only New York. It also ranks in the Top 5 in the country in our Prosperity subcategories ranging from Job Postings and Patents to Professional Services.

Even amid the post-pandemic headlines of emptying city cores and urban flight, Chicago was named the top metro area for corporate investment for an astonishing 11th consecutive year by Site Selection magazine, a business publication that tracks real estate and corporate development in cities with more than a million people. The reason?

“The sense of regionalism exemplified by the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership will only reinforce the area’s attractiveness to tech, logistics, innovation, and vibrant young talent in an economy as diverse as its population,” noted the outlet.

According to World Business Chicago, the city’s economic development arm, a torrent of investment poured into the city over the past year, ranging from the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago, a $275-million biomedical research hub in Fulton Market, to a $20-million tech workforce and training center in Grand Crossing. Just outside of the city, S&C Electric’s 275,000-square-foot facility in Palatine will create hundreds of new jobs.

“Access to diverse talent, global connectivity and the city’s strong infrastructure are among the reasons why Chicago has been ranked a top metropolitan area for selection and corporate relocation for 11 years,” noted Mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement.

The city is also playing as hard as it’s working and its dance card hasn’t been this full in years. Dozens of summer festivals are on offer, ranging from Lollapalooza to the free shows at the Millennium Park Summer Music Series rocking the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, with everything from salsa orchestras to gospel. Speaking of which, Millennium Park turns 20 this summer and is throwing a free birthday bash in late July, featuring headliners like South Side native Common performing alongside the Grant Park Orchestra and Latin music group Fruko y sus Tesos. The festivals are equally boisterous outside of The Loop, from Lincoln Park’s Chicago Tacos & Tequila Festival to North Avenue Beach’s Air & Water Show.

The local purveyors of the nation’s second-best nightlife (trailing only NYC) are always happy to keep the party going indoors, especially the Diageo Beer Company people, who opened the second worldwide location of the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in the West Loop neighborhood last summer. This is only further proof of the understated beer culture in a town with 160 breweries, the most of any U.S. city (sorry, Seattle).

The city is also reclaiming its post-pandemic live-music crown with new venues like The Salt Shed, which opened in 2022 in the former Morton Salt factory warehouse, a nearly 100-year-old landmark. The indoors accommodate 3,300, and more than 5,000 can party in the outdoor section to hip-hop and indie rock and pop acts.

All that revelry means working up an appetite and Chicago’s #3-ranked restaurants deliver again, only partially because of the recent immortalization by FX series The Bear. From Chef José Andrés’ three-year-old Bazaar Meat and Bar Mar inside Bank of America’s new Chicago headquarters to the city’s youngest Michelin-starred chef, Donald Young, debuting Venteux, a French brasserie in the new Pendry Chicago hotel, this town is fed well. And this being Chicago, the home of so many Slavic immigrants over the centuries, it’s fitting that one of the buzziest places in town is Anelya, a new Ukrainian restaurant by James Beard Award-winning Chef Johnny Clark and his wife, Chef Beverly Kim (and named for Clark’s grandmother). Staffed by Ukrainians, many recently arrived fleeing Russia’s brutal invasion, it feels like a Chicago staple in its quality, community and empathy.

Speaking of community, Chicago is finally tapping into its 77 neighborhoods within city limits, powered by Choose Chicago, the city’s destination marketing organization, spotlighting the bounty with “The 77: A City of Neighborhoods,” a YouTube series that tells the stories of residents and small business owners in five neighborhoods (with plans to spotlight many more). Last year’s $5.5-million American Rescue Plan Act funding grant also allowed the organization to greatly increase efforts to deliver more of the economic benefits of tourism to the vibrant neighborhoods that are off Chicago’s beaten track.

One neighborhood that won’t need much help attracting visitors starting next year? South Chicago’s Jackson Park and its $500-million Obama Presidential Center. The campus is intended to function as a world-class museum and public gathering space that showcases the South Side to the world, welcoming 700,000 annual visitors and projected to generate a long-term economic impact of more than $3 billion.

Another South Side project opened this year is phase 1 of an ambitious plan to build a bike trail from Chicago to Michigan. The Marquette Greenway trail starts in the Calumet Park neighborhood and the entire Illinois portion is now completed. The $40-million trail will stretch all the way to New Buffalo, Michigan, by 2027.

Fortunately, hotel capacity is increasing with the city’s placemaking, with three new properties opening last year, including the highly anticipated St. Regis Chicago. The 101-story tower, designed by award-winning architect Jeanne Gang, has changed Chicago’s iconic skyline. It is now the third-tallest building in the city, the 10th tallest in the United States and the tallest building in the world designed by a woman. Hot on its gilded heels is Korean luxury property L7 Hotels by Lotte, designed by award-winning firm AvroKO. Located just steps from the Chicago Riverwalk and the Magnificent Mile, the property boasts 191 rooms and a signature ground-floor restaurant, Perilla, a Korean American steakhouse.

After celebrating a dizzying number of centennials last year, ranging from the Hollywood Sign (L.A.’s most iconic landmark according to a recent survey) to Warner Bros. Studios and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the city is now focused on the rest of the decade.

With so much going on, let’s start with the aforementioned Memorial Coliseum, as hallowed American ground as you’ll find and home to both the first Super Bowl in 1967 and multiple Olympic Games. The historic venue (along with the city’s newest venues like SoFi Stadium) will be central to L.A.’s next four years of massive sporting events, starting with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the NBA All-Star Game in 2026. The Super Bowl follows in 2027, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games arrive in Summer 2028, when the city will become the first place in the U.S. to host the event three times.

Adam Burke, president & CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, pointed out another global first when announcing the host venue of the 2027 Super Bowl. “Remarkably, SoFi Stadium will become the first venue in history to host the FIFA World Cup (2026), Super Bowl (2027) and Olympic & Paralympic Games (2028).”

But the city is far from sated with the global spotlight on its “Decade of Sport,” and L.A. will only build on its Top 3 finish in our overall Lovability index with equally massive investment into its cultural chops.

The home of America’s most ambitious museums (trailing only NYC in our ranking) is demanding the world come and visit, with vital exhibitions already launched and massive openings and expansions planned in the months ahead. In Westwood, the Hammer Museum at UCLA reopened last year after its two-decade-long

project transforming the campus, anchored by the new Lynda and Stewart Resnick Cultural Center at the gateway to Westwood Village. The museum today extends across a full city block, increasing gallery space by 60% to display the Hammer’s large collection of nearly 50,000 pieces. The three-year-old Academy Museum of Motion Pictures wowed visitors with its Hollywoodland exhibit last year, tracing the history of filmmaking in Los Angeles. This year, the museum goes deep on zoetropes, from the 19th century to Pixar.

The next year is equally frenzied for the city’s arts and culture scene. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is scheduled to reopen its east campus in 2024, with 110,000 square feet of gallery space, a new theater, education spaces, three restaurants and multipurpose event spaces, and will span Wilshire Boulevard in order to accommodate 3.5 acres of new park and outdoor space.

This fall, the Natural History Museum also opens its NHM Commons—a new wing and community hub on the southwest side of the museum campus in Exposition Park. At the Getty this September, the anticipated PST ART: Art & Science Collide will create urgent civic dialogue by exploring past and present connections between art and science in a series of exhibitions ranging from climate change and environmental justice to the future of artificial intelligence and alternative medicine.

Next up is the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, scheduled to open next year, founded by philanthropist and filmmaker George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments. The museum will focus on the universal art of visual storytelling and will feature expansive galleries, state-of-the-art cinematic theaters, dedicated spaces for learning and engagement and a new public green space.

The city’s long-smoldering arts bounty isn’t just confined to paid access, of course, and there’s no better place for walkable immersion than the recently reopened historic Sixth Street Viaduct, a transformative infrastructure project that replaced the original 1932 bridge and today unites the Boyle Heights community to the east and the Arts District and Downtown to the west. The project has reinvigorated the Arts District and today its galleries, murals and dozens of independent shops and outdoor markets host daily events that draw locals from across the county.

The Arts District is the perfect place to validate L.A.’s #1 ranking in our Restaurants subcategory. From Michelin-starred places like Frenchmeets-Southeast Asian restaurant Camphor to the Japanese perfection of Hayato and the Taiwanese fare of Kato, few places in America offer the fine dining density found in the city’s hottest ’hood. For more budget-friendly but no less indulgent options, make reservations for the Italian cuisine at Bestia and mind-blowing Middle Eastern food at Bavel. For something more local and casual, don’t miss nearby Yangban and its Korean-SoCal magic, or Ditroit’s street tacos.

The next emerging neighborhood to watch is the 1.3 miles along Crenshaw Boulevard, just east of LAX. Positioned by organizers as “the spine of Los Angeles’ Black community,” the area is in the midst of transformative infrastructure projects focused on “economic development, job creation and environmental healing,” with a focus on stewarding Black art and culture that, when completed, will be “the place to experience the most dynamic expression of Black American culture in the United States.” Visit it now, then again in a few years to see the dizzying amount of strategic urban planning, commercial and residential development and ambitious architecture, placemaking and more than 100 commissioned works of art in full bloom. 

Speaking of LAX, the city’s gateway to the world is in the midst of a $30-billion capital investment program, now in its final phase. Launched way back in 2009, it has been the largest public works project in the city’s history. The final push will renovate terminals 4 and 5 and open the much anticipated (but delayed) automated people mover (APM) train scheduled to launch next year and finally connect LAX’s rejuvenated terminals and the growing amenities around the airport. But lest you think L.A. is turning its back on the car, LAX will open the planet’s largest car rental facility with capacity for 18,000 vehicles later this year. Good thing the new $1.7-billion Regional Connector Transit Project opened last year. Featuring a 1.9-mile underground light-rail system, you can now take a one-seat ride across Los Angeles County, making travel on the Metro Gold Line to Long Beach and from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica possible without transferring lines. And, more importantly, not sitting in traffic.

L.A. is also the crucial site of what is being called America’s first high-speed, all-electric rail project. Headed by rail construction firm Brightline (of Florida intercity fame), the train is designed to connect Los Angeles and Las Vegas with 218 miles of track (most of it across the Mojave Desert) with an estimated completion date of 2028. The project was facilitated by $3 billion in federal funding supplied by the Biden Administration, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg noting that the project would “remove an estimated 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, bolster tourism and create 35,000 good-paying jobs.”

With almost two decades’ worth of planning, planting and stewarding, it’s time to optimize the return on all that investment. Appropriately, the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board launched its largest-ever global promotional campaign titled “Now Playing,” with an eight-figure budget.

Miami’s natural attributes have always captured the world’s imagination and embodied its hedonistic brand. The city ranks #3 globally in our Outdoors subcategory, and, even better, at #2 for Instagram Hashtags that show off the natural (and, ahem, constructed) sites. But it’s Miami’s openness to immigrants (and, more recently, the LGBTQIA+ community and Silicon

Valley migrants) that has people buzzing. The city has the highest percentage of foreign-born residents in America (which is saying something) and, increasingly, a new distributed workforce continues to arrive to work (and play) from home here. Jeff Bezos moved from Seattle for family and taxes. Speaking of which, Amazon is currently seeking 50,000 square feet of office space to expand its 400-person workforce in the city. Hundreds of firms are doing the same now that VC funding is starting to flow again, which will improve the current #4 ranking for Professional Services and, as the fight for talent intensifies, its #9 spot in our Job Postings subcategory. But it’s not like Miami is some sudden tech belle. For decades it’s been the U.S. home for Latin American enterprise and, today, more than 1,100 multinationals are based in the city. All that talent and down payment money is looking to buy in and housing costs are defying gravity (and interest rates).

Residential buildout is everywhere and two luxury projects in particular will change the skyline. The 1,049-foot Waldorf Astoria Hotel and Residences is predicted to be the tallest residential tower south of New York when completed in 2027. The Okan Tower, a 70-story luxury building housing condominiums, hotels and epic office space, should be open by then, too. Given the state of the city these days, would you really be surprised to hear that both Bentley and Mercedes-Benz are building residential towers with apartments costing $4 million or more? Still, accessible redevelopment is going strong, too, led by the just-approved 8.5-acre mixed-use community hub named Westcourt that will give the city a dedicated sports and entertainment district. The Underline, a planned 10-mile linear park and urban trail under elevated rail lines, just opened its second phase.

Few American cities have been as supercharged by the return of the visitor economy as Las Vegas, which lives and dies by its #1 industry.

After all, this is Vegas, baby, the second-most lovable city in America, according to our rankings, and trailing only New York.

Almost 41 million people visited Las Vegas in 2023, a 5.2% increase over 2022 and not far back from the record 42.9 million who visited in 2016.

Welcoming them are a bounty of new properties, ranging from the two-year-old, $4.3-billion Resorts World Las Vegas—which includes three hotels, the 27,000-square-foot Awana Spa and a 5,000-seat theater—to the just-opened Durango Casino & Resort, an off-strip Vegas take on a midcentury modern ode to the Nevada landscape. But the biggest property news in two decades is the Fontainebleau, a $3.7-billion, 67-story complex that, at 729 feet, is the largest residential/hotel structure on the strip. It boasts a mind-melting 36 restaurants, including Cantina Contramar, run by Mexico City chef Gabriela Cámara. Speaking of Chef, actor and director Jon Favreau and Korean taco expert

Roy Choi unveiled the Chef Truck at the Park MGM, yet another step of many that Sin City’s culinary scene will take to ascend from its already impressive #9 ranking.

Of course, the $2-billion, 18,000-seat, 516-foot-in-diameter MSG Sphere, the largest spherical structure in the world, is a visitor magnet that will further entrench Vegas as the top city in the country in our Attractions subcategory, as well as its Top 3 Culture ranking. Incredibly, even after this torrent of new openings, the gilded Vegas construction pipeline still has at least $15 billion of new investment on tap.

All that city building is catching Americans’ interest. Vegas topped Redfin’s web property searches for the first time ever last year, indicating that smitten tourists want in on the fun full-time, especially coastal Californians who can get twice the house for their money. And with construction started on the Vegas-to-L.A. high-speed rail (America’s first,) estimated to be built by 2028, they can always go back and visit.

San Francisco’s myriad challenges over the past half decade have been meticulously documented. So much so, in fact, that a Gallup survey in August 2023 found that nearly half of Americans regard San Francisco as unsafe. An office vacancy rate that CBRE recorded at 34.7% in the third quarter of 2023 was among the highest in the world.

Despite the bad news, “Everyone’s Favorite City” is still coveted. Maybe now more than ever as rents drop, advocacy and local pride stir, and failed ideas are jettisoned by America’s second-most educated citizenry raised on disruption and with the means to impact change. This is home to the sixth-most Fortune 500 companies in the country, after all, and trails only New York and Tokyo for the most millionaires residing in any city (285,000 in 2022, according to the 2023 World’s Wealthiest Cities Report).

These millionaires are launching political movements to implement more moderate policies and investing in local journalism to ensure they’re heard. Levi Strauss heir and activist Daniel Lurie is running against Mayor London Breed in the next local election, while Ripple Labs Inc. founder Chris Larsen donated millions to revive emptying retail areas and funds the “It All Starts Here” marketing campaign to increase local pride and continued business investment.

San Francisco has also become the center of global artificial intelligence, with AI companies pouring into empty office space. Earlier this year, OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, closed on the city’s biggest office lease in five years when it subleased almost 500,000 square feet in Uber’s Third St. campus. More recently, AI company Anthropic leased 250,000 square feet in the former Slack headquarters at 500 Howard Street. Other massive local investment has resumed, from Y Combinator’s arrival to Visa’s new global headquarters opening soon.

The city, meanwhile, is rolling out the most daring bike and pedestrian infrastructure in America and unlocking the public space potential of places like the Presidio (featuring the new Presidio Tunnel Tops, a 14-acre park built over the Presidio Parkway highway tunnels).

A hub of higher education and home to the fourth-most educated workforce in the country, Boston produces a steady stream of new talent to help attract startups and established companies alike. Future talent gravitates to Harvard, of course—the top-ranked university in the nation—as well as to Boston’s density of other world-class universities and colleges. The region bursts with lecture halls, labs and classrooms for the more than 75 institutions of higher learning, energized by the estimated 200,000 postsecondary students creating stories, ideas, solutions and technologies with global influence. Graduating talent is scooped up fast in a city that ranks in the Top 10 in both our Fortune 500 and Professional Services subcategories, and boasts industry clusters like its 1,000-plus biotech companies.

The buildout of America’s newest (oldest) urban destination, buoyed by billions in federal stimulus funds, is also afoot. Hotel inventory is projected to grow by 5,000 new rooms by 2030, fueled by the 1,055-room Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport on the South Boston Waterfront near the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. The encompassing Seaport District has bloomed around the Institute of Contemporary Art and is drawing design and dining crowds to new spots that sate both. Another new hotel elevating Boston’s #11 Restaurants ranking is the first Raffles property in North America, which, aside from 147 luxurious rooms and Guerlain Spa, features Amar, a new seafood-forward fine-dining spot run by Portuguese-American chef George Mendes. The city’s cultural clout is also ascendant courtesy of the Fenway Sports Group and Live Nation’s new MGM Music Hall at Fenway, a 5,000-seat concert hall that extends the iconic ballpark.

Happily, the city is making it easy to come and go, namely with the expansion of South Station, Boston’s busiest transit hub, and its 51-story condo and office tower opening next year. The new $640-million terminal at Boston Logan International Airport will handle the city’s increasing passenger numbers.

The ubiquity of D.C. in dramas on screens small and large, combined with the shocking events of recent years, means we’re all thinking about the U.S. capital. It’s why it ranks in the Top 10 in our overall Lovability index, highlighted by Top 10 rankings in our Museums, Restaurants, Pro Sports and Tripadvisor Reviews subcategories. 

The city’s museum investment is on full display these days, with the iconic National Gallery of Art making up for lost time this past year with high-profile exhibits like the mind-blowing Mark Rothko show. New and reopening museums include the 32,000-square-foot Rubell Museum in a historically Black public school in the Southwest neighborhood, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the world’s only major art museum solely dedicated to championing women artists.

“There is currently $9.6 billion in development underway and the city has added new hotels, museums, rooftops, Michelin-rated dining and more for travelers to explore,” noted Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC. Last year alone included the launch of the 274-room Royal Sonesta Capitol Hill, joining new properties like the AC Hotel Washington DC Capitol Hill Navy Yard and Pendry Washington DC – The Wharf. And speaking of The Wharf, phase two of the massive Southwest Waterfront development opened last year, creating yet another destination neighborhood in a city packed with them.

D.C. is keeping a good thing going, with city council recently raising the hotel tax to fill the gap in spending by federal employees working from home. The move is estimated to add $18 million to Destination DC’s budget, just in time for an upcoming $20-million global marketing campaign to kick-start international visits to the city.

New arrivals won’t go hungry in one of America’s most buzzy food cities, especially with the rise of Black chefs and purveyors in places like Market 7, a sprawling food hall touting Black-owned businesses. Also creating a buzz is Chef José Andrés’ The Bazaar in the Waldorf Astoria (rescued from its previous life as a Trump Tower), sure to sate your Chesapeake Bay locavorism.

You won’t find Seattle among the panicky headlines chronicling the decline of U.S. West Coast metropolises. Sure, the Emerald City was battling a housing price dip (since reversed, with prices up almost 12% year-over-year, according to Point2), a homelessness crisis and 20% commercial vacancy rates. But it also boasts a growing population fueled by talent seeking (literally) greener pastures and pulled by the influential titans of industry in town, from Amazon to Starbucks to Zillow. Seattle ranks #11 in our Fortune 500 subcategory. Heat waves (and, for some, politics) in the American South will only accelerate immigration. An existing talent pipeline is stocked by the omnipresent UDub—the University of Washington—one of the world’s top public research universities (ranking #22 in our University subcategory), endowing the city with the 11th-most educated citizenry in the nation.

And that talent benefits from all manner of livability here, from startup incubation to festivals to urban waterfront restoration. 

Speaking of which, the Seattle waterfront, long blighted by the Alaskan Way elevated highway that was finally demolished, buried and tolled in favor of a walkable and bike-friendly promenade along Elliott Bay, will be fully opened next year. And it’s going to blow the minds of those who haven’t visited in a while. The city’s dozen or so long-neglected piers are being seismically upgraded and reimagined as micro-neighborhoods and performance venues surrounded by Puget Sound and the snow-capped Olympic Mountains beyond. Opening this summer, the Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion showcases tropical species from the Coral Triangle in the Indo-Pacific, with an oculus window that allows passersby to observe sea life from below. It links to the city’s iconic Pike Place Market that was recently expanded as well, with observation platforms and retail spaces. Expect the city’s Top 10 Walk Score and Biking rankings to increase as a result of this bold, human-level placemaking.

Austin may get the attention, but the promise of the Lone Star State drawing Californians and New Yorkers is quietly being fulfilled in Houston. In the past year the metro population swelled above seven million for the first time ever and the city today is one of America’s most ethnically diverse, with more than 145 languages spoken at home, according to the latest census—about even with New York. Its #21 Culture ranking is a testament to its prism of festivals, from international film to massive Juneteenth celebrations. Next year, the city welcomes America’s first Ismaili Center, commissioned by His Highness the Aga Khan. 

Houston’s underappreciated dining scene, a mix of Southern Soul and barbecue with Mexican that’s then seasoned with global cuisine, ranks #4 in our Restaurants subcategory (ahead of culinary stars like San Francisco, Vegas and Miami). There are too many places to list, but the newly opened Late August, in Midtown, is a must, mixing southern Mexican cuisine with West African magic in a way that only Houston chefs can.

But where America’s fourth-largest city truly takes off is in its economic heft and wealth, ranking Top 3 in the country for both Fortune 500 companies in town and our Patents subcategory, and Top 5 in our overall Prosperity index. While hometown companies like ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Phillips 66 have ensured that 40% of Houston’s economy is tied directly or indirectly to oil and gas, the energy talent in the city has made it an unlikely green power destination. According to a recent McKinsey report, investment of up to $250 billion may be headed Houston’s way by 2040 to leverage the skilled workforce and existing infrastructure.

Beyond our green planet, Houston is also building on its NASA legacy to position itself as the center of the global space industry (and not just Space City, USA). Its Houston Spaceport is an FAA-licensed urban commercial spaceport offering unprecedented access to a thriving aerospace community. The city has a staggering head start in building a cluster of local aerospace manufacturing companies, especially considering that the spaceport can eventually serve as the country’s takeoff point for passenger jets capable of flying at supersonic and hypersonic speeds.

One of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. pulls in smitten new residents with its 263 full and partly sunny days annually, the natural endowment of the second-best finish in our Outdoors subcategory (behind only Honolulu) and the 23 beaches—70 miles of them—within city limits that make San Diego synonymous with the lore of SoCal surf culture. But these days, new talent is just as likely to arrive for the innovation cluster that spans the San Diego-Tijuana border across the increasingly buzzing 20-mile stretch between the two cities. The region is already ranked #4 in the country in our Patents subcategory and is fueled by a second-best Internet Access ranking. Both cities are sharing the biennial designation as the World Design Capital of 2024, with events ranging from museum openings to this fall’s week-long World Design Experience, an interactive showcase of design that will appear across various venues. The city’s Top 10 Museums ranking will improve when the San Diego Museum of Art in iconic Balboa Park unveils its 2026 west wing, courtesy of Foster + Partners, a firm that has built iconic structures at museums around the world.

Being the largest city in a region that generated more than $80 billion in tourism-related economic impact in 2022 delivers plenty of international word of mouth. And Orlando knows how to get people talking. Its #2 Attractions ranking represents a firehose of expansions and new openings post pandemic, with the latest buzz focused on next year’s Universal Studios Epic Universe theme park, packed with spots like Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and How to Train Your Dragon. Downtown culture booms with the recent opening of live music venue Judson’s, the fourth indoor performance space at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, joining Steinmetz Hall (opened in 2022), the Walt Disney Theater and the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater. The recently approved $500-million mixed-use Westcourt sports and entertainment district will take up nearly nine downtown blocks when it opens in 2027, adjacent to the Kia Center (home of the NBA’s Orlando Magic). Getting here has never been easier, thanks to the newly opened, $4.2-billion South Terminal Complex at Orlando International Airport, featuring the northern terminus of Brightline, the state’s first high-speed rail that connects Orlando with West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Long a progressive beacon in Georgia, Atlanta and its rich legacy of American civil rights—the city is the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr.—is pulling in talent, with almost a quarter of a million relocating here over the past two years. Even more are mulling their options—as indicated by ATL’s Top 5 ranking for Instagram Hashtags in the country and its Top 10 reach for both Google Trends and Facebook Check-ins. Good thing the city—ranking #8 in the country not only for Fortune 500, but in our Patents and Professional Services subcategories as well—is planning for the influx. Bold new projects pepper downtown, like the 50-acre Gulch redevelopment called Centennial Yards, featuring 12 million square feet of residential, retail and office space and 1,500 hotel rooms. Just east, along Peachtree, Mitchell and Broad streets, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, dozens of historic buildings are being revived with a focus on public spaces and walkability. Even Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (from which 80% of the U.S. population resides within a two-hour flight) is renovating, despite already ranking #4 for Airport Connectivity. Its ATL Next project is pumping $6 billion into modernization.

Denver’s secret has been out for a while: its once attainable second-city affordability and coveted lifestyle brand at the foot of the Rocky Mountains has driven the median price of a home from $442,000 to $581,000 over the past five years, according to Redfin. Today, Denver is an increasingly wealthy, healthy talent magnet that ranks #9 in the country for educated citizenry. They ply their trades at large Fortune 500 firms (ranking #15) ranging from Western Union to Molson Coors Beverage, and at the hundreds of startups in the emergent cannabis and burgeoning wellness industries. Denver ranks an impressive #7 in our Professional Services subcategory. Its #16-ranked convention center, crowned by a massive rooftop terrace, was completed in December 2023. Denver International Airport (already Top 5 in the U.S. and boasting a direct LRT link to downtown’s Union Station) is finishing its $770-million Great Hall upgrades and wrapped a massive $2-billion gate expansion project last year. But Denver plays as hard as it works. Amid 300 days of annual sunshine, the city’s obsession with the outdoors is matched by a commitment to the arts, with the Denver Art Museum slowly emerging from an extensive, multi-year renovation.

The rebellious Texas city—forged by cando persistence cut with a university town’s progressive livability—is now a well-oiled talent-attraction machine. Entrepreneurs and investors come for the city’s Top 10 most-educated citizenry, who are creating America’s future with a #10 national ranking for Patents. It’s no surprise, then, that since the pandemic Austin has secured headquarters for giants like Oracle, Tesla, BAE Systems and dozens more, joining incumbents like Samsung USA, which in April announced a $40-billion investment in nearby Taylor, Texas, to build massive semiconductor chip plants, expedited by a $6.4-billion investment by the Biden Administration. Dozens of ambitious tech firms (especially EV and superconductor manufacturers) are moving in monthly. New high-rises like the Waterline (which will be the tallest building in Texas when it opens in 2026) and Wilson Tower (the largest planned U.S. residential high-rise outside of NYC) will be pinnacle trophies on the city’s expanding skyline. The #20-ranked University of Texas at Austin is also a talent magnet, focusing on research and a growing skills pipeline to the symbiotic private sector. The local music scene is pretty good, too. (Nightlife ranks #8.)

From 2021 to 2022, Dallas experienced the largest numerical population increase of any U.S. metro area, with a net increase of more than 170,000 people, according to the Census Bureau. Home to more than 10,000 corporate headquarters—the largest concentration in the U.S.—and ranking #4 in the nation for Fortune 500 companies in town, the city is easy to get to. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport tops our Airport Connectivity subcategory, with a planned $3-billion Terminal F project possibly back on the table, given DFW’s rebound of almost 82 million passengers in 2023—making it the third-busiest airport on earth. The city’s #12 Convention Center ranking will improve when a new $2-billion, 2.5-million-square-foot facility is built next to the current one in 2028. The same year should see the trenching of the city’s car-worshiping Interstate 345 that cut off Black neighborhoods in the early 1970s. But Dallas is big on fun and culture, too. This is the home of America’s sixth-largest LGBTQIA+ community. On 20 square blocks of mixed-use space, institutions like the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Museum of Asian Art, theaters and symphony and opera venues all power a #26 Culture ranking.

Philadelphia is a dense, cataloged embodiment of Americana, easily accessible and eagerly shared. Its experiences have always done the talking, whether it’s walking the cobblestones of Old City or breathing in the urban green of Fairmount Park. The understated urban tapestry delivers a #7 Sights & Landmarks ranking, perfect for exploring by foot and sure to improve with the extensive development of the multiuse Delaware River Trail that links the city’s waterfront destinations. Those in need of a more regimented type of history will love the seventh-best museums in the U.S., especially with recent investments like the 90,000 square feet of new public and exhibition space at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as part of the Frank Gehry-led expansion. Important exhibits open this summer and fall, none bigger than Disney100 and SPACE at the Franklin Institute, and Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia at the Museum of the American Revolution. Philly is also finally getting culinary recognition, ranking #6 for Restaurants and boasting more restaurant and chef awards than any other at the 2023 James Beard Foundation competition. The city’s coveted University of Pennsylvania is an Ivy League icon, ranked #4 nationally and keeping the local talent pipeline stocked.

Minneapolis made pandemic headlines (and inspired global movements against systemic racism) when George Floyd was murdered by local police. Corporate media coverage then bleated about the city’s crime, despite never having visited. Proud local leaders shot back with cheeky reality-check ad campaigns that highlighted urban dynamism and visionary city-building like the Minneapolis Big Build. Today the city is in the thick of an unprecedented renaissance, with more than $1-billion worth of annual construction permits issued in each of the past four years. The investment has yielded (so far) the redesign of Nicollet Avenue, the opening of U.S. Bank Stadium and the Commons Park, a major reno of Target Center (home of the NBA’s Timberwolves) and improvements to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and Walker Art Center. There are a dozen more projects that have opened or will soon, including the new Water Works Park on the Mississippi riverfront. This, on top of a somewhat surprising Top 10 ranking for Fortune 500 companies in town—the most per capita of any U.S. metro area—and an ambitious citizenry that ranks #13 nationally for Educational Attainment, makes it no surprise that this Midwest magnet lands #21 in our overall Prosperity index.

In the face of poverty and injustice—and “natural” disasters compounded by both—NOLA has, over its three centuries, created a culture of presence, music and festivals. It is why the city ranks #12 in our overall Lovability index, which includes its epic Shopping (#2), Culture (#2) and Museums (#3). That Museums ranking will improve with the Warehouse District’s new Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, along with last year’s massive new Audubon Insectarium and Aquarium of Americas right on the Mississippi adjacent to the French Quarter. In a city ranked #35 for Labor Force Participation (even more impressive when you consider the post-Katrina exodus), urban investment is everywhere. The French Quarter boasts the One11, the area’s first new hotel in 50 years. A new Four Seasons Hotel and Residences opened in the former World Trade Center, followed by local icon and men’s clothing store Rubenstein’s eponymous 40-room boutique property. Harrah’s $435-million investment will expand, renovate and rebrand the city’s casino with a 340-room hotel tower. And there’s still more: the Riverfront for All project is breaking ground this year on one of the country’s longest contiguous riverfront parks, and Lincoln Beach, a historically important Black beach, will be the city’s first public beach to open in decades next year.

Portland’s blissful isolation and self-sustainability have long made it one of the most earnest cities in the U.S. Portlanders are among the most engaged urbanites on the planet, and have always built it themselves when they can’t find what fits their liking—from performance outdoor apparel like Columbia and Nike to hospitality brands like Ace and McMenamins. Their #16 overall Livability ranking (powered by some of the best bike infrastructure in the country), therefore, is no surprise. But the urban utopia of recent decades was ravaged by the pandemic, with homelessness spiking by almost 70%, vehicle theft almost doubling and shootings tripling, all since 2019. The population shrank for the first time in decades in 2021. Portlanders are fighting for the city’s inclusive livability and identity, one that boasts almost 100 breweries (among the most per capita in the U.S.) and boundary-pushing nightlife (#11) and shopping (#9). New public projects prioritizing bikes and pedestrians are everywhere (yes, the Ned Flanders Crossing pedestrian bridge is real). Big projects are also coming online. The new 35-story Ritz-Carlton is the city’s first five-star hotel, and next year, a $1.5-billion locally focused investment into the city’s airport will be unveiled.

A thriving desert metropolis that’s now just outside of the Top 10 nationally by population, Phoenix has seen some of the fastest growth of any major U.S. city since 2015. According to the latest census data, it added 163,000 residents, bringing the core city’s population to 1.6 million, with its metro on the cusp of five million. Phoenix has also defied persistently high interest rates, with an almost 14% home price increase in 2023 according to Point2. And what’s not to love? A growing roster of fine museums, a vibrant artist community and 300 days of sunshine make the city buzz like never before (failed NHL hockey team be damned). The downtown arts district boasts the new Pemberton PHX—part art exhibit and part foodie magnet, where locally loved restos like Baba’s Falafel and Saint Pasta host pop-up dinners year-round. The city’s #15 Restaurants ranking will soar with such daring concepts, none buzzier than the Global Ambassador, the first hotel by restaurateur and 12-time James Beard nominee Sam Fox. The 141-room property has five distinct restaurants and is just one of several recent openings, joining a $70-million reno of the iconic Arizona Biltmore, as well as expansions of The Wigwam and JW Marriott Phoenix.

The home base for artists like Jack White, Kings of Leon and the Black Keys (and a Top 10 city in our Nightlife subcategory) is firing on all cylinders with events like the CMA Fest and Bonnaroo, as well as new shows and attractions. The buzziest is the duet between the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the historic Ryman Auditorium that created the Rock Hall at the Ryman exhibit celebrating one of America’s most revered stages, including stories about Elvis Presley, James Brown, Dolly Parton, the Foo Fighters and dozens more. The three-year-old National Museum of African American Music—a vital center to educate the world, preserve a legacy and celebrate African Americans in creating the American soundtrack—is yet another reason why Nashville ranks #13 for Culture. Massive developments like the new home of the Nashville SC Major League Soccer team in Wedgewood-Houston—a 30,500-seat soccer-only facility—join the city-building ambition behind the opening of more than a dozen hotels over the next two years and a major expansion of the city’s airport. The city is also a healthcare innovation hub, home to more than 500 companies, including 17 publicly listed ones.

Few American cities balance the natural and built environments quite like Tampa. A low crime rate and 361 days of annual sunshine make the city’s #13-ranked parks and outdoor activities, including nearby beaches, a joy to explore. Don’t miss the Tampa Riverwalk, a 2.6-mile continuous waterfront corridor along the banks of the Hillsborough River and Garrison Channel. From the newly renovated Florida Aquarium you can stroll to the Tampa Bay History Center, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, the convention center and other spots contributing to Tampa’s #15 ranking in our Attractions subcategory. The city is also flexing its downtown investment these days, with the year-old, multi-billion-dollar Water Street Tampa in the heart of the city, spearheading the way with The Tampa EDITION, a truly five-star luxury property with Michelin-starred Chef John Fraser feeding guests. The project also boasts a new promenade and a dozen high-end condos and hotels, as well as bars and restaurants that are making the city a culinary destination soon to improve on its #26 Restaurants ranking. In a city already home to three Michelin-starred restaurants (Rocca, Koya and Lilac), ambitious rooms seem to open weekly these days.

Combining spectacular natural and built environments, Salt Lake City is no longer just a gateway to the great outdoors—it’s also a welcoming destination with Top 3 biking infrastructure, new museums, and… local breweries, which, over the past three years, have multiplied thanks to relaxed local potency limits (and public health measures). The transformation began with the arrival of the XIX Olympic Winter Games just over 20 years ago, as the city thawed its reputation as an über-conservative cowboy town with Mormon family values to become the lifestyle magnet of quaint cafés and stylish restaurants that it is today. SLC continues to pour millions into development projects and the beautification of its downtown, which pulled in their new NHL hockey team (sorry, Phoenix) that will play out of the soon-to-be renovated Delta Center along with the NBA Jazz. Then there’s SLC International (ranked #21), the country’s first major hub airport replacement of the 21st century. Its second phase, with new concourses and gates, is set for completion by the end of this year. The estimated cost of Utah’s new global aviation hub? An astonishing $4.1 billion. Equally astonishing: it was apparently built with no local taxpayer dollars.

America’s gateway to the West has always been an understated city of neighborhoods and cultural elegance. It performs well for Nightlife (#19)—in fact, Miles Davis is a native son—and reaches a Top 25 finish in our Restaurants subcategory. Check out Laclede’s Landing, a converted warehouse district overlooking the Mississippi, for fun and food. Recent culinary openings range from Mediterranean-forward Casa Don Alfonso—the first in the U.S. for Michelin-starred Italian restaurateur Mario Iaccarino—in the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis to the City Foundry STL food hall, serving an atlas-worth of goodies. The city is also investing in its infrastructure, especially as it pursues meetings and events once more. The AC Next Gen project that will update and expand the America’s Center Convention Complex downtown should be open early next year, improving the #17 Convention Center ranking. The new CityPark soccer stadium adds to the reinvigorated downtown, as does the non-motorized Brickline Greenway that connects city parks and pays tribute to some 20,000 residents of the largely Black community of Mill Creek Valley who were forced from their homes in 1959 for a freeway. The city’s #19-ranked walkability will improve as a result.

As the global heart of innovation and the urban center of Silicon Valley, San Jose easily makes it into the Top 10 in our overall Prosperity index. Topping economically vital subcategories like University (Stanford), Educational Attainment and Patents (second only to NYC) will have that effect. It’s all possible because of San Jose’s moat: 2,500 high-tech companies in and around town. Its institutional prosperity is perhaps most obvious in the bounty of universities that are performance drivers all on their own, creating symbiotic integrations with local tech companies and providing funding and training unlike anywhere else. Given the optimal conditions of a lauded, coveted school and the on-ramp it provides to jobs in the city, San Jose will need to develop its talent pipeline more than ever. According to recent Brookings Institution research, Silicon Valley lost nearly 1,400 senior tech workers in the two years leading up to 2023, and the ongoing layoffs and hiring freezes that followed, along with employee expectation to work from home (aka: not in pricey San Jose), further threaten the talent pool. Just consider that the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex gained 30,000 during those same two years. The prospect of high-speed rail to San Francisco and throughout California has never mattered more to access new talent.

Detroit has been on top of the world—from its role as “the arsenal of democracy” to the 1950s when Motor City revved—and in its depths during the ’90s and early 2000s. But the rebirth buzz of recent years is blooming all over the city, with approximately $7 billion in investment driving 200+ projects that are ongoing or recently completed, seen in places like the redevelopment of the historic Eastern Market, with its massive food halls and office space. More recently, Michigan Central, a gorgeous former Beaux-Arts train station, just reopened as a transportation research lab that’s also a destination with community spaces, culinary concepts and locally focused shops. Motor City is also thinking beyond the car, with vital infrastructure like the 6.6-mile QLINE streetcar loop connecting the Woodward Corridor. This year, the city’s vital Motown Museum shows off a $65-million reno with expanded performance spaces, enhanced interactivity and a school. Watch for Detroit’s #44 ranking in our Culture subcategory to rise. Work on the $240-million, 27.5-mile Joe Louis Greenway is in full swing and will improve Detroit’s #58 Outdoors ranking. So will the newly completed 2.5-mile riverfront promenade that gives seamless access to the 982-acre Belle Isle parkland. Also opening in 2024 is 685-foot The Tower at Hudson’s Detroit, the city’s second-tallest building, featuring residences, hotel, retail, and offices.

A beguiling fusion of early U.S. colonial-built environment and coastal transition landscapes—golden islands, channels and marshes—Charleston is one of North America’s most architecturally significant destinations, drawing design pilgrims and sharing its own, too (artist Shepard Fairey is a local). The city continues to cement its place on elevated travel itineraries and in the hearts of investors. There’s the new Moxy Charleston Downtown, joining devoutly local The Palmetto in the French Quarter, and the boutique, family-friendly The Pinch (with a kitchen in each room). The city’s smitten locals and tourists drive up its overall Lovability index ranking to #22 in the country, led by its #11 ranking in our Museums subcategory. The newest and most important is the $100-million International African American Museum on the former site of Gadsden’s Wharf, the horrific disembarkation point into American slavery for an estimated 30,000 African people over centuries—the largest such port in the country. It illuminates the influential, underreported histories of Africans and their descendants in South Carolina, highlighting their diasporic connections throughout the nation and the world. A new genealogy center helps visitors research their own history.

Few U.S. cities cratered economically more than Honolulu during COVID, and the city’s tourism economy fights on, grappling with a 50% drop in Japanese visitors as a result of their weaker currency, the lingering pall of the tragic Maui wildfires and persistently high interest rates that are keeping vacation home investment subdued. However, it’s not all gloomy. Six new hotels opened over the past year, following earlier high-profile openings like the iconic Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort’s new cultural center as part of its $80-million refresh, as well as the Wayfinder Waikiki in the quieter Ala Wai Canal area. The buzziest this year is the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa, a stunning 39-story luxe sanctuary outside of the Waikiki tourist district, just steps to the Ala Moana Center. The city’s top spot in our Outdoors subcategory seems secure, with built attractions continuing to roll on, like the LineUp at Wai Kai, just west of downtown: it’s the state’s first man-made deepwater standing wave, with bars, restaurants and family attractions. Grander still is the 98-acre New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District, to be built on the University of Hawaii’s old stadium grounds in Hālawa. A new, 25,000-seat multi-use stadium is part of the plan.

America’s Old South is up to new tricks in Charlotte, a global banking powerhouse (the second-most important in the U.S. after New York) and ranked #18 in our Fortune 500 subcategory. All that productivity comes with relative housing affordability, and combined with the seventh-most connected airport in the U.S., it’s no wonder the city finished in the Top 20 in our overall Prosperity index. Charlotte is building on the good thing it has going: the already walkable downtown recently extended its east-to-west hybrid streetcar system that runs an impressive four miles over 17 stops. The city is continuing to invest in massive projects like the medical school campus and an innovation district called The Pearl, funded by Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist—26 acres in Midtown that will help position Charlotte as a destination for research and innovation and create thousands of jobs this decade alone. But with 1,000 apartments, a hotel, restaurants and bars, the project will be a destination, too. As will a former Sears department store that reopened in 2022 as the Visual and Performing Arts Center, a new home to dozens of galleries, studios, theaters and classrooms.

You want a balanced hometown? Welcome to Steel City, finishing #30 for Lovability, #31 for Livability and #32 for Prosperity in our three pillars this year. There’s a storied sports scene that’s tied for a #17 for Pro Sports (and the sports tourism that contributes more than a billion dollars annually in visitor spending), and a legacy of culture embodied in the #23-ranked museums, including one dedicated to local son Warhol with a new six-block Pop District and another to the steel industry, called Rivers of Steel. Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center power the city’s #16 University ranking and an overall sense of practicality and stewardship (a reason why urbanist and author Richard Florida launched his career here). New Pittsburgh residents often marvel at the city’s joyful walkability (#24), 440 bridges and hills made more fun by Mount Washington’s funiculars—the last such operating inclines in America and remnants of a system that once contained 17 around the city. Pittsburgh Brewing is writing the city’s next sudsy chapter with a 42-acre destination site along the Allegheny River in an 1883 complex. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh International Airport’s new $1.4-billion terminal should open next year.

The genius of San Antonio is its stewardship of its greatest urban attraction: the River Walk. The pedestrian promenade along the San Antonio River, extended from three to 15 miles a decade ago, is a scenic link that connects self-propelled citizens and visitors with the city. On one end there’s the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas—recently enhanced with the new Alamo Exhibition Hall & Collections Building as well as this fall’s new World Heritage Center. On the other, the San Antonio Zoo—and, in between, the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Texas Golf Hall of Fame and dozens of eclectic stops. No wonder the city ranks #6 in our Attractions subcategory, just one of the performance metrics elevating the city’s performance and visitors for years to come. The firehose of openings includes the circa 1949 Alameda Theater next year after a massive $37-million reno to become the largest performance venue in the U.S. focusing on Latino performing arts, with a capacity of up to 1,500. Just make sure to leave time to feast in one of America’s two UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy and its #14-ranked restaurants.

Less than an hour’s commute from Washington, D.C., Baltimore offers a slower pace of life and significantly cheaper housing than the hypercharged capital. But the window to buy into one of Baltimore’s diverse, historic communities is closing fast—home prices in the city reached a 10-year record high a year into the pandemic and are up 10% year over year. Yet the city’s beguiling urban pockets and dipping crime rates continue to attract visitors and curious potential residents seeking unvarnished American urbanism and some of the country’s best museums (ranked #15 nationally). The tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March that killed six shook the community, but in typical Baltimore resilience container ships were back serving the region’s vital port a month later. The city marches on, with years of placemaking investment blooming in South Baltimore’s industrial Warner Street district (since rebranded to The Walk @ Warner Street), with plans for a new entertainment district between M&T Bank Stadium and Horseshoe Casino Baltimore being implemented. The city also boasts the 15th-most educated residents in the U.S., partially the result of Johns Hopkins University, which ranks #6 in our University subcategory and is also Baltimore’s largest employer.

Ohio’s capital and largest city is one of America’s fastest-growing places—an economic powerhouse that’s also home to Ohio State University (#23 in our University subcategory). And Buckeye football isn’t the university’s only contribution to the local economy: with more OSU graduates deciding to stay in town, Columbus is an emerging tech mecca with a thriving arts scene. The city is buoyed by a growing number of startups, as well as by top employer Ohio State and a Top 25 ranking for Fortune 500s (including Nationwide Mutual Insurance and L Brands). Urban reuse and development are everywhere, from small bets on branding retail strips like the new Common Thread fashion district to doubling down on fortifying historic places, such as the Trolley District with its craft breweries and restaurants. Columbus is suddenly a food town, too, with newly opened Hiraeth, run by 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist Chef BJ Lieberman. The Peninsula neighborhood is a new-build destination anchored by the 198-room Makeready property called The Junto, stacked with 13,000 square feet of event and meeting space, restaurants and cafés. Last year, nearby Quarry Trails Park opened the country’s first urban via ferrata—a style of fixed-rope and rung climbing.

It may be Maine’s largest city, but at just over half a million people, the other Portland is the smallest city to rank so highly in our Top 100. It offers a special blend of post-pandemic urban attributes: local shopping and culture (ranking #9 for both), smart people (#12 for Educational Attainment), a rich biking network (also #12)and natural endowment (#16 for Outdoors)—the latter two powering its impressive #28 finish in our overall Livability index. Expect to hear more about “Forest City” soon, given local investment and, um, more global factors. Let’s start macro: The New York Times cited numerous climate change experts that chose Portland as a highly resilient city, not prone to seawater flooding (it’s elevated), air pollution (remote!) or wildfires, with plenty of fresh, clean water. The city is building for the coming climate migrants (or at least the WFH ones) and is undergoing unprecedented development, led by the Old Port’s Portland Foreside, the largest development project the city has seen in decades, to be completed by 2026. The mixed-use neighborhood will house 60 businesses and 600 homes in a 10-acre, eight-block district where trains were built for more than a century.

Milwaukee threads the needle on post-pandemic magnetism, offering economic opportunity courtesy of its Fortune 500 companies (#24) and urban authenticity with big-city excitement. Located on America’s third coast, Wisconsin’s largest city combines cherished traditions and open arms (and, with a median home price of $185,000, housing affordability, although that’s up almost 16% year over year, according to Point2). It celebrates its beer heritage and a vibrant farm-to-table culinary scene—built from a century of feeding and brewing for a continent. Try the Milwaukee Public Market for a quick bite, or The Wolf on Broadway for an indulgent one. Plans to expand the downtown Milwaukee convention center are proceeding, building on a downtown renewal kickstarted by the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons in 2017, Fiserv Forum (home of the NBA Bucks) in 2018 and the BMO Tower. The big news is Bronzeville, a vibrant African American district from the early 1900s that was bulldozed in the 1960s for freeway construction (and racist urban policy). Local organizations have brought Black-owned enterprises back, with the reopening of America’s Black Holocaust Museum in 2022 drawing praise and even more curious tourists—and prospective talent—for years to come.

Fast-growing Tucson is getting its sun-kissed, well-toned arms around its distinct sense of place. Take its unique culinary attributes: America’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy boasts citizens like Barrio Bread’s James Beard Award-winning Don Guerra, who serves up baked perfection using locally grown heritage grains, and local favorites like Borderlands Brewing retooling its hefeweizen with white Sonora wheat. Buzzy newcomers are also launching locally first, whether it’s BATA (where 90% of ingredients are sourced within 400 miles of your table) or openings by Maria Mazon, of Top Chef fame, whose BOCA Tacos y Tequila has long been required eating. Tucson’s #48 Restaurants ranking will rise once word spreads. Local stewardship has also embraced Tucson’s urban bounty, especially with the 150-acre Barrio Viejo neighborhood, sprinkled with Pueblo Revival architecture dating back to the 1800s. New creative businesses occupy the historic buildings; the iconic 109-year-old Teatro Carmen should reopen by 2026 (which will bolster Tucson’s already impressive #16 Culture ranking); and there are whispers that a National Historic Landmark designation for the district is imminent. Saguaro National Park is a 25-minute drive away and was recently certified as one of nine global Urban Night Sky Places.

The City of Oaks is part of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, one of the country’s largest and most successful research parks—think high-tech and biotech, along with advanced textile development. The city also boasts three major research universities, which supply a pipeline of young, cheap, brilliant talent that ranks #6 for Educational Attainment nationally. Is it any wonder, then, that Apple recently announced a $1-billion, 281-acre Raleigh campus that will open later this decade? Forecasts indicate it will house more than 3,000 employees. Good thing, too, because new arrivals are increasingly drawn to Raleigh for its affordable housing (although ascendant with a median average now of $434,741, according to Point2), and the city ranks #28 in our Cost of Living subcategory. With all the potential residents pouring into town to try before they buy, exciting hotel openings are plentiful, from long-stay focused Tempo by Hilton Raleigh Downtown to the new Kimpton opening in late 2025. Placemaking matters here, too. The one-acre North Carolina Freedom Park just opened in the heart of downtown, honoring the African American struggle for liberty. Raleigh’s already improving Sights & Landmarks ranking (#39) will keep climbing as a result.

Madison’s enviable position as both capital of Wisconsin and the site of the state’s largest university (ranked #21 in the nation) has certainly fueled its livability in all manner of rankings. (For the record, it’s Top 30 in our overall Livability index.) The city is firing on all cylinders, buoyed by high-paying work that’s long evolved from academia and public service to splinter into ascendant tech startups and satellite offices eager to recruit U of W talent in healthcare, IT and manufacturing… all amid an unprecedented talent shortage. Case in point—Madison gained more technology sector jobs in the first year of the pandemic than in the prior half decade, according to a report by Brookings Institution. The employment boom is powering Madison to #39 in our overall Prosperity index. Even big dogs like American Family Insurance have arrived in town, lured by its smarts (#8 for Educational Attainment) and relative, but fleeting, housing affordability (with median home prices up almost 19% year over year, according to Point2). The ability to get around without paying for a car might help the city’s cause: it ties at #15 for Biking, powered by its 200 miles of bike trails.

Few American cities boast a rebirth story like Cleveland’s. Fifty-five years after the Cuyahoga River infamously caught fire in 1969, the “City of Champions” walks taller. Increasingly diversified universities and colleges welcome students with open arms… and with 40-plus breweries, growing urban wineries (you read that right) and lauded restaurants that don’t just fill bellies but also mission statements. Take the EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood, which teaches former prisoners culinary trades and gives them a professional footing. It’s just one reason why the city’s #34 Restaurants ranking is climbing. The city is full of this practical ambition and doing the right thing: from the newly renamed MLB Cleveland Guardians (and this year’s accessibility-focused renos to Progressive Field) to the work of the new Cleveland Talent Alliance that aims to make the city “one of the fastest growing and most diverse, inclusive and welcoming metro areas in the Midwest by 2030,” according to David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland. Young talent has plenty of reasons to stay, from affordable housing (ranking #17 in our Average Rent subcategory) to a revitalized, walkable downtown of late 19th-century architecture and stately streetscapes.

Long and erroneously viewed as a faded Rust Belt afterthought overshadowed by Toronto’s global ascent and the tourist magnetism of Niagara Falls, Buffalo has quietly gone about its work of reinvention. The second-most populated city in the state behind New York City has invested too much capital—intellectual, economic and especially architectural—over the past two centuries to not reclaim its former glory as home of the Erie Canal and one of America’s largest steel, grain and banking centers. It is the only city in America where the country’s three most iconic architects have buildings still standing: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House, plus the recently restored Graycliff; Louis Sullivan’s Guaranty Building; and, perhaps most impressive, the Henry Hobson Richardson-designed “Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane,” with grounds by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The complex’s 13 buildings are slowly being repurposed—into a luxury hotel and co-working spaces to start. With the 11th-lowest rent in the nation according to our data, Buffalo is also America’s hottest housing market. Zillow noted that, at under $250,000, Buffalo’s typical home value is nearly 30% lower than the national average and could appreciate the most of any U.S. city in 2024.

Cincinnati has simmered with vibrancy for a few years now, and as second-tier cities ascend, its time has come. Already an economic force—with a Top 25 Fortune 500 ranking and reaching #15 in our Patents subcategory—the city is investing in its ability to get business done. A new downtown district surrounding the Duke Energy Convention Center should be completed over the next year or two, which will dramatically improve the city’s already impressive #19 Convention Center ranking. A new, colossal business hotel is also part of the plan, joining notable new properties like the Lytle Park Hotel on the stunning grounds of its eponymous urban park, and the Kinley Hotel, which restored a stately 1910 building downtown. The 21c Museum Hotel bridges hospitality with the city’s emergent arts and culture clout, and the reopening of the architecturally glorious 140-year-old Music Hall means a proper home for the symphony, ballet and opera. The expanded Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is also the new home for the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and gives the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood real cultural chops, while nearby sub-subterranean hotspot Ghost Baby helps the city’s #30 Nightlife ranking.

Come for the red-hot economic growth, stay for affordable neighborhoods with single-family homes under $300,000. (Even the bougie houses near Northside can be snagged for under $450,000.) True to its reputation as the capital of speed, Indianapolis is home to workers who fuel a diverse economy anchored by Fortune 500s that rank #33 nationally, a #20 spot in our Patents subcategory and some of the shortest commutes of any metro area. Fresh off a 2023 called “The Year of the Build,” the city is being refreshed with urban investment like the Bicentennial Unity Plaza, anchored by restaurants, event and outdoor spaces, a community basketball court and local art. The Pan Am Plaza will add much-needed new downtown meeting space and hotel rooms when it opens in 2026. This follows the $300-million transformation of the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottling facility into the Bottleworks District, featuring the new Bottleworks Hotel and Garage Food Hall, the city’s new culinary hub. Play is big here, too. Spots like the Canal Walk promenade and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (the largest institution of its kind in the world) helped earn Indy an impressive #22 ranking in our Attractions subcategory.

Affordable yet packed with big-city action, pro sports (tied for #17 and led by the Chiefs, of course), and great food (that KC ’cue!), Kansas City offers the perfect balance of a robust economy and an easygoing Midwestern vibe. Routinely ranked as one of the best cities for working women, KC just opened CPKC Stadium, one of the world’s only soccer stadiums built for a top-division women’s team (Kansas City Current). It ranks an impressive #12 in our Cost of Living subcategory, as well as #26 in Professional Services. One-bedroom downtown rentals hover just over $1,000, while free high-speed internet and a trolley system (also free) nurture a low-key tech talent influx in a place that was the first home of the Google Fiber network. The city is brimming with ambition. It was here, after all, where in the late 1800s city leaders promised “more boulevards than Paris, more fountains than Rome.” Today there are 200 fountains, 48 open to the public. A newly opened Kansas City International Airport terminal boasts 39 gates and has set the bar globally for inclusivity in terms of women- and minority-owned businesses and services for all travelers.

Boise, with an almost 20% population spike in the past decade (and a projected population of almost 1.4 million by 2060), is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, in one of America’s fastest-growing states. But the torrent of new residents (especially during the pandemic) has slowed, and the once-ascendant house prices dropped. Still, as talent is freed to work remotely, few hometowns can offer ski resorts and epic wineries in such proximity. Not surprisingly, Boise ranks #22 in our Biking subcategory, with 180 miles of trails in and around the city. A strong economy is fueled by tech sector corporations over-regulated on the West Coast relocating here, emboldened by OGs like Micron Technology and the blossoming startup ecosystem the tech giant has sown. (To say nothing of its #12 Internet Access ranking.) Boise also ranks #9 for Patents and #33 for Fortune 500 companies in town, and a new wave of talent is discovering the city. Downtown development is poised for big things, led by the restoration of the historic Avery building by Michelin-starred chef and Boise native Cal Elliott. Boise State University and arts initiatives like the city symphony pack the local culture calendar.

Nebraska’s largest city has always worked overtime to carve out the good life on the banks of the Missouri River in pretty much the middle of the (contiguous) country. Billionaire Warren Buffett never left, but this financial industry fun fact about the Berkshire Hathaway CEO’s loyalty doesn’t surprise Omaha locals, who know that their city is the spot to start a business, raise a family and let your hair down on a Saturday night. Thanks in no small part to Buffett, Omaha is #28 in the nation for Fortune 500 firms in town, boasting the most (seven) of any city with under a million people. The city has been on a tear economically throughout the pandemic, with a mini talent influx to match, fueled by the 13th-lowest rent in the U.S. despite all those jobs. But it’s not just stalwarts like Berkshire, Union Pacific, Mutual of Omaha, Kiewit or Werner that keep this city bustling: a growing tech sector has earned Omaha the nickname “Silicon Prairie,” and its #27 ranking for Nightlife rocks, often powered by hometown musicians. Many are from local record label Saddle Creek, and are inspired by the path once forged by artists like Bright Eyes and The Faint.

California’s state capital is prosperous and proud, ranking well for its natural attributes, including epic weather that nourishes this self-declared “Farm-to-Fork Capital” and its fertile surroundings. The City of Trees—residents have long claimed to have the most trees per capita in the country—was hit hard economically by the pandemic, but it isn’t exactly a stranger to cataclysms: the Great Conflagration of 1852 burned 40 square blocks of the fledgling city, leaving behind what is today called Old Sacramento, with its cobbled streets, historic buildings and horse-drawn carriages. With so many neighborhoods to explore, the city naturally ranks #13 for biking in the country. But Sacramento isn’t content with a quaint past. The just-completed $200-million-ish renovation and expansion of Sacramento’s SAFE Credit Union Convention Center (currently ranked a middling #46) is part of the city’s C3 Project, along with the community theater and the Memorial Auditorium. New hotels like The Exchange (an adaptive reuse and renovation of downtown’s iconic California Fruit Building) as well the Hyatt Centric hotel (constructed behind the century-old brick facade of the Marshall Hotel) are vital guest room additions to a downtown core that needed them badly.

Rochester was one of the country’s first boom towns. The fertile Genesee River Valley powered rampant entrepreneurship in flour mills, then manufacturing, then world-rattling innovation, from Kodak to Western Union to Xerox. Today, the third-largest city in New York State may no longer boast the head offices it once did, but the stately homes—now so affordable, with a median single-family house price around $200,000 (for now)—remain. And so does the city’s legacy of research and development. The region’s universities (including the #24-ranked University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology) have renowned research programs. The pipeline of talent could turn the trickle of companies opening up in the city into a torrent as the war for skilled talent intensifies. Its #35 ranking in Educational Attainment speaks volumes about the good hands that steer this former industrial titan, especially these days. Fresh off of hosting the 2023 PGA Championship, Rochester is also unveiling its newly expanded children-focused Strong National Museum of Play, which anchors the newly developed “Neighborhood of Play” district, built on the former Inner Loop area that will include housing, commercial space, retail, a brewery, restaurants and a hotel.

Diverse cultures, authentic art and dynamic traditions have shaped a centuries-old story in Albuquerque. There’s the vintage neon glow of Route 66 (turning 100 in 2026), the pink hues of the Sandia Mountains at sunset and the cottonwood bosque of the Rio Grande. ABQ scores highest for its attributes around Lovability (#43)—indicative of deeply dynamic experiences and their ability to get residents and visitors talking about them—including a #16 finish for its culture. ’Burque, in local parlance, is stacked with more than 100 galleries, a symphony orchestra, theaters and even an opera scene. In a city rich in cultural heritage from Spain, Mexico and local Indigenous Americans, the cuisine is inspired by a colorful (and spicy) palate: green and red chiles are staples. Despite this daring gastronomy, Albuquerque ranks #52 in our Restaurants subcategory. Culinary initiatives like the just-opened New Nuevo dining emporium will spread the word, highlighting local restaurants and chefs in one hot spot. ABQ shopping, ranked #16 in the country—ahead of places like Boston and D.C.—may be even more surprising than the food. New hotels like the boutique ARRIVE Albuquerque are opening as the city’s booming film industry—bolstered by the local Netflix studio—grows.

Richmond has always radiated a “genteel and understated nature,” as The New York Times observed in a sugar-coated acknowledgment of the cruel history of this capital of the Confederacy. The city today is a radiant blood diamond stepping bravely toward confronting a past that slavery built, and becoming stronger and more vital to the union for it. Its #29 ranking in our Sights & Landmarks subcategory demonstrates Richmond’s legacy and its fight to do right by it. The city always embraced green space, with gems like the James River Park system contributing to an Outdoors ranking of #41; this ranking will improve as Confederate monuments are reimagined as inclusive public spaces across the city. Speaking of education, the city’s #29 Museums ranking recently got a boost with the $30-million reno of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, including regional partnerships with institutions around the state—such as one with the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. With so many Fortune 500 companies in town (ranking #21 in the U.S.), as well as an educated workforce (#23), the economy is booming, highlighted by the upcoming 2027 opening of a 1,700-job Lego Group Factory in nearby Chesterfield.

Louisville is accelerating with ambitious projects to enhance its finest attributes. Churchill Downs, the legendary racetrack, last year unveiled a new grandstand and visitor improvements in time to celebrate this year’s 150th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby in style. The epicenter of bourbon culture is home to 2,500 restaurants, several manned by James Beard honorees, that are responsible for the city’s #36 Restaurants ranking, garnished most recently with local obsessions ranging from the 700-acre farm-to-table Barn8 to a booming beer scene showcased by the Louisville Ale Trail. With 1.8 million Louisville Slugger bats made locally every year—the lumber of choice for legend Babe Ruth—it’s no surprise that the eponymous Hitting Science Center’s newly opened hub for exercise scientists, athletes and curious ball fans is swinging. If your idea of legendary is the Greatest, there’s the three-level Muhammad Ali Center, a powerful ode to the Louisville native son. With all the investment in the city’s iconic history and industry, its #35 ranking for Attractions will improve quickly in the coming years. The seven- acre mixed-use historic Paristown redevelopment that just opened, anchored by Old Forester’s Paristown Hall (the city’s newest entertainment venue), will see to that.

Sure, it gets cold in Grand Rapids, but that doesn’t keep residents of Michigan’s laidback second city from living all four seasons outdoors. That might mean picnicking or paddling along the Grand (the state’s longest river), soon to be enhanced with the $55-million Grand River Greenway Project revitalizing the locally loved waterway with a network of parks and trails that will surely improve the city’s #55 Outdoors ranking—which already considers a total of 1,200 acres of green space. A string of nearby Lake Michigan white-sand beach towns also adds to the freshwater bounty. But it’s in its urbanism that Grand Rapids shines brightest. With the existing Rust Belt combination of stately homes, ornate downtown warehouses and Edwardian mid-rises, it blends reuse (an inspiration for many of the 40+ breweries in town) with walkable, safe streets (it ranks #37 for its Walk Score). And it’s all wonderfully affordable (ranking #4 in our Cost of Living subcategory). A hotel boom over the past decade means visitors can choose from 15+ downtown properties, including the recently opened boutique gems Morton Hotel and The Finnley. The city is economically buzzing, with a #42 ranking for Fortune 500 companies and a massive airport expansion due to open in 2027.

This urban heart of the energy, biosciences and aerospace sectors is climbing fast. The Oklahoma Planning Commission recently greenlighted the 1,907-foot Legends Tower (Oklahoma became a state in 1907), which on completion will be the largest skyscraper in the country and the fifth tallest building in the world. The $1.6-billion project also encompasses hotels, residences and commercial space. Already built is the new $288-million downtown convention center boasting 200,000 square feet of exhibition space and a 35,000-square- foot ballroom (ranked #24). Outside, there’s the only urban whitewater-rafting facility in the world—an official Olympic and Paralympic training site the city is building as the globe’s finest rowing racecourse while investing $25 million in a public whitewater-kayaking facility for all skill levels. OKC ranks #59 for Outdoors, and recently received a multi-year grant from the Outdoor Foundation, dedicated to equitable outdoor access for all. Local sports and events got better this year with the opening of the $100-million OKC Fairgrounds Coliseum. The city is increasingly a new hometown for thousands of families, too, drawn by its incredible affordability, ranking #12 in our Cost of Living subcategory and #15 for Average Rent.

After taking over the title of state capital from Detroit in 1847, Lansing became an industrial hot spot, with auto manufacturing driving its growth. General Motors remains a major employer, but Lansing’s economy has diversified into insurance, insurtech, medtech and IT. Little wonder it ranks #42 for Fortune 500 companies in town. Equally magnetic is Lansing’s stealthy affordability (especially for a state capital and university town), tied for #4 in the U.S. in our Cost of Living subcategory, and reaching #6 for Average Rent. Downtown revitalization is bearing fruit, with two hotels—a Hyatt House and AC Hotel by Marriott—recently opened as part of the mixed-use Red Cedar development project that includes much- needed student, senior and market-rate housing and a 20-acre public park and amphitheater overlooking the Red Cedar River. Charming character homes surround the Capitol Building, and trails line the banks of the Red Cedar and the Grand, with impressive biking infrastructure (#35). Leafy East Lansing is home to Michigan State University, ranked #29 nationally. The three medical schools (two human medicine, one veterinarian) on MSU’s 5,200-acre campus make up the most in one university in the country. MSU was also the first to offer a graduate degree in nuclear physics.

Affordability brings the soul, while entrepreneurs and new offices serve up plenty of jobs. As young talent reconsiders big cities, Des Moines is increasingly part of the conversation. Iowa’s state capital is a business mecca—financial services and insurance businesses hold corporate court here, home to major corporate outposts of Nationwide and Wells Fargo. There’s a simmering arts and culture scene, too, bustling late into the evening with a blend of daring nightlife (ranked a surprising #49) and heartland hospitality. It may boast a middling #68 Restaurants ranking, but popular spots like recently opened Oak Park, which got a shoutout from Copenhagen’s Noma, are changing that, with architecture and decor as impressive as its wine bible, caviar and prime meats. Add in the low, low cost of living—where Top 10 average rents fall under a grand, the cost of living ranks #35 and house prices hover around $250,000 (but are rising)—and is it any wonder that prairie-cool Des Moines is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Midwest? With billions being invested into data centers by the likes of Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, expect even more arrivals. Des Moines also ranks #36 for Educational Attainment among its citizenry—always a good sign for paving the way for future talent.

Welcome to America’s oldest Amish settlement. Pennsylvania Dutch Country—or Red Rose City, as Lancaster is also known—is further distinguished for having been the state capital for a single day, by its 29 covered (or “kissing”) bridges and for the country’s oldest continually running theater (the circa-1852 Fulton Opera House), along with its central location on the New York–Washington distribution corridor 80 miles west of Philadelphia. From 1700s architecture to modern art galleries that pepper the city’s seven square miles, there’s history in every step, boasting America’s fourth-best Walk Score and, by extension, a #28 rank for Biking. It’s also affordable, with a Top 25 Average Rent ranking, and median house prices around $300,000. The city, therefore, shines brightest in our overall Livability index at #36. But there’s plenty to do, as well, with #31 rankings for both Shopping (vintage clothes, country quilts, antiques, contemporary jewelry and more) and Culture. Business is very good, too. Manufacturing, food processing (Kellogg Company operates here), finance and insurance are major employers. So is healthcare, a sector that’s growing: the Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute’s $48-million Proton Therapy Center opened just three years ago.

Five U.S. presidents studied and lived here, as well as countless Supreme Court justices, members of Congress, Hollywood stars and captains of industry. Yale University (ranking #3 in our University subcategory), founded in 1701 and one of America’s oldest institutions of higher learning, has educated many of the country’s best and brightest, but it’s also the cultural and economic center of this leafy seaside city, whose residents take full advantage of all the resources on offer in a capital of power and prestige. The fact that more than a third of adult residents have at least a bachelor’s degree earns New Haven a #31 ranking for Educational Attainment. Yale (including its medical center)is also the city’s largest employer and largest taxpayer, making this effectively a company town. The school also attracts and retains international talent, and ranks an impressive #32 in our Foreign-Born Residents subcategory. New Haven’s living museum vibe (including some of the stealthiest examples of American architecture in the nation) can be appreciated by foot, given the #13 Walk Score ranking, or by bike (#15), with a requisite picnic at 350-year-old parks like New Haven Green (now with free wifi!).

The smallest state in America has a capital city with plenty of smart and creative people, along with a happening nightlife. Home to an Ivy League school, one of the best design schools in the country and a major culinary institute, Providence sure packs a big talent punch. The city boasts Brown University, ranking #6 nationally in our University subcategory. Another source of boasting: plenty of fresh air to go along with the fresh perspectives of academia and serious cultural clout, which ranges from the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art to the WaterFire Arts Center. Bring a warm coat and comfy shoes, though, because this walkable city dazzles with its pocket urbanity and eighth-best Walk Score nationally, from Brown’s historic campus on 18th-century College Hill with its stunning Georgian-style homes to 30 miles of waterfront and some of the most illuminating walking tours in the country to spotlight the #39-ranked Sights & Landmarks. Fortunately, there are an incredible 400+ restaurants in the city, including Farm Fresh RI’s new, 60,000-square-foot food hub, or Italian must-try Bellini Providence on the rooftop of the Beatrice, Providence’s first boutique property in a decade.

Anchored on the shore of the Hudson River, state capital Albany holds the political power despite being overshadowed by that other New York city downriver. Incredibly connected by road, rail and the #62-ranked airport in America, Albany offers a prosperous place to put down roots. Not surprisingly, the state capital attracts an educated citizenry (#18 in our Educational Attainment subcategory) and is home to a dozen schools, led by the #29-ranked University at Albany, SUNY. It has grown by more than 20,000 new residents over the past three years and, in 2023, the Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA had the largest annual population gain among New York’s 13 metro areas. Albany is a capital of culture, too, boasting an enviable location, with the Berkshires, Adirondacks and burgeoning Finger Lakes wine region—and, yes, the Big Apple—all just a few hours away. The city prides itself on its history, and its 18th- and 19th-century homes and compact, walkable core (ranked #22 for Walk Score) let people take to the streets, enjoying an emergent dining scene that’s poised for big things as the city ascends in both its old and (given the influx of new residents) new forms.

For centuries, the capital of Pennsylvania has been making American history on the banks of the Susquehanna River with views of the Appalachian’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Today, this is the economic heart of about 400 surrounding communities, including Hershey (yes, the sweet one), with the government as the main employer, and more recent key arrivals like health services and IT. Home to City Island, a mile-long, 63-acre oasis that was used as a resting spot for soldiers during the Civil War, historic Harrisburg ranks #13 in our Walk Score subcategory and is best explored on foot. It’s also humming economically, boasting an impressive group of Fortune 500 firms (#51) that rely on the six local college campuses in and around town for smarts to fill the pipeline for the 40,000+ government jobs alone. The affordability of the city (ranked #20 for Average Rent) helps draw talent that ranks #52 in the nation for Educational Attainment. Appropriately, Harrisburg University will soon reap the rewards of a new $130-million, 386,200-square-foot UPMC Health Sciences Tower, which houses its many healthcare programs. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the pivotal Harristown downtown redevelopment. Google it.

After 2019’s opening of the $465-million, 66.5-acre Gathering Place urban park (perfect COVID timing, by the way), funded by Tulsa philanthropist George Kaiser and named one of Time magazine’s World’s Greatest Places, Tulsa took its city-building into overdrive. In 2020, Greenwood Rising opened, a new history museum and memorial marking a century since the city’s race massacre, when dozens of Black Tulsans were murdered and hundreds more injured by a deputized white mob that destroyed the wealthiest Black community in the country—known as Black Wall Street. Confronting a tragedy kept quiet for decades made global headlines. Projects scheduled to open by the end of 2024 include the Williams Crossing bridge across the Arkansas River, and the OKPOP Museum, celebrating Tulsa’s stealthy contributions to American culture. Tulsa has worked the secondary city angle to perfection well before pandemic-necessitated digital nomadism, playing up its affordability and a cultural scene that punches far above the weight class of a city that barely breaks a million residents. The Tulsa Remote program also promises a $10,000 stipend and relocation support to people who stay for at least a year. Overall, nearly 17,000 new residents moved to town between 2020 and 2022, with median home prices rising 13% in the past year alone.

There’s more to the Horse Capital of the World (450-plus local horse farms!) than thoroughbreds. The heart of bourbon country may be the second-smallest city by population in our ranking (after Pensacola), but it knows how to party, ranking #46 for Nightlife and #56 for Culture, sure to improve with the opening of Town Branch Park, a 10-acre, $39-million stage and lawn for outdoor performances, art installations and family gatherings. The project is part of Town Branch Commons, an ambitious system of seven parks and miles of trails connecting downtown to the outlying hills. Home to Kentucky’s largest mall, Lexington ranks #56 for Shopping. The local highlife is facilitated by impressive affordability, with a #24 ranking for Average Rent, and #28 in our Cost of Living subcategory. Helping is the new Met, a mixed-use, mixed-income development in Lexington’s historically Black East End. The city’s daring culinary entrepreneurs also have a new home in the old Greyline Station bus terminal, opened recently as a year-round public marketplace featuring a farmers’ market, local restaurants, retail shops, offices and an outdoor entertainment venue. Adjoining Julietta Market has stalls startups can use as a stepping stone to a more permanent retail spot.

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens was once the family home of F.A. Seiberling, co-founder of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. With five buildings dating back to 1912 and 10 gardenson 70 acres, it’s Akron’s first National Historic Landmark and the nation’s sixth-largest historic home open to the public. We bring this up because the estate symbolizes the wealth that persists in Akron today. One of the world’s leading polymer centers, the city is home to eight Fortune 500 firms, ranking #42 nationally. Not surprisingly, Akron is home to plenty of innovators, and ranks #24 in our Patents subcategory. Lots of jobs, the fourth-lowest average rent in the U.S. and a cost of living that ties for #12 help keep the pipeline flowing. The city is making the single-largest infrastructure investment in its two centuries of existence. Akron Waterways Renewed is a $300-million project that includes the nearly $200-million, 6,000-foot-long Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel, an integrated plan that could be in the works all the way to 2040. In other developments, downtown’s Bowery Project, a $42-million renovation of six historic buildings, is projected to create 2,000 jobs and generate $245 million in revenue over 20 years.

With deep roots as an original American town—first as a Connecticut River trading post in 1633 that colonized Podunk settlements and today as one of the country’s most prosperous and well- educated cities—Hartford has made investments in spotlighting its historic urban assets that are now paying off. It has America’s oldest public park, respects visionaries with honors like a sculpture park dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and is home to Katharine Hepburn’s gravesite. It revels in its role in nurturing Mark Twain’s childhood imagination, which would fuel the celebrated author for decades. And, yes, you can visit his home (now the Mark Twain House & Museum). Its #15-ranked Walk Score speaks to a pre-car urban grid. But Hartford doesn’t dwell in the past, even as it plans for its 400th anniversary in 2035: ranking #28 for Fortune 500 companies in town, this “insurance capital of the world” is investing in its thriving arts and entertainment scene, a revitalized riverfront and even more parks and public gardens, especially as the Hartford400 plan is secured. With a #17 ranking for Educational Attainment by its citizenry, it seems like the smart thing to do.

Jax has jobs and a low cost of living, which together have lured more than 50,000 new residents since 2021. The Wall Street Journal, working with Moody’s Analytics, declared the city one of the top three strongest job markets in America last year. The city ranks #28 for Fortune 500 companies in town, after all, and boasts supply-chain resiliency as a logistics hub with a seaport, two major interstate highways and plentiful rail and air connections. Also compelling is the homegrown talent pipeline filled by the University of North Florida as well as by Florida State College at Jacksonville. Downtown development is hot, with the new Shipyards district and naval museum leading the way, and the just-opened first leg of the Emerald Trail (designed to connect 14 neighborhoods by 2029). Also in the LaVilla neighborhood, two parks honoring writer and civil rights champion James Weldon Johnson will open this year. Nature also abounds here, with just a short drive to beaches and the country’s largest urban parks system (the city ranks #27 for Outdoors). The newly consolidated 7 Creeks Recreation Area offers adventure opportunities across 5,600 uninterrupted acres and represents one of the most expansive new networks of parks in America.

Situated at the base of Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs is a wonderland for those who love their freedom and adventure. But it’s the urbanism that surprises many, with a love for terroir and local sustainability exuding a palpable pride of place. Places like Ivywild School, a local community marketplace for groceries or coffee to go, share good vibes with newly opened spots like The Well food and beverage hall. The city is also magnetic, even during—or more likely because of—the pandemic’s urban exodus from larger centers, as it grew by more than 30,000 people over the past three years. And they’re bringing their smarts along with their $8,000 mountain bikes. The city ranks #29 in the nation for Educational Attainment, and the influx of new businesses and entrepreneurs, combined with the return of tourism to family-friendly attractions that rank #16 in America, will mean a reversal of stubbornly high unemployment. Over the next year, watch for the opening of the new U.S. Air Force Academy Visitor Center, the epic Sunset Amphitheater (positioned to watch the sunset over Pikes Peaks as each show begins) and only-in-Colorado Springs spots like Aurathentic, an “experience-driven and scienceled wellness boutique.”

One of the smallest cities by population in our Top 100, Provo is only the fourth-largest city in Utah. Still, with the Wasatch peaks to the east and Utah Lake to the west, Provo is an outdoor playground. It’s home to Brigham Young University (#45 in our University subcategory) and forms part of what’s become known as Silicon Slopes, Utah’s startup and tech community that’s largely responsible for more than 60,000 new residents coming to the metro area over the past three years. Technology, healthcare and education are among the city’s major industries, with an economy that’s propelled by a growing, skilled population. The past year hasn’t been easy, however, with aspiring tech giants like experience management and AI firm Qualtrics laying off hundreds of workers. Still, the number of business launches remains high, according to local data, and like in other tech ecosystems, laid-off talent seems to be going independent and staying put. And why not? Easy access to water sports and ski resorts, plus the city’s own 53 green spaces (totaling 2,000 acres, plus 33 miles of trails), means people work to live their best life (often on two wheels, given the city’s #20 spot in our Biking subcategory).

The first thing Dayton might bring to mind is airplanes, being the place where the Wright brothers developed and manned the world’s first flying machine. You can immerse yourself in all things aviation at spots such as Huffman Prairie Flying Field and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. However, the Gem City is also the state’s epicenter of the arts. The Bach Society, Dayton Opera, Dayton Ballet, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and the Dayton Playhouse are just some of the organizations that thrive here. The Contemporary Dayton and Dayton Art Institute are but two of several galleries. Dayton performs well in our Museums subcategory, at #64. And with a #65 ranking for Nightlife, downtown is buzzing, with the new AC Hotel across from the city’s ballpark—it’s just the second newly constructed hotel to open downtown in decades. More than $225 million in development is expected to come online in downtown Dayton alone this year, including the Hotel Ardent, and a reno of the Dayton convention center (#72). The city’s #28 ranking in our Patents subcategory is indicative of the innovation still echoing through its ambition, fueled by a strategic location an hour from Columbus and Cincinnati by car.

Durham is one of America’s top college towns, anchored by Duke (ranked #5 in our University subcategory), a private research university with a global academic reach and alumni like Melinda Gates and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Making up for lost time (and semesters) feels visceral these days, led by Raleigh-Durham International Airport, a 20-minute drive from campus and a vital part of putting this small North Carolina city on the flight paths of almost a dozen carriers pre-pandemic. A $650-million upgrade, including an expanded terminal, will improve an already impressive #29 Airport Connectivity ranking and help more people get in on Durham’s secret. After all, a citizenry boasting a #7 Educational Attainment ranking that enjoys a #47 ranking in our Cost of Living subcategory (Durham is the most affordable city in North Carolina’s booming research university triangle) is increasingly a magnet for site selectors. Take Google, which opened its Google Cloud office last year as part of the plan to hire 1,000 people when its engineering hub is operational. More than 1,600 acres of parks, the Duke Forest and two urban lakes ensure people don’t work too hard. Despite its impressive #29 overall Prosperity index finish, Durham still feels like a screaming bargain.

The “Air Capital of the World” (named for its aviation heritage and America’s largest concentration of aerospace manufacturing employees) is an affordable, urban heart on the prairie. With the second-lowest average rent in the U.S. (trailing only Youngstown), and tied for a #12 spot in our Cost of Living subcategory, the smart money is investing now in spaces like The Ridge, a new entertainment complex set on five acres being built this year. Downtown, where the $75-million Riverfront Stadium for Minor League Baseball opened three seasons back, developers are turning four vacant buildings into a hotel (one of three recently opened or soon to open), health school, culinary college and student housing. The largest city in Kansas is also an arts beacon—often cited as the coolest in the state—with big-city cultural icons like the Wichita Grand Opera and Ballet Wichita. Improvements to the city’s Exploration Place will only improve the #49 Museums ranking. The culinary scene, with its astonishing 1,200 restaurants and 30 food trucks, ranks #76. It got a boost last year with the opening of the National Institute for Culinary and Hospitality Education at WSU Tech’s new downtown culinary school, located inside a former department store.

Toledo has long been a major player in the glass manufacturing business; Libbey Foodservice has been here since 1888 and has nurtured hundreds of related local businesses since. But Ohio’s fourth-largest city has steadily diversified its economy to include several Fortune 500 companies—Marathon Petroleum Corporation and Owens Corning, among others (for which it ranks #33 in the country). The Glass City is also an arts and culture hub. Positioned as its anchor is the world-renowned Toledo Museum of Art, which has a vast collection of works, including pieces by Picasso, Rembrandt and Monet. Ranking #74 in our Museums subcategory, Toledo also boasts an opera and ballet company, and an epic zoo. Its middling #90 ranking in our Culture subcategory is saddled by a lack of awareness. This year, city leaders are making sure the city’s #50 spot in our overall Livability index is future-proofed, with more than a billion dollars in projects allocated for 2024. From hundreds of historic downtown residential units—like the Overmyer Lofts—to the renovation of two abandoned skyscrapers, the city with the fifth-cheapest rent in America and the #12-ranked cost of living seems like even more of a bargain.

Tennessee’s second-largest city is an American icon that has been quietly adding to the national lore from the bluffs and floodplains that line the eastern bank of the Mississippi River for more than two centuries. The heart of the Delta Blues and famously home to Graceland, the “spiritual birthplace” of Elvis, it is the lesser-known Music City, USA. But those two honors can’t hold a pick to the city’s contributions to the civil rights movement. Or to its barbecue. With so many stories to tell (most recently in the starring role of its native son’s biopic), Memphis ranks #26 nationally in our Museums subcategory—home to the National Civil Rights Museum as well as the aforementioned Graceland. It’s not surprising that others are telling the city’s stories these days: Memphis ranks #27 in the nation for Tripadvisor Reviews, #30 for Instagram Hashtags and #39 in our overall Lovability index. And business is good, with a #33 ranking for Fortune 500, with corporate titans including FedEx and AutoZone headquartered here. Affordable housing and new downtown investment—from Memphis Central Station to the $61-million renovation of Tom Lee Park that has opened up the urban waterfront to the mighty Mississippi— have Memphis rocking.

Seattle’s real estate gold rush has as many losers as winners, yet those who missed out are continuing to head to this beacon across the Cascade Mountains, sparkling with big-city amenities and ambition—from breweries to placemaking. Few cities have benefited from the work-from-home movement more than this eastern Washington jewel that provides year-round outdoor adventure at its doorstep. And salary data proves it: the region is enjoying the fastest growth in high-income households making at least $200,000 annually, according to a SmartAsset analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data earlier this year. The town, naturally, is buzzing, with Top 50 nightlife and a nascent culinary scene. Spokane is the urban heart of Washington’s Walla Walla, Yakima and Columbia wine regions, and the bounty of the land can be savored across the city. Speaking of Yakima, the region produces 75% of the country’s hops—more than enough to justify a craft beer boom that today includes 30-plus breweries (a number that’s rising quickly). The city’s surrounding wilderness is also woven through its urban grid—a river spanned by gondolas rushes right through downtown—delivering on a long-time motto of “Near Nature, Near Perfect.”

Few East Coast cities blend the urban and natural like Virginia Beach. With 38 miles of coastline at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, it has long been a respite from D.C.’s sweltering summers. Nature abounds, with an appropriate #18 ranking for Outdoors. The pristine, endless sandy beach, charmingly framed by a three-mile, 140-year-old boardwalk, is the city’s top draw, both for locals in the know and for returning visitors who flock here to reinvigorated post-pandemic events like the country’s longest-running surf contest and, this September, the 50th anniversary of the famous Neptune Festival. The iconic boardwalk is home to a treasure trove of family-friendly attractions that rank #28 in the country. The massive visitor economy is humming with headline-grabbing investment from local international superstar and Grammy-winning artist Pharrell Williams, who not only relaunched the star-studded Something in the Water Festival last year, but is also working with the city to build The Wave, a four-acre surf park. It’s part of a massive $350-million development project called Atlantic Park.

Sitting nearly 4,300 feet above sea level along the northern end of the Wasatch Mountains just 35 miles from Salt Lake City, Ogden appeals mightily to the avid outdoor set and SLC’s swelling workforce of affluent, educated and tech-skilled people now able to avoid big-city headaches with hybrid WFH setups. Ogden is not only an enticing new hometown for urban escapees, it’s also a small but powerful economic dynamo decades in the works. Outdoor products form one of the city’s key industries, along with IT and life sciences (specializing in biopharmaceuticals and medical devices). Another is aerospace and advanced manufacturing, thanks to Ogden’s location two miles from Hill Air Force Base and its 25,000+ jobs. Local scuttlebutt is that SLC companies are eyeing cheaper environs here, too. Weber State University ensures a robust talent pipeline and recently received a $50-million grant to keep training young high-tech professionals. The quality of outdoor adventure matches the refined citizenry: Snowbasin (host of the 2002 Winter Olympics), giant Powder Mountain and Nordic Valley are some of the West’s most underrated ski resorts (and are just 30 minutes away), and, come summer, the El Monte and Mount Ogden golf courses can satisfy even the most discerning player.

“The Cuse” is the economic hub of the central New York region. But after two centuries of industry, Syracuse is reinventing itself as— appropriately—the Green Apple. More than a decade after the founding of the Clean Tech Center, the clean-energy business incubator (one of the first of its kind in the country) today boasts 30 businesses—a number that’s continuing to grow. The commitment to cleaner industry and livability extends to daring city planning, with the I-81 viaduct that has divided Syracuse for seven decades finally demolished and replaced by a boulevard that will stitch the city’s historic grid back together and improve its already impressive #34 Walk Score. It’s all going to entice the thousands of University of Syracuse students (attending the #32-ranked university in the nation), as well as the legions of others attending the area’s college and professional schools, to put down roots, especially now that they’re experiencing the campus once more. The city’s 150 parks, two hospitals and the two large summer jazz festivals that give the city its fast-improving #74 ranking in our Culture subcategory will only help the retention cause. As will the 23rd cheapest rent in the country.

The smallest city in our ranking shines as bright as its Gulf of Mexico beaches. Historic lineage to New Orleans helps explain the vibe: Southern hospitality, ironwork balconies and storied bars. Over the course of its 443-year history, Pensacola has been ruled by the British, the Spanish, the French, the Confederacy and the United States—hence its nickname of “The City of Five Flags.” It has rigorously preserved its historic architecture, ranking #74 in our Sights & Landmarks subcategory and an impressive #48 for Culture. Two new adaptive reuse boutique hotels, the former church Lily Hall and the Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel, are must-stays. Of its 52 miles of sugar-white beaches, Pensacola Beach is the pearl, helping power the city to #24 in our Outdoors subcategory. Its pier is one of the longest in the Gulf and the nearby Gulf Islands National Seashore is the longest stretch of protected seashore in the U.S. But people do work here. More than 500 companies in town specialize in aerospace and defense, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing or professional services (indicative of the city’s #42 Labor Force Participation ranking), with more remote talent arriving daily in pursuit of the beach and no state personal income tax.

The secret is out on this compact city nestled against the Blue Ridge Mountains, as the tens of thousands of new residents who’ve moved here since the pandemic can attest. They’re drawn by Furman University (ranked #38 in our University subcategory), and a walkable, historic downtown packed with ornate 19th-century warehouses and repurposed mid-rises that radiate from stunning Falls Park on the Reedy and its 40-foot natural waterfall right by Main Street. The considered city-building of previous centuries is obvious in the engineering of the artfully cantilevered Liberty Bridge that spans the falls. The city’s #69-ranked restaurants eagerly replenish pedestrians with almost 200 spots (a vast majority of them independent), like the Anchorage and Topsoil Kitchen & Market, both helmed by chefs with James Beard nods, and West Coast transplant and Mexican-inspired Califas. More than a dozen craft breweries pour in town. Greenville is also flexing economically, with the ongoing $1-billion redevelopment of University Ridge, a promontory that once housed a mall near downtown. The project, designed by Foster + Partners of 50 Hudson Yards fame, spans more than a dozen buildings over 37 acres and is expected to draw site selectors over the next decade.

Situated in the Ozark Mountains and soaking up more than 200 days of sunshine a year, Fayetteville has plenty of outdoor play to offer. Home to the University of Arkansas (ranked #61 in our University subcategory) and its nearly 28,000 students, the Natural State city is also considered the entertainment capital of northwest Arkansas, with everything from live music to street performances. And residents are taking part in the good times, with a low cost of living (#22) and low rent (#43). The city’s prosperity is even more impressive when you consider that it’s one of the smallest, by population, in our ranking. Key industries include education and technology, with civil engineering about to get a major boost: the U of A’s recently opened $13.8-million, 37,400-square-foot Civil Engineering Research and Education Center at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park will enable testing of large-scale structural systems and will be a hub for research, academic, government and industrial partners throughout the state. Placemaking is also afoot, with a cultural arts corridor called The Ramble nearing completion, featuring a civic plaza, parks and a new hotel in the future central gathering spot.

Tucked at the base of Lookout Mountain on the banks of the Tennessee River, Chattanooga has earned its Scenic City moniker, as well as its “Best Town Ever” accolades from Outside magazine… twice. It certainly boasts the adrenal bona fides: from climbing the Tennessee Wall to all manner of self-propulsion just outside city limits. To say nothing of craft breweries in the double digits—like the new TailGate—post adventure. No wonder it ranks #33 in our Outdoors subcategory. In addition to the natural bounty, Gig City boasts speedy internet velocity supplied by the publicly owned Electric Power Board. It’s also two hours from Nashville and Atlanta. Corporations include Volkswagen and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and new startups are emboldened by the biggest business incubator in the state, as well as the largest downtown innovation district of any U.S. city its size. Oh, and the median price for a single-family home hovers around $300,000, part of its Top 10 ranking in our Cost of Living subcategory, enforced by local laws curbing tenant eviction, which officials say helped decrease homelessness by half in 2023. The #85-ranked restaurant scene continues to grow with new restaurant incubator Proof providing low-barrier opportunities for chefs to test concepts.

With storied Dutch roots, Pennsylvania’s third- largest city boasts four major hospitals, 12 postsecondary institutions and (of course) the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Minor League Baseball team. No wonder it’s seeing an influx of retirees and work-from-home talent. Healthcare, technology, energy, manufacturing, professional services and transportation dominate the city’s robust economic scene. With major employers such as Air Products & Chemicals (an international industrial gases company with almost $13 billion in 2023 sales alone) and PPL Corporation (one of the largest regulated utility companies in the country), Allentown ranks #42 nationally for Fortune 500 head offices. Walking among the historic homes and century-old industrial buildings is a joy in a streetscape boasting a Walk Score ranking of #15. The sense of place is growing with the local Neighborhood Improvement Zone’s recent approval of $21 million to upgrade downtown’s outdoor Grand Plaza with a food hall, outdoor area and new retail and office space. And after a decade (and a billion dollars) in downtown improvements, the city is sharing the wealth, with a dozen buildings and an amphitheater planned for the formerly industrial Lehigh Riverfront area. The historic Allentown train station is also being revitalized and will provide heritage leases to local businesses.

Connecticut’s largest city is one of America’s oldest, first colonized in the mid-1600s. Local entrepreneurialism grew exponentially (and industrially) with a railroad link in 1840. With its 90-minute, 60-mile train ride from New York City, Bridgeport maintains a wealthy and educated citizenry (ranked #5 for Educational Attainment and #12 for Foreign-Born Residents), as it did when entrepreneurs like P.T. Barnum (of circus fame) not only ran businesses but also the town itself (Barnum was mayor). In these days of WFH and secondary and tertiary cities, Bridgeport is attracting talent from priced-out cities like New York and Boston—with these new residents trading in the shoebox condo for a large Cape Cod-style house (and tidy lawn) for around $500,000. Or for any one of the historic lofts in the dozens of warehouse conversions underway. There’s excitement in particular about the Honey Locust Square development, which locals hope will breathe new life into the city’s East End. The three-year-old, 5,700-seat Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater (known locally as the Amp) is a joint venture with the City of Bridgeport in association with Live Nation. And it shows, with artists stopping by that would otherwise have skipped the town altogether.

Progressive and proudly Latino, this West Texas city bordering New Mexico and Mexico is today still collecting on its 2012 $500-million bond initiative that funded a children’s museum, a new arena, a cultural center and more—all downtown. A quintessential minor-league downtown ballpark and a reborn transit system that had been mothballed in the ’70s demonstrate an innovative pride of place that more small cities should endeavor to emulate. Today, that streetcar travels a five-mile route in two loops, servicing the city’s recently expanded medical schools, and through El Paso’s uptown and downtown areas, inspiring self-propelled urban exploration that reveals the city’s #46-ranked restaurants. Suffice it to say that EP’s steak and Mexican can hold its own anywhere. The city benefits from its direct cultural and economic ties to Mexico and Latin America, with a population that’s 80% Hispanic and ranks #9 in our Foreign-Born Residents subcategory. Last year marked the 10- year anniversary of the bold Borderplex Alliance, the El Paso, Ciudad Juárez and Las Cruces economic development and policy advocacy organization that’s increasingly the blueprint for future U.S. reshoring with Mexico, with an estimated 25,000 direct jobs created and $1.7 billion invested in the region in its first decade.

Louisiana’s capital combines business with pleasure with an aplomb rarely seen elsewhere. It’s what you’d expect from a state capital that’s also home to one of the nation’s proudest student bodies (as seen on most school-year weekends around the #64-ranked Louisiana State University campus, especially during college football tailgating). The 102,321-seat LSU Tiger Stadium is the eighth largest in the world, with the city’s urban grid as the on- and off-ramp to the revelry (giving you a sense that, in the Red Stick, celebrating is almost dialed to 11). But the state’s second-largest city, located a 90-minute drive from New Orleans, is a 300-year-old portal into the American South, through its seemingly weekly festivals that span the diversity of its citizenry, from Irish movie circuits to a decidedly more considered Mardi Gras. Another cultural gateway is the ascendant culinary scene (#73) fed by new arrivals like Elsie’s Plate & Pie, and elevated rooms like Supper Club. Economically, $11 billion of recently announced industrial projects are spotlighting the 30,000 job openings in drastic need of workers. A wave of new hotels includes Origin Hotel by Tiger Stadium, and the Watermark in a former Louisiana Trust & Savings Bank.

With a confluence of new talent and downtown revitalization, Magic City was on its way before the pandemic hit. Today the city’s economy—the one Forbes predicted as a Top 10 promising job market based on net employment outlook in early 2020—is ascendant once more, courtesy of impressive affordability, ranking #19 in our Cost of Living Index subcategory, and #28 for Average Rent. And the pandemic has made Birmingham even more magnetic: the city attracted tens of thousands of new residents, many highly skilled workers who raised its Educational Attainment ranking to #66. The city also resumed vital work in educating the world about its history as the battlefield of America’s civil rights movement. (Barack Obama signed a proclamation naming the Birmingham Civil Rights District a national monument in one of his final acts as president.) New developments and adaptive reuse of the city’s historic buildings, warehouses and fields are everywhere: the AC & Element Hotel is redeveloping the 118-year-old Brown-Marx Tower, the Urban Supply project in Parkside is transforming unused warehouses into accessible retail, restaurant and office space, and historic Rickwood Field hosted the “Tribute to the Negro Leagues” game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants in June.

Known as “The Queen City of the Hudson,” Poughkeepsie, a two-hour drive or 90-minute train ride north of New York City, is one of the nation’s oldest cities, founded in the idyllic Hudson Valley on the banks of the Hudson River more than three centuries ago by Dutch colonists. It has all the magnetism that would tempt a big-city cash-out: a peaceful, safe downtown (with a population of about 30,000) that’s a joy to walk (with a Walk Score ranking of #27); a college-town levity (Marist is right in town, with Vassar and another handful of schools nearby), and historic architecture that contributes to a #75 ranking in our overall Livability index. It also boasts 22 parks within its MSA, as well as the Walkway over the Hudson State National Park, the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge. Despite its diminutive size and population, Poughkeepsie, perhaps fueled by New Yorkers with the means for a second property or full relocation, is buzzing like it hasn’t in 50 years, with redevelopment and densification along Cannon Street, anchored by the Academy, a mixed-use hub with residential above and a food hall, brewery, bar and the farm- to-table Kitchen restaurant at street level.

The largest city in Arkansas coaxes talent and investment with aggressive tax breaks and some of the most affordable housing among state capitals. In fact, Little Rock ranks an impressive #7 for Average Rent and #9 in our Cost of Living subcategory. A powerful and diverse corporate presence distinguishes Arkansas’ capital city, situated on the banks of the state’s namesake river—one that may surprise many and is more proof that city officials have sharpened their pencils on the economic development front. Dillard’s Department Stores, Windstream Communications and Acxiom are just a few of the corporations founded in a city that has in the past suffered from an undeserved reputation as the capital of an underdeveloped state known mostly for the Ozark Mountains (and Bill Clinton). But the city is also an increasingly coveted hometown, with great weather and cultural investment. Surprises like the ESSE Purse Museum & Store, focusing on “the evolution of the 20th-century American woman through the bags she carried and their contents,” showcase the city’s subdued irreverence. The recently reopened William J. Clinton Library & Museum, gleaming after its pandemic reno, helped the #57 Museums ranking. Last year’s unveiling of the Studio Gang-designed Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts reno will, too.

A border city with a strong automotive industry, McAllen is humming with the ratification of the USMCA trade deal. The metro area boasts 42 automotive suppliers employing 40,000 people, mostly highly skilled workers. It’s also attracting Mexican companies, and the city saw major success with the opening of a new facility for the Mexican manufacturer Tetakawi. McAllen’s airport, one of the state’s busiest, received almost $35 million in upgrades, and improvements to the Anzalduas International Bridge are allowing cargo to cross for the very first time. This diverse city welcomes newcomers (it’s #6 in our Foreign-Born Residents subcategory), attracting people from near and far with its strong manufacturing economy. And, it must be noted in this era of escalating house prices, incredible home ownership affordability. Last year, financial services site SmartAsset.com lauded McAllen as the third-best city for first- time homeowners, with a median home price of $210,833 and forecasted appreciation. New residents arrive for the quality of life that locals love: the town is safe, warm and sunny, with a vibrant theater scene, including local troupes and touring Broadway productions, which are thriving again. The best cost of living in the U.S. (and third-lowest rent) helps, too.

Scranton’s scrap is in its name, all the way back to the mid-1800s when the fearless Scranton brothers amalgamated smaller railroad lines to create an eponymous transportation hub for their steam engine empire. A couple of decades after the town’s founding, electric lights were introduced in the city and electric streetcars were operating all over the area shortly after. The “Electric City” nickname stuck all these years later, and you can still see the bright Electric City neon sign downtown. The Steamtown National Historic Site occupies a 40-acre yard of this important railroad and preserves the history of early railway expansion. Given all this little-known history, the local pride you hear from President Biden (who lived in the Green Ridge neighborhood until he was 10) isn’t just populist malarkey. And the city’s focus on taking care of its own is manifesting into a modern-day renaissance, fueled by pandemic recovery grants and new residents coveting affordable urban housing that have reinvigorated the downtown. What really has locals buzzing is the serious consideration by the federal government and Amtrak to restart a direct rail link from Scranton to New York City that was discontinued in 1970.

Like most state capitals, South Carolina’s Columbia is an economically diversified jewel too often overlooked by tourists and potential residents. But among our three overall indexes, Columbia leads with its Lovability, at #71, meaning that people’s curiosity (and the experiences to sate it) is growing. There are plenty of perks to being in the capital, and post-pandemic investment is growing, up to almost $2.5 billion last year alone. A major renovation of the Blossom Street Bridge will make it more walkable, as will continued momentum in the up- and-coming West Columbia neighborhood. The 15-mile Three Rivers Greenway continues to offer new access to the riverfront for everything from inner tube floats to fly-fishing, and will connect to other Columbia attractions like the state museum and zoo. The #48-ranked University of South Carolina adds a youthful dynamism to the historic urban stock here, like the Vista warehouse district, where rehabbed architecture attracted the city’s first Aloft hotel a few years back and today is a good place to order a bourbon and get your bearings. If you’re lucky, you may get invited to a fashion week soiree or a USC event. You are in Southern hospitality country, after all.

Downtown Knoxville’s walkable heart features museums, vibrant murals, local music venues and historic sites, indicated by its impressive #31 spot in our Culture subcategory. And investment is pouring in. A half dozen new hotels have opened this year or will over the next few years, and a publicly owned $114-million multi-use stadium housing the local Smokies minor league club opens next year. The Stockyard Lofts project has people moving in already. Instead of playing second fiddle to nearby Asheville and Chattanooga, Knoxville is finding its own groove as a destination for enlightened food lovers, with the state’s first James Beard Award-winning chef, Joseph Lenn, running J.C. Holdway right downtown. What makes the food scene so spectacular is the collaboration, most recently activated at the new Marble City Market, downtown Knoxville’s newest dining destination. Expect the #74 Restaurants ranking to improve soon. Knoxville’s superpower isn’t just affordable pocket urbanism and its Top 10 cost of living. The city features more than 150 miles of trails and greenways, paddle-friendly rivers and forest trails, all within a quick bike or drive. Or, in the case of the 1,500-acre Urban Wilderness park, right within city limits. No wonder Knoxville ranks #51 for Outdoors.

If the fact that Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, hailed from here doesn’t grab your attention (and if you’re not intrigued by Springfield’s The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum), perhaps the fact that the city is within New England’s Knowledge Corridor (the region surrounding Springfield and Hartford, Connecticut, with 29 colleges and universities educating more than 170,000 students annually) will. The economic engine of western Massachusetts, which forms part of the biotech industry’s Super Cluster, is tied at #42 for Fortune 500s in town. The birthplace of basketball—don’t let Canadians tell you otherwise—is home to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and Springfield is doubling down on its Hoop City brand, pursuing a state-of-the-art multi-sport complex next door. The city also shows well for smart citizens, with a #57 ranking for Educational Attainment (with nearly 19% of the population having a bachelor’s degree or higher). Manufacturing, healthcare, education and life sciences keep the economy robust. Since 2018, more than $400 million in new projects have been announced and opened, including a $14-million Educare school and an orthopedic surgery center at Baystate Health.

Oxnard, sandwiched between more famous Malibu and Santa Barbara, is an increasingly poorly kept secret, an hour north of L.A. and spreading out into California’s Gold Coast. With direct access to seven beaches (four of them state beaches), clichéd California sun and the coastal mountains, it’s a coveted bedroom community for those who can work remotely most of the time, as well as an easy weekend trip from the big city. The latter just got more tempting, with the recent renovation and rebranding of Southern California’s only all-suite oceanfront resort, now called Zachari Dunes, with 250 rooms right on the beach. Almost a dozen new properties are opening over the next three years, from the Townplace Suites in the heart of Oxnard to the spectacular-looking Hyatt House right on the water (with views to match). The city’s diversified economy, including agriculture, oil, shipping, and business and financial services, contributes to Oxnard’s affluence and its #16 Internet Access ranking. The city also ranks #14 for foreign-born locals seeking opportunity in a high-growth California powerhouse. Port Hueneme, right next door, is the only major navigable port in California between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay.

Higher education thrives in Worcester, home to 10 colleges and universities and more than 35,000 students. New England’s second-largest city ranks an impressive #37 in our University subcategory, thanks to schools like Clark University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute drawing students nationally and globally. Given its academic chops, the city also ranks #37 for Educational Attainment among its citizenry (more than 30% of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher). With manufacturing, education and healthcare driving economic performance, the city also has a growing professional, scientific and technical sector. Worcester is investing in its future, with multiple major projects in the works. One CitySquare is part of a multiphase, $565-million redevelopment downtown, with housing, hotels, parking, a hospital expansion and more. Main Street Reimagined is an $11-million overhaul in collaboration with the Urban Culture Institute to increase walkability (already ranked an impressive #37) and placemaking on the city’s main strip. The investments are prudent, as Worcester is poised, as many educationally endowed second cities around the country are, to capture new residents looking for affordability, space and local pride in more manageable urban centers. The word is out internationally, after all, indicative of its #35 Foreign-Born Residents ranking.

Strategically located within an hour’s drive of both Pittsburgh and Cleveland (and halfway between New York City and Chicago), Youngstown was forged in the steel mills that helped build the nation. Today, the small but mighty urbanism is getting America’s attention for its eye-popping affordability and the value it provides. No wonder the city shines in our overall Livability index, ranking #73. With the lowest average rent in our Top 100, as well as the third-lowest cost of living, the median house price is just $137,546, and the median monthly rent is $706. Youngstown State University (#96) is the area’s largest employer, and the city ranks #11 in our Labor Force Participation subcategory. But Youngstown also plays as hard as it works, boasting its own opera company (called the Opera Western Reserve) that’s also an incubator for future artists. Further powering the city’s impressive #85 Culture ranking is the Youngstown Playhouse, Youngstown Symphony and the Butler Museum of American Art. The outdoors are also abundant and accessible, namely the 5,000-acre Mill Creek MetroParks recreational area that is peppered with lakes, hosts two golf courses and is crisscrossed by 45 miles of hiking trails.

They call it the City of Arts and Innovation, but Riverside, an hour’s drive east of L.A. (in minimal traffic), also lays claim to being the birthplace of the California citrus industry, a fact honored at the 248-acre California Citrus State Historic Park. Living up to its nickname, Riverside is also home to the Riverside Metropolitan Museum (helping raise its Museums ranking to #74) and, as of a couple of years ago, the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture. The city boasts one of the nation’s most ethnically diverse populations (ranked #14 for Foreign-Born Residents), with citizens of Hispanic descent making up 53% of the local population, while nearly 44% of citizens speak a language other than English. Like a reflection of the community around it, University of California, Riverside (ranked  #34 in our University subcategory), is one of the most ethnically varied postsecondary institutions in the U.S. Expect to hear a lot more about Riverside (or, as its region is called, “the Inland Empire”). Projections say that over the next 25 years it will grow twice as fast as the rest of California—by 20% and up to almost 5,700,000 people. Especially with all the employers in need of talent.

A quest for diversity has long been part of Greensboro’s legacy, and events that transpired in the city helped shape African American history. Today, Greensboro is a city that draws history buffs, antique furniture shoppers and foodies. In North Carolina, fertile farmland is a source of pride, and Greensboro residents have a strong connection to the land and to the food they put on the table. Locals and visitors come together around food—at places like Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, which has been around since 1874, and at unique experiences like the Barn Dinner Theatre. While the town may be steeped in historical significance, it continues to look forward, especially as it tends to its #80 Restaurants ranking. Greensboro’s downtown nightlife (ranked #69) offers a special kind of charm, thanks to street corners humming with buskers and bands, and cafés vibrating with acoustic performances. But the city is also an economic engine of the region—one that’s about to get more powerful with Toyota’s astonishing $5.9-billion investment in an electric-vehicle battery plant near town, employing 2,100 and set to start production next year. Greensboro’s well-connected airport (#84) is renovating, too, even adding a manufacturing facility for Boom Supersonic planes.

Often overshadowed by its coastal peers, Fresno, central California’s largest inland city at more than one million people for the first time in its history, is much more than a farming town. It’s also a hub for manufacturing, education and healthcare, with a central location halfway between Los Angeles and Silicon Valley that has long drawn entrepreneurs seeking connection to California’s power centers. Of course, farming has contributed to the area’s economic resiliency. Fresno County’s economic output from agriculture generates $8 billion annually, providing ample opportunity for its large foreign-born population (ranked #17 in the nation). The city’s revitalized downtown is poised to transform even more within the next decade with the arrival of California’s high-speed rail system and hundreds of new condo and loft units (connected with the 28th-best bike infrastructure in the country). A vibrant farm- to-table dining scene (#51) is rising, with new restaurants, breweries and the long-anticipated Lune Wine Bar & Eatery that’s sure to get its share of the city’s Top 50 ranking in our Instagram Hashtags subcategory. Near-perfect weather and easy access to Yosemite and Sequoia national parks mean plenty of outdoor adventure to work off the local feasting.

Jackson has been immortalized in prose and song over its two centuries on the banks of the Pearl River. The vital Southern history and creative undercurrent are palpable in the fiery blues music and the dozens of clubs to catch it, and in the increasingly ambitious museums that rank #57 in the country. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum continues to lead the country for its Black history programming (validated by a recent USA Today reader poll), while the Mississippi Children’s Museum regularly appears on best-of lists. The city’s Museum ranking will rise later next year, with the reopening of the Russell C. Davis Planetarium, featuring science and space travel exhibits and the Mississippians who have contributed to their understanding. The newly expanded Museum Trail threads the cultural bounty together by foot. Speaking of ascendance, you’ll be hearing more about the city’s #95-ranked restaurants as more people discover legendary Southern fare from the Mayflower Cafe (the city’s oldest) to newcomers like Eudora’s Mississippi Brasserie. But not all is rosy with this affordable Southern gem (ranking #2 in our Cost of Living subcategory). Years of state and federal negligence have plagued the city’s infrastructure (especially its water supply), resulting in boil water advisories and a lot of government finger pointing.

The Central Valley city has long been the sunny hub for California’s warm-weather agricultural products, including almonds (80% of the world’s supply is produced nearby), tomatoes and grapes. (This is the home of Gallo, the largest winery in the country based on sales volume.) All that agricultural labor has attracted a large foreign-born population (#16). The city, currently a 90-minute drive from Silicon Valley, is pursuing a future where the commute from Modesto to the world’s largest tech companies will get easier with a new rail service out of the city’s historic train station that will catalyze downtown development. (To say nothing of unlocking $1 trillion in potential GDP within 100 miles of the city.) Modesto’s middling overall Livability index ranking (#96) is set to ascend with a new downtown vision prioritizing pedestrian access and focusing on restaurants, shops and nightlife. Especially as people catch on to the fierce locavorism at places like Camp 4 and Churchkey—spots that, along with a dozen others recently opening to feed locals and visitors in the know, will elevate the #91 Restaurants ranking.