Fort Collins, Colorado
Ranked #1 in The Top 100 Best Places to Live In 2020 by Livability.com
By Winona Dimeo-Ediger, Livability.com 10/6/2020
For the past seven years, Livability.com has released a data-driven list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America.
Every year, the list changes: we do surveys and studies, adjust our algorithm, add in new variables and data points, and celebrate a new #1 city.
This year, the whole world changed.
In 2020, many of the things that used to be a given about where and how we live suddenly became open-ended questions:
What if you could work remotely and live anywhere?
What if paying thousands of dollars a month to live in a big, expensive city wasn’t worth it anymore?
What if the things that have always mattered— affordability, opportunity, safety, community — mattered more than ever?
We analyzed more than 1,000 small to mid-sized cities on factors like safety, affordability, economic stability, outdoor recreation, accessibility, community engagement. This year’s list was also informed by a new metric: an “opportunity score” we used to determine each city’s landscape of opportunity, including variables like job numbers, broadband access, economic resilience and growth.
The following are Livability’s top ten best places to live in 2020, each offering the exact things so many of us are craving right now: connection, affordability, and the space and opportunity to grow.
1. Fort Collins, Colo. (median home list price: $470,000)
2. Ann Arbor, Mich. (median home list price: $473,000)
3. Madison, Wis. (median home list price: $330,000)
4. Portland, Maine (median home list price: $508,000)
5. Rochester, N.Y. (median home list price: $147,000)
6. Asheville, N.C. (median home list price: $508,000)
7. Overland Park, Kan. (median home list price: $550,000)
8. Fargo, N.D. (median home list price: $268,000)
9. Durham, N.C. (median home list price: $369,000)
10. Sioux Falls, S.D. (median home list price: $250,000)
Ranked #5 in The Top 150 Best Places to Live in 2020 by US News and World Report
Colorado Cities Make Four Of Five Top Spots For Best Places To Live In The U.S.
By Kieran Nicholson, The Denver Post • Oct 14, 2020
Colorado cities took four of the top five spots in the U.S. News and World Report listing of the Best Places to Live in the country in 2020-2021.
Boulder took the top spot in the annual list, with Denver coming in second place, and Colorado Springs and Fort Collins taking the fourth and fifth spots respectively, according to the rankings.
The publication analyzed the “150 most populous metro areas to find the best places to live,” according to survey authors. “To make the top of the list, a place had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market and a high quality of life.”
The following are US News and World Report’s top ten best places to live in 2020:
Boulder, CO
#1 in Best Places to Live
Snug against the foothills where the Great Plains give rise to the Rocky Mountains, Boulder is nothing if not a looker. This city … more
- 7.8 Overall Score
- 8.3 Quality of Life
- 6.3 Value
Denver, CO
#2 in Best Places to Live
Founded in the mid-1800s as a mining hub during the gold rush, Denver has come a long way since its Wild West days. Over time, its re… more
- 7.4 Overall Score
- 7.0 Quality of Life
- 6.6 Value
Austin, TX
#3 in Best Places to Live
People are drawn to the Texas capital’s music, outdoor spaces and cultural institutions. Austin was established along the Colorado Ri… more
- 7.4 Overall Score
- 7.1 Quality of Life
- 6.6 Value
Colorado Springs, CO
#4 in Best Places to Live
Colorado Springs might not jump off the map as an economic or cultural hub the way larger metro areas like Denver do. But in a quiete… more
- 7.4 Overall Score
- 6.9 Quality of Life
- 6.5 Value
Fort Collins, CO
#5 in Best Places to Live
Fort Collins was once overshadowed by Colorado’s heavily populated Front Range and famous mountain ski towns. That status has chan… more
- 7.4 Overall Score
- 7.6 Quality of Life
- 6.0 Value
Charlotte, NC
#6 in Best Places to Live
Charlotte is a region that’s equal parts old-fashioned southern charm and high-energy cosmopolitan bustle. You’ll still hear “y’all” … more
- 7.3 Overall Score
- 6.4 Quality of Life
- 7.6 Value
Des Moines, IA
#7 in Best Places to Live
The capital of this so-called flyover state may not top your to-visit list, but Des Moines is a great place to live and raise a famil… more
- 7.3 Overall Score
- 7.3 Quality of Life
- 8.4 Value
Fayetteville, AR
#8 in Best Places to Live
Located in a region that’s experiencing drastic growth, Fayetteville – together with Bentonville, Rogers and Springdale – has transfo… more
- 7.3 Overall Score
- 7.2 Quality of Life
- 8.3 Value
Portland, OR
#9 in Best Places to Live
Portland’s population toes the line between an innocent playfulness and a shameless wild side. Naked bicycle rides, a fully costumed … more
- 7.3 Overall Score
- 6.7 Quality of Life
- 6.1 Value
San Francisco, CA
#10 in Best Places to Live
A beautiful region filled with iconic landmarks, independently owned businesses and trendsetting residents, San Francisco has long fo… more
- 7.2 Overall Score
- 6.6 Quality of Life
- 5.1 Value
