The 4 US Cities Everyone Has Been Voting for as the Best Places to Live
There are places in the US that are clearly heads and shoulders above the rest when it comes to quality of life and cost of living, but actually ranking them is not an easy task. Finding those that have consistently ranked high in surveys over the years, however, reveal a trend.
Cities like Austin and Denver, for example, are regular mainstays in lists of surveys for the best places to live in the US. Looking at the rankings compiled by US News and World Report, 24/7 Wall Street, SmartAsset, Money and other publications, the Business Insider was able to spot the ones that consistently show up.
Here are four places in the US that everyone has been voting for as the ones that combine an easy to manage the cost of living with great quality of life.
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Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin has shown up in not one, but three of the surveys of the best US Cities to live in by the US News and World Report.
Not only has this city appeared thrice, it did so over three consecutive years. It was also a popular vote in rankings done by SmartAsset and Niche, and it ended up taking the top spot in the list done by Livability in 2015.
The city combines the casual and easy-going feel of America's Dairyland with a new infusion of high-tech businesses and academic institutions, as US News described what's it like to live in Madison.
Denver, Colorado
Like Madison, Denver was also named as one of the best cities in the country by US News and World Report for three straight years.
It does one better by showing up in the top three every time. In 2016, Denver went on to nab the number one spot in the 2016 list, aside from showing up in polls by SmartAsset and Niche.
This year, it holds on to its number three spot in the list by US News and World Report. From its Wild West beginnings as a gold rush town founded in the mid-1800s, the city has gone on to become a cultural center well-loved by its residents, many of which are nature lovers and progressive thinkers.
Raleigh, North Carolina
This city shows up in all three rankings done by US News and World Report, as well as on similar lists done by SmartAsset, 24/7 Wall Street and Niche.
Raleigh is often associated with Durham and Chapel Hill, all three of which enjoy healthy rivalries between their city colleges. This tri-city area is now well-known for plenty of opportunities for research and technology, as well as an impressive quality of life.
Residents, as expected in a collegiate area, are noticeably young and diverse. There's also an emphasis on beautiful green spaces and cultural institutions in this city as well.
Austin, Texas
Music, culture and great outdoor spaces are three of the big draws of Texas' capital. It's considered the Live Music Capital of the world, and is also rich in history owing to its storied start as the "Waterloo" town established along the Colorado River in 1839.
