12 MA Places Among Top 100 Best To Live In U.S.: Niche

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Twelve communities and neighborhoods in Massachusetts are among the top 100 best places to live in America, according to rankings released this week by ranking and review website Niche.

The list ranked 228 cities and 17,932 towns and neighborhoods. To compile it, Niche used federal data from the Census Bureau, FBI, Labor Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as reviews from residents.

Among others, factors considered are affordability, the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, the quality of public schools and walkability. Cambridge and its various neighborhoods dominated the Massachusetts list, although some other cities and towns west of Fresh Pond made the list.

Here are the Massachusetts places that made the Niche list. These include neighborhoods and whole communities. The ranking reflects the position among the top 100 best:

No. 7 — Cambridgeport, Cambridge
No. 12 — Brookline
No. 17 — The Port, Cambridge
No. 19 — Riverside, Cambridge
No. 32 — Peabody
No. 36 — East Cambridge
No. 45 — Mid-Cambridge
No. 53 — Wayland
No. 54 — Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge
No. 62 — Cambridge
No. 78 — Agassiz, Cambridge
No. 80 — Oak Hill Park, Newton

Cambridge was also ranked the Best City to Live in America for the first time, Niche said. Rounding out the top five are Arlington, Va.; The Woodlands, Texas; Naperville, Ill.; and Columbia, Md.

According to Niche, Brookline ranked highly for its schools, safety, diversity and things to do — but it ranked poorly for housing. Like the rest of the Boston area, rents and home prices in Brookline are sky-high. According to RentCafé, the average rent in Brookline is now over $3,100 per month — just slightly cheaper than nearby Boston and Cambridge.

The overall Best Place to Live in America is Chesterbrook, Penn., which has claimed the title now for four consecutive years. Rounding out the top five are Colonial Village, Va.; Ardmore, Penn.; Hyde Park-Spanishtown Creek, Fla.; and Penn Wynne, Penn.

The Best Places to Live rankings are a tool to help people find a place to live based on the qualities that matter most to them, Niche said in a news release.

People who want to dig deeper into a specific area can compare cities, suburbs and neighborhoods with specific states, metro areas and counties. Among others, Niche has specialized lists for the best places for families, young professionals, homebuyers ad retirees.

With unique ratings, honest reviews, personalized recommendations, and tools to guide you through every step, Niche is changing the way millions of people find their school and hometown.