BestPlaces News

Your trusted source for best places to live news, analysis, research-driven articles. Our editors and data scientists rank cities in the USA based on what matters most so our readers can make informed decisions.

In honor of National Pet Day on April 11th, BestPlaces and Motel 6 have partnered to present the best cities in the United States for visiting on a road trip with your cuddly companions.

Places where renters spend the greatest percentage of their income on rent

Everywhere to find the BestPlaces Talks podcast, plus YouTube videos and user interviews.

Millions of Americans can now relocate to cheaper areas and retain their current job.

Owensboro is the only one of the 401 U.S. major metropolitan areas and divisions to have a lower unemployment rate in June than it did in January.

A list of the average 2020 real estate property taxes in each state.

Combining the tax rates for state, county, and local jurisdictions

Combined tax rates for state, county, and local jurisdictions

Best places for entertaining activities, the outdoors, and overall level of comfort

Having fun and celebrating while staying safe

Gay rights, transgender healthcare, and access to LGBTQ friendly restaurants, bars, and events.

Health risks associated with high levels of particulate matter include cardiac arrhythmias and heart attacks.

With uncertainty regarding safety and scheduling of airline travel, the concept of “travel” has drastically changed.

An interview with Rita, a former IT professional who is the author of her own blog called Researching Rita.

Valuable insights from housing market analysts, mortgage brokers, and real estate agents that will help you have a smooth process.

An Interview with Chemical Engineer and Father

Deciding when and where to move is particularly difficult in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The experiences and insights of an award-winning former senior staff writer at National Geographic Magazine.

Trying to figure out what type of information you should research before moving? We've got you covered.

BestPlaces has amassed an unparalleled collection of data on every city, town, state, metro area, county and zip code in the U.S. and is sharing their work to fight the Coronavirus.

We interview one of our users who has moved over 25 times.

In the face of this Coronavirus crisis, we’ve assembled a special dataset of Coronavirus risk factors .

We have compiled a list of supportive opportunities that help address various issues that may have arisen for you or loved ones as a result of this virus.

This worldwide health emergency may be the major event that makes remote working more accepted as a common business practice.

If you’re thinking about relocating, here's some insider advice from BestPlaces superuser Joanne B. who's moved over 100 times!

The BestPlaces Comfort Index factors in components such as afternoon summer temperature and humidity to determine the places in the U.S. that are the most comfortable.

The rich get richer - that seems to be the case when talking about recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau for median household income.

With music being a passion for many in the US the drive to find events and places that suit their musical interests is high for many Americans.

You'll Be Surprised!

Try it today!

What Happened, and Where We're Going

Salt Lake City Takes First Place

New Jersey tops the list of the states most into Friendsgiving

With a high Percentage of Cloud Cover, low Average Hours of Daylight, and many Days with Precipitation - Seattle and Portland are officially the Gloomiest Places in America.

EVERY so often, a report comes out listing the best (or worst) cities to live in, the most romantic, the most child-friendly or the most affordable.

In lighter news, one of our user comments about Portland, Maine recently made both the news and the rounds on Reddit thanks to its, um, creativity.

Providence Journal - February 20, 2019

The BestPlaces Summer Comfort Index considers seven climate variables, including total precipitation, daily minimum and maximum temperatures, extreme high and low temperatures, average dew points, and precipitation days.

Which cities use public schools the most?

See Where Your State Ranks in Car Insurance Premiums

Which States have the highest OVERALL taxes? - plus Climate Visualization Video

State Income Tax Index for the 50 States and the District of Columbia, from highest to lowest.

Now you can download the full BestPlaces set of data for any city, county or zip code, and save them to your computer for easy, offline comparison in an Excel or Numbers spreadsheet.

Update to our major categories of demographics, population growth, income distribution, race and ethnicity, education, marital and family status, housing, occupations and industries, employment, and commuting categories

Mobile App Improvements

Compare the place you're in right now to other places in the U.S, and save your favorite places for continued research.

Be well-informed before your move and do the necessary research before packing up

Game Boy Geek Video

New York Times - May 5, 2017

New York Times - October 29, 2003

Seattle Times - January 17, 2018

Enter your specific details and compare all the major tax categories (income, sales, property, motor vehicle)

Case-study walkthrough and tutorial

Stunning visualization of U.S. regions most at risk from hurricanes

States that offer the most LGBTQ legal protection

Looking for past news & rankings? Find Them Here