U.S. News: Where Boston Ranks Among Best Places To Live

Boston is the 27th-best place to live among America’s 125 largest metro areas. That’s according to a new report published Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report. The news and information publisher determined the rankings based on factors such as quality of life, job market, value of living there and desire to live there.

The report ranks only the 125 most populous metro areas. Most of the top 25 are located in the middle of the country, though the tech boom has benefited the Pacific Northwest, too.

Austin ranked as the best place to live for the third year in a row, followed by two Colorado cities. Interestingly, the Northeast was notably lacking at the top of the list. Washington, D.C. ranked 19th and the next-highest city in the region was Portland, Maine, at 23.

“Our Northeastern cities, which are epicenters of higher education and economic development, are not growing nearly as much as places in Florida, California and Texas,” Devon Thorsby, real estate editor at U.S. News, said in a release. “Plus, they are expensive to live in. Top-ranked places have the characteristics people are looking for, including steady job growth, affordability and a high quality of life.”

Here are the top 10 places to live in 2019:

1. Austin, TX
2. Denver, CO
3. Colorado Springs, CO
4. Fayetteville, AR
5. Des Moines, IA
6. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
7. San Francisco, CA
8. Portland, OR
9. Seattle, WA
10. Raleigh and Durham, NC

Here's what the report's authors had to say about Boston:

"Boston often feels like a small town with all the perks of city life. The metro area features a diverse culinary scene, access to the cultural institutions, and proximity to world-class schools, employers and health care. It is historic but ever-evolving. It is on the cutting edge of medicine and technology, but traditional in its love of pastimes like cheering on hometown heroes at Fenway Park. It is a region of sports enthusiasts, artists and entrepreneurs.

"Often referred to as the Cradle of Liberty, Boston is the site of some of the most significant social, cultural and political moments in U.S. history. Living in the region can feel like you're acting out the pages of a history book, while simultaneously experiencing the perks of a modern metro area. Boston's tenacious spirit was born out of an act of revolution, and its drive to pursue innovation and progress is in its DNA.

"From the Old North Church to the Institute of Contemporary Art and everything in between, Boston is steeped in culture and rich in pride. For new families, recent college graduates, retirees or seasoned professionals, Boston is a place that can foster your next stage of life, whatever that may be."

San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico that was devastated by Hurricane Maria in September 2017, ranked last. Five California metro areas also fell in the bottom 10. They were: Bakersfield, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno and Salinas.

Other major metros at the bottom of the list include Memphis, New Orleans, Miami, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

Quality of life and value received the most weight in the rankings. The authors created indexes for both using metrics such as crime rates, quality of health care and education, median household income, proportion of homeowners with a mortgage, and yearly housing costs. Click here to read the full methodology.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.