Methodology
Our methodology is a combination of core statistics from more than 400 global cities and resident and visitor perception indicators like user-generated ratings and reviews.
Resonance interprets this data through the lens of three key factors—Livability, Lovability and Prosperity—to define each city’s Place Power™ Score.
America’s Best Cities Methodology
How we ranked America’s Best Cities for 2025
To rank the performance and perception of America's Best Cities for 2025, Resonance analyzed the principal cities of metropolitan statistical areas in the U.S. with a population greater than 500,000 (according to the U.S. Census Bureau, our population source). We determined the Top 100 cities using a combination of core statistics and user-generated data from online sources such as Google, Tripadvisor and Instagram to measure quality of place when it comes to experiential factors.
This blend of data led to the creation of Resonance’s proprietary Place Power™ Score, the foundation of all of our Best Cities rankings. So how does Resonance choose the metrics to effectively measure an urban region’s performance relative to its competitors? While many factors shape our perception of urban regions as desirable places to live, work or visit, Resonance’s proprietary Place Power™ Score rankings are focused on the shared factors that demonstrate moderate to strong correlations with the performance of urban regions when it comes to attracting prime-age population (age 25–44), visitor expenditure and/or business formation.
Based on our ongoing analysis, these factors are an eclectic mix that ranges from the number of large companies and ease of airport connectivity to the number of nightlife and outdoor recreation experiences and the volume of check-ins on Facebook and mentions on Instagram. Since these factors can change and evolve over time, we’re continually updating our methodology to reflect these shifts. Case in point: we’ve included factors like “Price-to-Income Ratio” (to track affordability) and Healthcare System Index (to measure a city’s concern for the well-being of residents) in this year’s America’s Best Cities index.
As part of our new partnership with Ipsos (see page 4), we combined the performance data of the subcategories that comprise our overall Livability, Lovability and Prosperity indices with perception data reflecting the opinions and preferences of 2,003 respondents across the United States.
The survey was constructed to extract the towns and cities where these 2,003 people would most like to live, where they would most like to visit, and where they believe they would find the best job opportunities.
This was accomplished with three open-ended questions where respondents could identify the towns and cities that they prefer.
We asked them: when thinking about places across the United States, including small towns and large cities, which three towns or cities would you most like to live in, most like to visit, and think currently offer the best job opportunities?
This open-ended question methodology enabled us to capture the destinations that are top of mind to survey participants, rather than restricting them to a predetermined list of cities. The responses to these questions were aggregated and coded to benchmark the perception equivalent of our performance results, creating a true balance across our three overall indices of Lovability, Livability and Prosperity.
Livability
Our most layered overarching category quantifies a city’s physical sense of place.
To score a city within our Livability category, we evaluate the perceived quality of its natural and built environments. This includes how much of an urban area is dedicated to green space and how many quality parks, sights, neighborhoods and landmarks are recommended online by locals and visitors. We also look at key socioeconomic factors such as the affordability of monthly rents and the cost of housing—factors that not only retain talent, but also attract it (and, by extension, attract skill-seeking companies as well). Livability also looks at the natural attributes of a region such as the amount of tree cover and the quality of the air residents and visitors breathe.
Livability Metrics
Sights & Landmarks
The number of sights and landmarks rated above four stars, as listed on Tripadvisor (Tripadvisor.com)
Housing Affordability
This indicator is an index of housing affordability in a metropolitan area, based on the median cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the area and the median rent cost as a share of household income. (U.S. Census Bureau)
Air Quality
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a measure of air pollutant concentrations in ambient air and their associated health risks. As the AQI increases, this denotes a higher level of air pollution and, as such, a higher percentage of the population is likely to experience adverse health effects in the area. The air quality index ranges from 0 to 500. Good air quality ranges from 0 to 50, while measurements over 300 are considered hazardous. (IQAir)
Healthcare System Index
The Health subcategory evaluates the overall population well-being, access to healthcare, and public health outcomes of a city or region. These indicators are critical to understanding a city’s livability and resilience, particularly as urban centers compete for talent and investment in a post-pandemic world. The subcategories comprising the index are: 1) Life Expectancy at Birth: Captures long-term public health outcomes and the overall standard of living. Higher life expectancy reflects access to healthcare, nutrition, safety and other determinants of well-being. 2) Crude Mortality Rate: Offers a baseline measure of population health by quantifying deaths relative to population size. Helps contextualize life expectancy and detect short-term public health shifts, like pandemics or health crises. 3) Physicians per 1,000 Residents: A proxy for access to healthcare services. A higher density of physicians usually correlates with better healthcare access and outcomes, particularly in urban environments. (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – OECD)
Green Space
This indicator measures the share of an urban area’s land that is covered with vegetation that is at least 16 feet in height and with canopy cover that is greater than 50%. (OECD)
Nature & Parks
This indicator measures the number of natural areas, parks and outdoor activities rated above four stars, as listed on Tripadvisor. (Tripadvisor.com)
Heat Stress
On average, the number of days in a year that residents are exposed to extreme heat of over 90° Fahrenheit. (OECD)
Biking
This subcategory measures whether an area is good for biking based on bike lanes and trails, hills, road connectivity and destinations. (Bike Score)
Walkability
Walk Score measures the walkability of any address based on the distance to nearby places and pedestrian friendliness. (Walk Score)
Perception
Ranking in a survey of 2,003 respondents from across the United States about the top three cities and towns that they would most like to live in some day. (Ipsos)
Lovability
Lovability speaks to the relative vibrancy and quality of place of a city relative to its competitive set.
For almost a decade, Resonance research has shown that the more vibrant a city or region is in terms of its culture, dining and nightlife, the more visitors, young professionals and large corporations it attracts. A region’s lovability also inspires residents, businesses and visitors to promote a region to the world more effectively and cost-efficiently than destination marketers can ever hope to. Resonance ranks a city’s performance in each of these areas based on the number of stories, references and recommendations shared online about that city in key user-generated digital channels like Tripadvisor, Instagram and Facebook, and sought out on Google.
Lovability Metrics
Nightlife
The number of local nightlife experiences rated above four stars, as listed on Tripadvisor, including bars, pubs and clubs. (Tripadvisor.com)
Shopping
The number of local shopping experiences rated above four stars, as listed on Tripadvisor, including shopping malls, farmers markets, department stores, airport shops and factory outlets in an area. (Tripadvisor.com)
Facebook Check-ins
The total number of check-ins posted by residents and tourists in a region. (Facebook.com)
Tripadvisor Reviews
The total number of reviews a destination has on Tripadvisor. (Tripadvisor.com)
Restaurants
The total number of restaurants listed within a city on TripAdvisor. (Tripadvisor.com)
Culture
The number of concerts, shows and events, rated above 4 stars in a city, as listed on TripAdvisor. (Tripadvisor.com)
Instagram Posts
This indicator measures the total number of geographically tagged posts, including Reels, in a city. (Instagram.com)
Google Trends
Popularity of a city on Google Trends in the past 12 months, relative to the other cities analyzed, choosing the larger total of the city (for example, “Seattle”) or the city and region (“Seattle, Washington”). (Trends.Google.com)
Museums
The number of museums in a city rated above four stars, as listed on Tripadvisor. (Tripadvisor.com)
Attractions
The number of zoos, aquariums, amusement parks and gaming attractions rated above 4 stars, as listed on Tripadvisor. (Tripadvisor.com)
Perception
Ranking in a survey of 2,003 respondents from across the United States about the top three cities and towns that they would most like to visit in the next 12 to 24 months. (Ipsos)
Prosperity
Human capital is becoming a region’s most valuable resource when it comes to generating wealth and prosperity. For many cities, it is increasingly in short supply.
To evaluate the relative strength of human capital from one region to the next, Resonance not only measures the number of large companies headquartered in the city, the level of the city’s population, and the percentage of people participating in the labor force, but also the support a city provides for start-ups and how the innovation ecosystem is distributed across each city. Wealth and prosperity are also evaluated by core statistics like business infrastructure, such as the region’s airport connectivity to other destinations and the presence and size of the convention center and its ability to welcome global investment events.
Prosperity Metrics
Labor Force Participation
A city’s active workforce, defined as the percentage of all people of working age who are employed or are actively seeking work. (U.S. Census Bureau)
Large Companies
The number of companies with over 1,000 employees that are headquartered in a city. (Crunchbase)
Airport
Number of direct destinations from major airports within a 50-mile radius of the primary city. (Flightsfrom.com)
Convention Center
The size of the largest convention center in a city based on exhibition space in square feet. (Venue websites)
University
The aggregate score of the highest-ranking university in a city. (QS Top Universities, U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings, and Times Higher Education World University Rankings)
Educational Attainment
This indicator measures the proportion of the population that has at least a bachelor's degree in a city. (U.S. Census Bureau)
GDP per Capita
The GDP per capita in a region in U.S. dollars. (Bureau of Economic Analysis)
Business Ecosystem
The quantity, quality and overall state of a city’s business environment that contributes to the success of start-ups. (StartupBlink)
Unemployment Rate
The rate of unemployment in a region. (U.S. Census Bureau)
Poverty Rate
The percentage of the population living below the poverty line in a city. (U.S. Census Bureau)
Perception
Ranking in a survey of 2,003 respondents from across the United States about the top three cities and towns that they think offer the best job opportunities. (Ipsos)