Four North Carolina communities have made it into the list of the top 25 places to live in the country this year, according to U.S. News & World Report, demonstrating the state’s attraction for possibilities for employment, education, and a good standard of living.
Utilizing information from 150 major cities, the list was produced with an emphasis on air quality, healthcare, school quality, affordable housing, and household income.
Here are the North Carolina cities that made the cut:
- No. 23: Greensboro – Known for its high-quality public schools and good value. The Early College at Guilford, the state’s top-ranked high school, is also located here.
- No. 17: Asheville – Famous for short commute times, Asheville scores high in quality of life and air quality.
- No. 6: Raleigh – Proximity to top universities like Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NC State, plus being a tech hub and state capital, helped Raleigh rank in the top 10.
- No. 5: Charlotte
Population: 862,609
Median Home Price: $359,446
Median Household Income: $88,791
The city’s tourism motto is “Charlotte’s Got a Lot.” The data supports it as well. Charlotte ranks well in all of our rating areas, including value (No. 43), employment market (No. 22), desirability (No. 26), and quality of life (No. 34). Ten or fifteen years ago, it could have been difficult to find a true native Charlotte.
However, since then, the net migration has been consistently positive, producing a new generation of native Charlotteans prepared to continue the royal history of the city.
Naples, Florida; Boise, Idaho; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Greenville, South Carolina, ranked as the top four cities in the US.