National ranking · LiveAbility

LiveAbility Rankings

Name: PlainRelocate LiveAbility score rankings extract
Creator: PlainRelocate
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Every US metro ranked by a LiveAbility composite of up to eight quality-of-life dimensions, cost, jobs, housing, safety, schools, air quality, climate and hazard risk, drawn from federal data. Missing dimensions are omitted and remaining weights renormalized.

Compiled by PlainRelocate

387
Metros ranked: Grand Forks
Most livable metro: 74.4
Top score (/100): 54
Partial-dim metros

The verdict

As of June 2026, the most livable affordable US metros right now are led by Grand Forks, Minot and Charleston.

51.5
Median LiveAbility Score: 13
point interquartile spread (Q1–Q3): #387
lowest: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (22.9/100)

Score 100 = best in the nation for that dimension. Default weights: cost 18%, jobs & housing 15% each, safety & schools 12% each, air & hazard 10% each, climate 8%. The Dims column shows how many of those eight fed into each metro's composite.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and seven other federal agencies, PlainRelocate ranks 387 U.S. metros by LiveAbility Score, a federal-data composite of up to eight dimensions (missing dimensions are omitted and remaining weights renormalized). 54 of 387 metros currently score on fewer than eight dimensions. As of June 2026, the top-ranked metros are Grand Forks, Minot, and Charleston, with a national median score of 51.5 out of 100 and a 13-point interquartile spread.

Composite scores for 387 US metro areas, scored from BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, EPA, NOAA and FEMA data across all 50 states (54 metros currently lack at least one dimension, most often metro-level air quality); see our methodology.

→ Adjust weights to match your priorities

Grand Forks

74.4
Minot

73.6
Charleston

73.2
Fargo

71.5
Parkersburg-Vienna

70.4
Florence

70
Greenville

69.2
Wheeling

68.8
Bismarck

68.2
Beckley

67.9
Sumter

67.8
Huntington-Ashland

66.3
Spartanburg

65.9
Grand Island

65.2
Ames

65

What this shows Grand Forks, Minot and Charleston lead the nation on the composite score, well above the 51.5/100 median across all 387 ranked metros. The full ranking and per-dimension breakdown are in the table below.

The bar to make the Top 15

Where the Top 15 cutoff (65/100) sits against every ranked metro's own score

65 Top 96% higher than 4% of 387 metros

every ranked metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · NOAA · FEMA · Federal data, latest available vintage

70–100 Excellent 55–69 Good 40–54 Average 25–39 Below Average 0–24 Low

How tightly are metros clustered?

25th percentile

51.5

Median (50th)

75th percentile

Interquartile spread

The middle 50% of 387 ranked metros fall between 44 and 57, a spread of 13 points, a wide spread, meaning quality-of-life outcomes diverge sharply across the middle of the distribution. Computed directly from the 387 composite scores above, not a separate estimate.

#	Metro	Score	Dims	Cost	Safety	Air	Housing	Schools	Climate	Hazard	Jobs
1	Grand ForksND-MN	74.4	7 of 8	92	67	-	84	97	8	75	67
2	MinotND	73.6	8 of 8	92	66	85	93	96	1	75	52
3	CharlestonWV	73.2	8 of 8	82	100	73	100	79	43	72	28
4	FargoND-MN	71.5	8 of 8	71	67	82	78	97	16	76	69
5	Parkersburg-ViennaWV	70.4	8 of 8	91	99	54	98	78	50	71	11
6	FlorenceSC	70	8 of 8	92	97	34	82	74	98	78	11
7	GreenvilleNC	69.2	8 of 8	85	94	86	83	40	87	42	38
8	WheelingWV-OH	68.8	8 of 8	85	98	38	94	77	53	70	21
9	BismarckND	68.2	8 of 8	69	67	73	68	98	1	76	72
10	BeckleyWV	67.9	7 of 8	85	100	-	99	79	26	72	3
11	SumterSC	67.8	7 of 8	87	96	-	52	72	100	76	12
12	Huntington-AshlandWV-KY-OH	66.3	8 of 8	84	100	49	96	78	26	71	10
13	SpartanburgSC	65.9	8 of 8	69	96	23	65	73	91	76	41
14	Grand IslandNE	65.2	8 of 8	93	82	94	62	80	30	30	33
15	AmesIA	65	7 of 8	82	73	-	92	56	28	25	65
16	LynchburgVA	64.9	8 of 8	78	80	96	66	76	58	17	43
17	Weirton-SteubenvilleWV-OH	64.5	8 of 8	80	99	35	94	78	27	71	14
18	Blacksburg-Christiansburg-RadfordVA	63.9	8 of 8	57	81	83	84	77	57	17	51
19	HattiesburgMS	63.9	8 of 8	89	89	32	88	86	62	53	1
20	Lewiston-AuburnME	63.9	8 of 8	44	92	95	26	100	19	95	57
21	CasperWY	63.6	8 of 8	48	89	58	86	98	15	70	39
22	Rocky MountNC	63.4	8 of 8	87	93	84	74	38	70	40	20
23	BangorME	63.3	8 of 8	35	92	93	39	100	13	96	54
24	LincolnNE	63.2	8 of 8	66	81	65	74	80	49	30	51
25	MorgantownWV	63.2	8 of 8	52	99	55	81	78	27	71	37
26	Sioux FallsSD-MN	63.2	8 of 8	72	48	93	95	82	34	20	44
27	DecaturIL	63.1	8 of 8	84	64	57	87	62	45	27	52
28	Atlantic City-HammontonNJ	62.8	8 of 8	25	82	92	11	94	75	86	78
29	ColumbiaSC	62.8	8 of 8	49	98	34	52	74	98	78	43
30	Fond du LacWI	62.7	8 of 8	66	62	82	68	54	45	68	55
31	Cedar RapidsIA	62.6	8 of 8	81	73	51	97	56	35	25	50
32	JoplinMO-KS	62.5	8 of 8	97	15	66	100	88	77	19	22
33	DubuqueIA	62.1	7 of 8	90	72	-	86	55	35	24	42
34	La Crosse-OnalaskaWI-MN	62.1	8 of 8	65	61	86	71	53	18	67	64
35	JohnstownPA	61.9	8 of 8	95	70	61	90	84	27	34	8
36	DaltonGA	61.7	8 of 8	75	55	68	92	67	60	46	24
37	Watertown-Fort DrumNY	61.7	8 of 8	89	36	94	38	94	53	20	59
38	PaducahKY-IL	61.6	8 of 8	94	77	54	96	47	50	28	22
39	Greenville-Anderson-GreerSC	61.5	8 of 8	52	97	25	70	74	46	77	48
40	St. CloudMN	61.3	8 of 8	90	65	75	63	46	10	30	75
41	AltoonaPA	61.2	8 of 8	77	71	88	75	85	28	35	18
42	PeoriaIL	61.1	8 of 8	68	64	47	90	59	41	26	68
43	AlbanyGA	61	8 of 8	89	56	43	76	69	85	47	18
44	Brunswick-St. SimonsGA	61	8 of 8	88	55	78	51	68	95	46	19
45	VinelandNJ	61	8 of 8	38	82	74	22	93	36	85	74
46	AppletonWI	60.7	8 of 8	60	63	88	59	54	29	68	60
47	Eagle PassTX	60.7	8 of 8	100	34	87	96	62	98	4	0
48	Gulfport-BiloxiMS	60.7	8 of 8	75	90	33	75	87	46	54	17
49	Norwich-New London-WillimanticCT	60.7	8 of 8	20	90	85	12	90	22	98	91
50	Fort SmithAR-OK	60.5	8 of 8	96	5	50	98	81	83	65	2
51	SheboyganWI	60.5	8 of 8	47	60	69	78	51	52	66	64
52	Wildwood-The VillagesFL	60.5	7 of 8	98	83	-	48	12	74	54	47
53	PittsfieldMA	60.3	8 of 8	43	52	81	24	90	25	90	87
54	Utica-RomeNY	60.2	8 of 8	58	36	96	70	95	24	21	68
55	DecaturAL	60.1	8 of 8	90	41	50	97	31	76	61	23
56	Hickory-Lenoir-MorgantonNC	60.1	8 of 8	83	94	36	83	40	69	42	22
57	TuscaloosaAL	59.9	8 of 8	88	39	84	75	27	74	60	31
58	CheyenneWY	59.8	8 of 8	36	88	43	69	98	2	70	63
59	Iowa CityIA	59.8	8 of 8	67	72	77	74	55	31	24	59
60	JacksonMS	59.8	8 of 8	80	89	27	51	86	87	53	11
61	Manchester-NashuaNH	59.6	8 of 8	6	91	85	7	99	49	98	83
62	Oshkosh-NeenahWI	59.6	7 of 8	54	60	-	73	52	33	66	68
63	WausauWI	59.6	8 of 8	58	60	84	73	51	21	65	56
64	ElizabethtownKY	59.4	8 of 8	72	78	67	87	50	54	29	28
65	Champaign-UrbanaIL	59.3	8 of 8	57	65	51	77	64	43	27	73
66	Waterloo-Cedar FallsIA	59.2	8 of 8	91	72	26	88	54	36	24	45
67	DothanAL	59.1	7 of 8	100	41	-	97	30	72	61	1
68	Providence-WarwickRI-MA	59	8 of 8	15	89	59	30	86	23	100	88
69	SalisburyMD	59	8 of 8	40	25	69	71	70	81	80	57
70	BinghamtonNY	58.9	7 of 8	55	39	-	80	99	14	23	74
71	RomeGA	58.9	8 of 8	74	54	80	65	66	90	45	12
72	Green BayWI	58.7	8 of 8	53	62	81	71	53	17	68	56
73	Hartford-West Hartford-East HartfordCT	58.7	8 of 8	12	91	72	12	91	21	99	94
74	JonesboroAR	58.7	7 of 8	96	4	-	90	80	62	64	4
75	MuncieIN	58.7	8 of 8	86	49	47	89	43	40	73	25
76	Sioux CityIA-NE-SD	58.7	8 of 8	93	72	53	72	55	36	24	36
77	Anniston-OxfordAL	58.6	7 of 8	95	42	-	96	32	71	62	3
78	Davenport-Moline-Rock IslandIA-IL	58.6	8 of 8	80	73	38	74	56	44	25	53
79	DuluthMN-WI	58.5	8 of 8	82	66	77	60	47	3	31	67
80	Eau ClaireWI	58.5	8 of 8	56	62	83	67	54	16	68	54
81	SpringfieldMA	58.5	8 of 8	37	52	80	19	90	25	89	88
82	Winston-SalemNC	58.4	8 of 8	62	92	20	97	38	70	40	36
83	Florence-Muscle ShoalsAL	58.3	7 of 8	98	41	-	93	30	73	61	3
84	ColumbusGA-AL	58	8 of 8	79	55	25	85	67	84	46	18
85	EriePA	57.9	8 of 8	70	71	82	62	85	16	35	29
86	GoldsboroNC	57.9	7 of 8	84	95	-	58	41	86	42	7
87	Waterbury-SheltonCT	57.9	7 of 8	24	90	-	15	89	22	98	83
88	Bowling GreenKY	57.7	8 of 8	74	78	68	93	51	43	29	13
89	ColumbiaMO	57.7	8 of 8	78	15	77	72	89	57	19	42
90	Jefferson CityMO	57.6	8 of 8	87	15	72	89	88	58	19	16
91	Cape GirardeauMO-IL	57.5	7 of 8	94	16	-	94	89	57	19	12
92	PocatelloID	57.4	8 of 8	81	74	76	69	35	3	93	15
93	MankatoMN	57.3	8 of 8	69	66	41	70	46	33	31	74
94	Portland-South PortlandME	57.2	8 of 8	15	92	76	13	100	6	95	80
95	College Station-BryanTX	57.1	8 of 8	70	35	78	66	63	93	5	48
96	Kingsport-BristolTN-VA	56.6	8 of 8	93	3	66	89	49	77	38	25
97	Barnstable TownMA	56.5	8 of 8	27	52	90	4	93	24	90	92
98	New HavenCT	56.5	8 of 8	8	90	64	9	90	21	99	94
99	Terre HauteIN	56.5	8 of 8	88	48	30	83	43	42	72	25
100	Charleston-North CharlestonSC	56.4	8 of 8	17	98	51	15	74	86	78	70
101	MontgomeryAL	56.4	8 of 8	76	40	60	92	29	79	60	17
102	Staunton-Stuarts DraftVA	56.4	7 of 8	69	79	-	55	75	59	16	35
103	Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle BeachSC	56.3	8 of 8	49	97	71	34	73	80	77	6
104	RoanokeVA	56.3	8 of 8	50	80	70	57	76	81	16	35
105	LubbockTX	56.2	8 of 8	68	32	98	95	60	78	3	15
106	OwensboroKY	56.2	8 of 8	83	77	55	79	47	54	28	13
107	MadisonWI	56.1	8 of 8	32	61	60	64	52	19	67	86
108	Twin FallsID *	56.1	8 of 8	62	74	98	66	34	10	93	16
109	Urban HonoluluHI	56.1	8 of 8	2	75	94	3	72	74	89	90
110	Washington-Arlington-AlexandriaDC-VA-MD-WV	56.1	7 of 8	4	98	23	5	94	-	100	99
111	DoverDE	56	8 of 8	31	43	67	34	75	76	100	58
112	KokomoIN	56	8 of 8	76	50	48	77	44	32	73	32
113	AlexandriaLA	55.9	8 of 8	97	28	79	93	11	75	50	6
114	Burlington-South BurlingtonVT	55.9	8 of 8	18	79	87	6	87	15	98	82
115	Trenton-PrincetonNJ	55.9	8 of 8	12	82	53	10	94	36	85	97
116	WilliamsportPA	55.9	8 of 8	61	68	74	64	81	35	32	29
117	Bridgeport-Stamford-DanburyCT Metropolitan Statistical Area	55.8	8 of 8	5	91	63	3	92	21	99	97
118	Longview-KelsoWA	55.7	8 of 8	31	47	98	35	29	49	88	89
119	MonroeLA	55.7	8 of 8	100	27	64	100	10	79	48	5
120	St. JosephMO-KS	55.7	8 of 8	93	14	26	86	87	58	18	32
121	ChambersburgPA	55.6	8 of 8	45	71	92	40	85	29	35	52
122	MidlandMI	55.6	7 of 8	63	18	-	64	22	50	82	80
123	FayettevilleNC	55.5	8 of 8	63	95	37	57	41	69	43	39
124	Janesville-BeloitWI	55.5	8 of 8	49	62	66	58	53	17	67	64
125	SpringfieldIL	55.5	8 of 8	56	63	63	63	58	41	26	62
126	RockfordIL	55.2	8 of 8	62	63	54	68	59	41	26	54
127	Hot SpringsAR	55.1	8 of 8	96	5	22	84	80	77	65	1
128	MansfieldOH	55.1	7 of 8	81	58	-	95	17	49	51	18
129	Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-NorfolkVA-NC	55.1	8 of 8	30	79	63	51	75	59	16	73
130	WorcesterMA	55.1	8 of 8	13	51	84	17	89	25	89	93
131	Charlotte-Concord-GastoniaNC-SC	54.8	8 of 8	31	95	13	75	42	69	43	69
132	EvansvilleIN	54.8	8 of 8	66	50	37	78	45	39	74	37
133	ManhattanKS	54.7	7 of 8	74	16	-	88	70	79	15	31
134	SpringfieldMO	54.7	8 of 8	83	14	39	82	88	82	18	19
135	LewistonID-WA	54.6	8 of 8	68	74	56	61	35	8	93	30
136	MobileAL	54.6	8 of 8	86	40	40	85	29	63	60	20
137	Augusta-Richmond CountyGA-SC	54.5	8 of 8	64	55	16	56	68	84	46	46
138	Pinehurst-Southern PinesNC	54.4	7 of 8	85	93	-	43	39	70	41	11
139	Beaumont-Port ArthurTX	54.3	8 of 8	75	35	10	81	64	93	6	53
140	OmahaNE-IA	54.3	8 of 8	64	81	21	41	79	24	29	70
141	Elkhart-GoshenIN	54.2	8 of 8	73	51	42	67	45	39	74	32
142	Auburn-OpelikaAL	54.1	7 of 8	87	42	-	67	32	71	62	14
143	BloomingtonIL	54.1	8 of 8	50	65	52	50	64	42	28	72
144	ValdostaGA	54.1	8 of 8	86	53	44	65	66	67	44	4
145	Des Moines-West Des MoinesIA	54	8 of 8	65	73	42	49	55	30	25	71
146	Greensboro-High PointNC	53.9	8 of 8	55	94	42	48	40	69	42	46
147	HuntsvilleAL	53.9	8 of 8	54	40	49	49	30	87	60	71
148	Scranton--Wilkes-BarrePA	53.9	8 of 8	50	68	69	57	82	27	32	40
149	SyracuseNY	53.9	8 of 8	39	37	89	39	95	23	21	83
150	Lexington-FayetteKY	53.8	8 of 8	55	78	56	54	48	54	29	53
151	LongviewTX	53.8	8 of 8	77	32	86	64	60	99	3	16
152	TexarkanaTX-AR	53.8	8 of 8	99	30	23	99	58	92	1	5
153	TopekaKS	53.8	8 of 8	82	16	39	87	69	53	15	42
154	GadsdenAL	53.7	8 of 8	97	40	33	98	30	45	61	0
155	Kahului-WailukuHI	53.7	8 of 8	3	75	99	4	73	47	89	82
156	LimaOH	53.7	8 of 8	76	58	60	79	17	37	51	33
157	Fayetteville-Springdale-RogersAR	53.6	8 of 8	67	5	66	45	81	83	65	31
158	WichitaKS	53.5	8 of 8	81	16	30	81	69	83	14	38
159	Hagerstown-MartinsburgMD-WV	53.4	8 of 8	46	25	61	56	71	46	81	49
160	JacksonvilleNC	53.4	7 of 8	62	94	-	69	40	70	41	5
161	LawtonOK	53.4	8 of 8	95	23	57	92	39	96	14	2
162	Amherst Town-NorthamptonMA	53.3	7 of 8	22	53	-	8	93	28	90	95
163	Racine-Mount PleasantWI	53.3	8 of 8	38	60	59	60	52	34	66	60
164	SanduskyOH	53.2	7 of 8	79	57	-	80	14	51	51	27
165	Warner RobinsGA	53.2	8 of 8	48	53	53	42	65	93	44	47
166	ClevelandOH	53.1	7 of 8	47	59	-	90	19	15	52	67
167	Sierra Vista-DouglasAZ	53.1	8 of 8	79	21	27	57	33	91	79	40
168	FlintMI	53	8 of 8	54	19	62	91	24	30	84	50
169	Michigan City-La PorteIN	53	8 of 8	65	49	65	73	43	40	73	16
170	FarmingtonNM	52.7	8 of 8	89	1	29	85	71	26	69	24
171	Fort WayneIN	52.7	8 of 8	59	50	33	78	44	40	74	35
172	RochesterMN	52.7	8 of 8	71	65	45	37	46	4	30	88
173	Youngstown-WarrenOH	52.6	8 of 8	90	57	35	94	12	38	50	17
174	BloomingtonIN	52.5	8 of 8	43	51	58	62	45	38	75	50
175	JacksonTN	52.5	8 of 8	97	3	93	56	50	62	39	14
176	CharlottesvilleVA	52.4	8 of 8	25	81	72	13	77	75	17	81
177	Macon-Bibb CountyGA	52.4	8 of 8	83	54	18	50	66	85	45	17
178	Idaho FallsID	52.3	8 of 8	46	74	57	50	35	0	94	57
179	RichmondVA	52.3	8 of 8	30	80	46	23	76	81	16	81
180	JacksonvilleFL	52.2	8 of 8	24	87	19	80	17	88	58	57
181	EnidOK *	52.1	7 of 8	99	23	-	91	41	76	14	1
182	St. LouisMO-IL	52.1	8 of 8	43	14	7	98	87	59	18	69
183	Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port RoyalSC	52	7 of 8	29	97	-	14	73	87	77	29
184	MorristownTN	52	8 of 8	94	2	71	76	48	80	38	4
185	SebringFL	52	8 of 8	60	83	91	54	13	82	55	3
186	HarrisonburgVA	51.9	8 of 8	44	80	61	49	76	58	17	37
187	Bay CityMI	51.8	8 of 8	63	20	87	91	25	14	84	21
188	BillingsMT	51.7	8 of 8	50	25	78	36	93	7	64	56
189	Buffalo-CheektowagaNY	51.6	8 of 8	38	39	52	45	98	14	23	86
190	Coeur d'AleneID	51.6	8 of 8	27	75	97	29	35	44	94	44
191	Las CrucesNM	51.6	8 of 8	74	1	4	89	71	48	69	36
192	York-HanoverPA	51.6	8 of 8	37	67	44	46	81	53	31	55
193	BurlingtonNC	51.5	7 of 8	53	96	-	44	42	68	43	26
194	Louisville/Jefferson CountyKY-IN	51.5	8 of 8	53	78	18	54	48	78	28	52
195	Kennewick-RichlandWA	51.4	8 of 8	23	47	90	29	29	18	88	98
196	State CollegePA	51.3	8 of 8	35	68	69	38	82	34	32	58
197	ElmiraNY	51.2	7 of 8	46	38	-	52	97	30	23	61
198	Grants PassOR	51.2	8 of 8	30	44	95	42	24	86	92	39
199	ColumbusIN	51	8 of 8	54	51	51	36	45	44	75	55
200	Dayton-Kettering-BeavercreekOH	51	7 of 8	57	58	-	53	18	29	52	73
201	WilmingtonNC	51	8 of 8	36	93	73	36	38	68	40	45
202	YakimaWA	51	8 of 8	40	45	83	40	26	11	86	76
203	Battle CreekMI	50.9	7 of 8	72	20	-	68	26	13	85	51
204	Glens FallsNY	50.8	7 of 8	44	38	-	44	97	46	22	61
205	LaredoTX	50.8	8 of 8	92	33	41	72	61	95	3	2
206	Little Rock-North Little Rock-ConwayAR	50.8	8 of 8	78	4	8	73	79	88	64	10
207	Canton-MassillonOH	50.7	8 of 8	78	59	29	85	20	37	53	23
208	Milwaukee-WaukeshaWI	50.7	8 of 8	33	61	41	46	52	19	66	80
209	PittsburghPA	50.7	8 of 8	45	69	12	50	83	34	33	65
210	Athens-Clarke CountyGA	50.6	8 of 8	52	56	38	47	68	84	47	27
211	Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-DestinFL	50.6	8 of 8	33	88	90	16	19	71	59	59
212	LawrenceKS	50.6	7 of 8	73	17	-	67	71	48	15	44
213	ToledoOH	50.4	8 of 8	67	57	11	86	12	38	50	53
214	Brownsville-HarlingenTX	50.3	8 of 8	94	35	4	88	64	86	5	4
215	South Bend-MishawakaIN-MI	50	8 of 8	55	48	40	51	43	41	72	46
216	Durham-Chapel HillNC	49.9	8 of 8	31	95	20	20	42	76	43	85
217	BirminghamAL	49.7	8 of 8	66	42	5	55	31	85	62	49
218	Boston-Cambridge-NewtonMA-NH	49.7	8 of 8	5	52	58	1	92	24	90	98
219	LebanonPA	49.7	8 of 8	53	69	56	37	83	32	33	33
220	Albany-Schenectady-TroyNY	49.6	8 of 8	24	39	88	21	99	12	23	90
221	SaginawMI	49.6	7 of 8	71	17	-	77	21	20	81	41
222	San Antonio-New BraunfelsTX	49.6	8 of 8	45	31	11	82	58	99	2	62
223	RochesterNY	49.4	8 of 8	33	37	75	27	95	23	21	81
224	JacksonMI	49.3	7 of 8	64	19	-	71	23	17	83	49
225	Lafayette-West LafayetteIN	49.3	8 of 8	51	49	48	59	44	32	73	37
226	MonroeMI	49.3	8 of 8	51	18	100	48	22	8	82	62
227	Homosassa SpringsFL	49.1	8 of 8	51	87	57	61	18	73	58	7
228	Wichita FallsTX	49.1	7 of 8	77	29	-	76	57	94	0	8
229	Lansing-East LansingMI	49	8 of 8	43	18	71	55	23	18	83	75
230	Rapid CitySD	49	8 of 8	80	48	21	69	83	9	20	26
231	Portland-Vancouver-HillsboroOR-WA	48.9	8 of 8	7	43	80	11	21	90	91	94
232	SpringfieldOH	48.9	8 of 8	72	57	39	79	13	38	51	24
233	WacoTX	48.9	8 of 8	59	30	11	95	57	94	0	34
234	NilesMI	48.8	8 of 8	61	17	64	66	22	20	82	48
235	BellinghamWA	48.7	8 of 8	11	47	93	15	32	42	88	91
236	Shreveport-Bossier CityLA	48.7	8 of 8	98	26	17	79	9	91	48	9
237	AbileneTX	48.6	7 of 8	73	36	-	53	65	97	7	15
238	Killeen-TempleTX	48.5	8 of 8	68	33	35	60	61	99	4	28
239	WinchesterVA-WV	48.5	8 of 8	36	79	63	27	75	35	15	60
240	IthacaNY	48.4	8 of 8	11	38	92	17	96	47	22	85
241	Raleigh-CaryNC	48.4	8 of 8	29	93	31	17	39	81	41	75
242	McAllen-Edinburg-MissionTX	48	8 of 8	95	32	8	87	60	63	3	5
243	SavannahGA	48	8 of 8	42	53	45	22	66	100	44	40
244	Allentown-Bethlehem-EastonPA-NJ	47.9	8 of 8	23	71	68	11	86	28	35	71
245	AkronOH	47.8	8 of 8	52	59	44	55	20	37	53	55
246	AmarilloTX	47.8	8 of 8	64	36	52	80	65	42	6	21
247	Houma-Bayou Cane-ThibodauxLA	47.8	8 of 8	98	28	28	81	11	62	49	6
248	Houston-Pasadena-The WoodlandsTX	47.7	8 of 8	26	33	3	83	61	94	4	74
249	Johnson CityTN	47.6	7 of 8	88	3	-	76	49	55	39	7
250	LafayetteLA	47.6	8 of 8	91	27	19	99	10	48	49	9
251	Lexington ParkMD	47.6	7 of 8	19	25	-	7	70	57	80	96
252	Lakeland-Winter HavenFL	47.5	8 of 8	32	87	76	31	17	88	58	27
253	Mount Vernon-AnacortesWA	47.4	8 of 8	14	46	96	20	28	10	87	93
254	Palm Bay-Melbourne-TitusvilleFL	47.4	8 of 8	23	85	70	20	15	80	56	61
255	VictoriaTX	47.4	8 of 8	76	30	90	35	57	94	1	10
256	Kansas CityMO-KS	47.3	8 of 8	59	15	13	43	88	47	18	73
257	Bremerton-Silverdale-Port OrchardWA	47.2	8 of 8	7	47	99	8	31	29	88	96
258	Olympia-Lacey-TumwaterWA	47.2	8 of 8	10	46	96	10	28	33	87	95
259	Kalamazoo-PortageMI	47.1	8 of 8	44	19	41	72	23	18	83	64
260	KenoshaWI	47.1	7 of 8	17	61	-	39	53	31	67	71
261	HammondLA	46.9	8 of 8	99	28	32	82	11	47	49	2
262	AshevilleNC	46.8	8 of 8	35	96	29	27	42	75	44	44
263	GettysburgPA	46.8	8 of 8	41	70	49	41	85	26	34	29
264	Traverse CityMI	46.8	8 of 8	51	17	79	61	21	20	81	42
265	Lake Havasu City-KingmanAZ	46.6	8 of 8	46	22	99	42	34	56	80	20
266	TulsaOK	46.6	8 of 8	79	23	16	61	38	97	13	35
267	Walla WallaWA	46.6	8 of 8	26	45	79	28	27	11	86	77
268	ReadingPA	46.5	8 of 8	33	68	54	26	82	9	32	62
269	GainesvilleFL	46.3	8 of 8	35	87	81	32	18	61	59	26
270	Harrisburg-CarlislePA	46.3	8 of 8	26	70	28	32	84	31	34	65
271	Muskegon-Norton ShoresMI	46	8 of 8	60	18	81	59	22	20	82	26
272	TylerTX	45.9	8 of 8	61	30	74	46	57	97	1	15
273	Wenatchee-East WenatcheeWA	45.9	8 of 8	9	45	95	31	27	4	86	84
274	HinesvilleGA	45.8	7 of 8	47	54	-	38	67	84	45	9
275	Lake CharlesLA	45.8	8 of 8	96	27	25	62	10	78	48	9
276	BendOR	45.6	8 of 8	10	44	78	40	25	7	92	79
277	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-RoswellGA	45.4	8 of 8	23	56	7	14	68	95	47	77
278	SalemOR	45.4	8 of 8	10	43	91	28	21	12	91	85
279	Philadelphia-Camden-WilmingtonPA-NJ-DE-MD	45.3	8 of 8	13	69	12	14	83	65	33	86
280	ClevelandTN	45.2	7 of 8	86	3	-	60	50	55	39	10
281	AlbanyOR	45.1	8 of 8	15	45	97	31	26	11	93	63
282	Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero CorridorFL	45	8 of 8	27	84	91	25	14	74	55	28
283	Oklahoma CityOK	44.8	8 of 8	73	23	12	58	39	83	14	43
284	TallahasseeFL	44.8	8 of 8	47	83	30	44	13	82	54	21
285	MissoulaMT	44.7	8 of 8	36	24	55	43	91	8	63	38
286	Indianapolis-Carmel-GreenwoodIN	44.6	8 of 8	39	50	8	33	44	31	74	72
287	Baltimore-Columbia-TowsonMD	44.5	8 of 8	8	26	34	12	72	56	81	90
288	LancasterPA	44.5	8 of 8	28	69	22	30	84	48	33	48
289	OdessaTX	44.3	8 of 8	48	31	89	25	59	89	2	32
290	MidlandTX	44.2	7 of 8	39	32	-	16	60	89	2	81
291	Baton RougeLA	44.1	8 of 8	71	28	14	63	11	68	50	36
292	KankakeeIL	44	7 of 8	37	64	-	48	61	40	26	33
293	BozemanMT	43.8	8 of 8	13	24	100	6	92	4	64	66
294	CincinnatiOH-KY-IN	43.8	8 of 8	42	59	10	43	19	43	52	72
295	ClarksvilleTN-KY	43.8	8 of 8	70	4	62	45	50	55	39	23
296	Daphne-Fairhope-FoleyAL	43.7	8 of 8	45	42	72	45	31	72	62	7
297	New Orleans-MetairieLA	43.6	8 of 8	58	26	27	47	10	64	48	61
298	Spokane-Spokane ValleyWA	43.6	8 of 8	21	46	45	29	28	9	87	86
299	LoganUT-ID	43.3	8 of 8	38	77	48	59	1	6	97	22
300	MemphisTN-MS-AR	43.3	8 of 8	61	2	6	53	48	88	38	46
301	Corpus ChristiTX	43	8 of 8	58	34	20	37	63	98	5	34
302	CorvallisOR	42.9	7 of 8	9	44	-	25	25	44	92	82
303	Cape Coral-Fort MyersFL	42.8	8 of 8	14	88	87	9	20	71	59	38
304	ColumbusOH	42.6	8 of 8	41	58	9	36	19	37	52	77
305	Naples-Marco IslandFL	42.6	8 of 8	12	86	60	8	16	64	57	68
306	Port St. LucieFL	42.5	8 of 8	22	84	70	17	14	73	55	39
307	HelenaMT	42.4	8 of 8	39	24	36	18	91	4	63	58
308	YumaAZ	42.3	8 of 8	57	21	29	40	32	54	78	31
309	El PasoTX	42.1	8 of 8	75	33	2	65	62	61	4	13
310	TucsonAZ	42.1	8 of 8	34	21	5	38	33	92	79	54
311	St. GeorgeUT	41.7	8 of 8	32	76	44	26	0	67	96	24
312	San AngeloTX	41.6	7 of 8	60	31	-	46	59	96	2	8
313	MedfordOR	41.5	8 of 8	16	43	65	30	23	12	91	66
314	OcalaFL	41.4	8 of 8	42	86	24	41	16	80	57	8
315	Great FallsMT	41.1	8 of 8	34	24	36	52	92	1	63	23
316	Ann ArborMI	40.9	8 of 8	18	21	59	23	26	13	85	89
317	Boise CityID	40.7	8 of 8	26	75	10	23	36	2	94	58
318	Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond BeachFL	40.6	8 of 8	25	88	67	15	18	72	59	19
319	Eugene-SpringfieldOR	40.6	8 of 8	16	44	50	21	24	11	92	76
320	GainesvilleGA	40.6	8 of 8	34	54	15	30	67	61	45	30
321	Austin-Round Rock-San MarcosTX	40.5	8 of 8	29	35	15	12	65	95	6	79
322	Orlando-Kissimmee-SanfordFL	40.5	8 of 8	16	85	47	9	15	89	57	45
323	PuebloCO	40.5	8 of 8	65	5	46	54	36	6	36	47
324	Seattle-Tacoma-BellevueWA	40.5	8 of 8	2	46	31	4	28	52	87	100
325	Grand Rapids-Wyoming-KentwoodMI	40	8 of 8	40	19	19	47	24	17	83	60
326	Pensacola-Ferry Pass-BrentFL	39.8	8 of 8	30	85	35	33	15	51	56	30
327	AlbuquerqueNM	39.5	8 of 8	40	1	4	35	72	13	69	66
328	Sherman-DenisonTX	39.5	7 of 8	48	31	-	44	58	96	1	12
329	Chicago-Naperville-ElginIL-IN	39.4	8 of 8	10	64	6	16	63	39	27	89
330	KingstonNY	39.3	7 of 8	19	38	-	14	96	22	22	66
331	AnchorageAK	39.2	8 of 8	7	0	97	24	9	0	97	92
332	Minneapolis-St. Paul-BloomingtonMN-WI	39	8 of 8	8	66	32	21	46	10	31	94
333	Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-NewburghNY	38.9	7 of 8	3	37	-	8	96	22	22	89
334	ChattanoogaTN-GA	38.8	8 of 8	67	4	15	39	51	55	40	30
335	North Port-Bradenton-SarasotaFL	38.8	8 of 8	14	86	47	10	16	73	57	43
336	Panama City-Panama City BeachFL	38.6	8 of 8	32	85	32	22	15	65	56	25
337	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--FranklinTN	38.3	8 of 8	37	2	17	19	47	89	37	69
338	Tampa-St. Petersburg-ClearwaterFL	38	8 of 8	18	83	16	9	12	100	54	47
339	Provo-Orem-LehiUT	37.9	8 of 8	28	76	31	35	1	7	96	34
340	Punta GordaFL	37.7	7 of 8	20	84	-	33	14	65	55	19
341	KnoxvilleTN	37.5	8 of 8	59	2	14	33	49	56	38	41
342	Salt Lake City-MurrayUT	37.4	8 of 8	19	76	6	18	0	7	96	76
343	Santa FeNM	37.2	8 of 8	25	1	40	21	69	9	69	63
344	New York-Newark-Jersey CityNY-NJ	36.9	8 of 8	1	37	14	5	95	23	21	99
345	Prescott Valley-PrescottAZ	36.8	7 of 8	28	22	-	24	33	51	79	40
346	Detroit-Warren-DearbornMI	36.7	8 of 8	21	20	8	37	25	16	84	78
347	RenoNV	36.7	8 of 8	17	29	20	53	1	2	94	70
348	OgdenUT	36.4	8 of 8	21	76	22	25	1	6	97	50
349	Slidell-Mandeville-CovingtonLA	35.9	7 of 8	56	26	-	47	9	52	47	14
350	El CentroCA	35.8	8 of 8	42	13	3	42	8	60	12	87
351	Dallas-Fort Worth-ArlingtonTX	35.6	8 of 8	12	34	5	10	62	93	5	80
352	Fairbanks-CollegeAK	35.4	8 of 8	11	0	62	22	9	1	97	87
353	ReddingCA	35.3	8 of 8	20	11	46	26	6	96	10	84
354	Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las VegasNV	35.1	8 of 8	22	29	2	18	2	63	95	67
355	VallejoCA	35.1	8 of 8	4	8	89	6	3	97	7	99
356	Carson CityNV	34.8	8 of 8	29	29	43	29	2	2	95	51
357	Phoenix-Mesa-ChandlerAZ	34.7	8 of 8	11	22	0	13	33	56	79	78
358	Santa Rosa-PetalumaCA	34.7	8 of 8	5	8	99	2	3	91	8	95
359	Grand JunctionCO	34.5	8 of 8	41	6	28	58	36	3	36	45
360	FlagstaffAZ	32.9	8 of 8	21	22	37	11	34	3	80	59
361	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm BeachFL	32.8	8 of 8	0	86	18	4	16	33	58	65
362	Santa Cruz-WatsonvilleCA	31.9	8 of 8	3	9	75	0	4	90	8	96
363	ChicoCA	30.8	8 of 8	16	13	38	24	8	60	13	79
364	Colorado SpringsCO	30.6	8 of 8	19	7	26	19	37	5	37	83
365	SalinasCA	30.3	8 of 8	3	10	75	2	5	66	10	92
366	Bakersfield-DelanoCA	30.1	8 of 8	18	14	1	32	8	60	13	88
367	VisaliaCA	29.8	8 of 8	24	8	1	32	2	92	7	76
368	GreeleyCO	29.7	8 of 8	22	6	9	28	36	5	36	78
369	BoulderCO	29.6	8 of 8	7	7	26	7	37	14	37	97
370	MercedCA	29.6	8 of 8	28	12	14	31	7	50	11	75
371	Fort Collins-LovelandCO	29	8 of 8	17	6	9	19	37	5	36	87
372	Hanford-CorcoranCA	28.6	8 of 8	15	12	5	34	7	61	12	79
373	FresnoCA	28.5	8 of 8	14	13	2	23	8	77	12	84
374	Yuba CityCA	27.4	8 of 8	9	7	23	28	2	68	7	82
375	ModestoCA	27.2	8 of 8	9	12	13	16	7	63	11	90
376	Sacramento-Roseville-FolsomCA	27.2	8 of 8	5	10	7	5	5	90	10	98
377	Denver-Aurora-CentennialCO	26.4	8 of 8	6	7	3	7	37	15	37	93
378	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa ClaraCA	26.3	8 of 8	2	9	17	1	4	82	9	100
379	Stockton-LodiCA	25.9	8 of 8	8	8	17	18	3	67	8	85
380	NapaCA	25.6	7 of 8	1	11	-	2	6	64	11	95
381	Santa Maria-Santa BarbaraCA	25.3	8 of 8	4	9	24	0	3	67	8	97
382	San Luis Obispo-Paso RoblesCA	25	8 of 8	4	9	24	3	4	66	9	92
383	Los Angeles-Long Beach-AnaheimCA	24.9	8 of 8	1	12	1	3	7	78	12	98
384	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-VenturaCA	24.7	8 of 8	2	11	21	2	6	64	11	91
385	Riverside-San Bernardino-OntarioCA	23.9	8 of 8	6	11	0	5	5	66	10	93
386	San Diego-Chula Vista-CarlsbadCA	22.9	8 of 8	1	10	2	1	5	66	9	96
387	San Francisco-Oakland-FremontCA	22.9	8 of 8	0	10	11	1	4	51	9	100

Score Methodology

The LiveAbility Score is a weighted composite of up to 8 dimensions, each normalized to a 0-100 percentile rank where 100 = best in the nation for that metric. When a metro lacks a dimension, that weight is dropped and the rest are renormalized; the Dims column records the population each composite actually used.

•

Cost of Living (18%) - BEA Regional Price Parities, metro-level

•

Jobs (15%) - BLS OES median annual wages, metro-level

•

Housing (15%) - HUD Fair Market Rents (2BR) - metro-level

•

Safety (12%) - FBI UCR violent crime rate, state-level

•

Schools (12%) - NCES student-teacher ratio, state-level

•

Air Quality (10%) - EPA AQS annual median AQI, metro-level

•

Hazard Risk (10%) - FEMA disaster + NOAA storm frequency, state-level

•

Climate (8%) - NOAA 1991-2020 Normals comfort index, city-level

Want to change the weights? Use the City Discovery Tool to re-rank metros based on your personal priorities.

How to use this ranking

A single composite is a starting point, not a verdict, re-rank it by what matters to you.

The default weights are ours; turn jobs up and climate down to match your own priorities and re-rank every metro instantly. City Finder
Once you have a shortlist, put two metros on the same scorecard across cost, rent, wages, safety and schools. Compare metros
See the full federal-data profile behind the #1 metro, Grand Forks. View Grand Forks

Scores are federal-data percentiles, not a recommendation. Safety, schools and hazard use state-level data where metro-level isn't published. Always visit before you move.

Download the LiveAbility Score extract cited on this page: plainrelocate-livability.csv (CC0).

Every figure on PlainRelocate is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.