7 MD Communities Among Best Places To Live In America In New Report

MARYLAND — Seven communities, townships and villages in Maryland are among the Best Places to Live in America in 2024, according to a new ranking from Niche released Tuesday.

The list, now in its 10th year, is intended to help everyone from young professionals to retirees decide where they want to live. Data sources include the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combined with millions of resident reviews.

Niche analyzed 230 cities and more than 18,000 places to compile this year’s ranking. Community attributes considered in developing the list included the health of the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, area public schools and walkability, among others.

Maryland cities named among the Best Cities to Live in America are:

• No. 7 Columbia

Other places in Maryland named to the Best Places to Live in America are:

• No. 14 North Bethesda
• No. 31 North Potomac
• No. 59 South Kensington
• No. 69 Ellicott City
• No. 92 Bethesda
• No. 94 Potomac

For the first time, Naperville, Illinois, was named the best city, with The Woodlands, Texas; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Arlington, Virginia; and Plano, Texas, rounding out the top five.

The five best places to live, according to the ranking, are, respectively, Colonial Village, Virginia, a Washington, D.C., neighborhood; Carmel, Indiana; Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania; Uptown Tampa, Florida; and Cinco Ranch, Texas.

Niche is an online company used by millions of people to find schools and places to live.