America’s best place to live isn’t where you think it is

Northern city takes the top spot

Looking for a new place to call home? You might want to consider Ann Arbor, Michigan. According to a new ranking, it’s the No. 1 best place to live in America – and for good reason.

A-plus for Ann Arbor

Niche.com recently released its 2018 Best Cities to Live in America list, which is based on crime, school and economic data, as well as local amenities. Coming out on top was Ann Arbor, Michigan – the home of the University of Michigan and the state’s sixth-largest city.

According to the ranking, Ann Arbor gets an A-plus for its public schools and family-friendliness, an A for nightlife and diversity, a B for housing and a B-minus for crime and safety. The city also ranked No. 4 on Niche’s Best Cities to Raise a Family list and No. 5 on the Cities with the Best Public Schools list.

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The second best place to live in the U.S. is apparently Naperville, Illinois – a suburb of Chicago and the fifth-largest city in the state. Naperville pulled in an A-plus for its public schools and family friendliness, an A for diversity, an A-minus for housing and a B-plus for crime and nightlife.

Naperville also took the No. 1 spots on Niche’s Best Cities to Raise a Family, Cities with the Best Public Schools and Safest Cities lists.

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Rounding out the top five were Berkeley, California; Plano, Texas; and Arlington, Virginia. Berkeley is also well known for its health. It ranked No. 1 on Niche’s Healthiest Cities in America list, as well as the Healthiest Places to Live list. Plano took the top spot on the site’s Best Cities to Buy a House ranking.

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