NYC Beats LA and DC On 'Best Big Cities' List

NEW YORK, NY — Living in New York City is tough, but a new ranking suggests New Yorkers should count their blessings. The Big Apple landed at No. 10 on WalletHub's 2018 list of the "Best Big Cities to Live In," well ahead of Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

The personal finance website ranked the nation's 62 largest cities based on 56 different factors in five categories: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life and safety. The ranking culled data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and websites such as GreatSchools.org.

New York ranked first in the nation for quality of life, which incorporated factors including the numbers of restaurants and coffee shops per capita — the city is No. 1 for both — as well as average commute time and access to public transportation.

The city also took the top spot in the safety category, backing up the NYPD's boasts that it's the "safest big city in America." The Big Apple has the third-lowest crime rate among the nation's large cities, according to WalletHub.

But it turns out New York is the least affordable city on the list. It ranked No. 62 overall in the affordability category, with the second-lowest housing affordability and homeownership rate in the nation, according to WalletHub.

The city fell somewhere in the middle when it comes to education and health and economy, ranking 29th in both categories.

New York bested its rivals on both coasts on the list, ranking eight spots ahead of Washington, D.C. (No. 18), 13 places ahead of Boston (No. 23) and 26 spots ahead of Los Angeles (No. 36).

New Yorkers searching for greener pastures might head west to Seattle, which took the top overall spot on WalletHub's list. But they should probably avoid Detroit, which ranked dead last in the nation.

Here are the 10 best big cities to live in, according to WalletHub. Check out the full ranking here.

1. Seattle
2. Virginia Beach, VA
3. Austin, TX
4. San Francisco, CA
5. San Diego, CA
6. Honolulu, HI
7. Portland, OR
8. San Jose, CA
9. Colorado Springs, CO
10. New York, NY

(Lead image: Photo from Shutterstock)