Overview
- Niche released its 2026 Best Places to Live in America report Tuesday, naming Naperville, Illinois, the No. 1 city for the third year in a row.
- The 2026 Best Cities top five are Naperville, Illinois; Cambridge, Massachusetts; The Woodlands, Texas; Arlington, Virginia; and Bellevue, Washington.
- The 2026 Best Places top five are Atlantic Station, Georgia; Colonial Village, Virginia; Evergreen Park, California; Downtown North, California; and Clarendon Hills, Illinois.
- The rankings draw on public datasets and resident feedback and weigh factors such as crime, school quality, things to do, and cost of living.
- Niche defines Cities as having at least 100,000 residents and notes that many top-ranked Places are small, walkable communities within large metro areas.