From Atlanta to San Francisco: These are the 10 best U.S. cities to live in based on culture, education, infrastructure and more
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released its annual Global Liveability Index 2024, which evaluates cities worldwide for their livability.
EIU's report examines 173 cities globally based on 30 indicators organized into five different categories:
- Stability
- Health care
- Culture and environment
- Education and infrastructure
The cities were then ranked on a 100-point scale. For the third year in a row, Vienna, Austria, ranked as the world's best city to live. On the opposite side of the world, not a single city in the U.S. ranked in the top 20 places to live.
The report noted that a trend in the U.S. this year is smaller cities outperforming the bigger metropolitan areas.
Two of the more popular cities in America, New York and Los Angeles didn't rank in the top 10 — they came in 70th and 58th, respectively.
Honolulu is the best U.S. city to live in
For the second year in a row, Honolulu ranked as the best U.S. city to live in, according to the EIU. It ranked 23 on the global list, up from No. 25 in 2023.
The Hawaii city landed in the top spot because of its high scores in education, infrastructure, and stability compared to other U.S. cities.
M Swiet Productions | Moment | Getty ImagesHonolulu, Hawaii, ranked as ranked as the No. 1 best city to live in the U.S., according to the EIU.
Living in Honolulu also means living in a city in one of the most expensive states in the U.S., according to CNBC's America's Top States for Business study. It ranked highly based on an index of prices for a range of goods and services.
The cost of living in Hawaii is high because of several factors, including the fact that so many items on the island are imported. According to that CNBC study, gas prices in the state are among the nation's highest.
Honolulu is also the western metro area with the biggest rent increase for 1-bedroom apartments in a year. Rent in the area went up by 3.3% from $1,783 in 2023 to $1,841 in 2024, according to rent estimate data from Apartment List for April 2023 to April 2024, analyzed by CNBC Make It.
The 10 best cities to live in the U.S.
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Atlanta, Ga.
- Pittsburgh, Penn.
- Seattle, Wash.
- Washington D.C.
- Chicago, Ill.
- Boston, Mass.
- Miami, Fla.
- San Francisco, Calif.
- Minneapolis, Minn.
Atlanta, Georgia, is the second-best city to live in the U.S. The city ranked No. 29 on the global list, ahead of other major U.S. cities like New York, L.A., and San Francisco.
Marilyn Nieves | E+ | Getty ImagesAtlanta, Georgia, ranked as the No. 2 best city to live in the U.S., according to the EIU.
The home of mega-corporations like Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines, Atlanta was named the best place to start your own business in 2023, according to LinkedIn. Atlanta was recognized as the No. 1 U.S. metro area with the fastest year-over-year growth, 92%, in people founding their own companies, per the job search site.
The metro area has been growing "at a breakneck pace" due to strong job recovery since the pandemic, reports Fox 5 Atlanta.
Atlanta dominates in sectors like transportation and film and television production. It is also home to the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, considered to be the world's busiest airport.
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