Green Bay, Wisconsin, earned the top spot on U.S. News’ 2023-24 Best Places to Live Report for many reasons—not including being home to one of the most storied football franchises in the NFL, though that’s definitely a bonus.
With a population of about 107,000, Green Bay moved up two spots from its previous ranking for its affordability and high quality of life—the two most heavily considered factors in determining the rankings. Luckily, weather isn’t considered.
“In the weather category it does not perform well. But it is considered very affordable … and its quality of life performs well,” U.S. News Real Estate Editor Devon Thorsby told CBS MoneyWatch.
And with a median home cost of $247,092, it’s no wonder residents are able to overlook the six-month winter. With inflation continuing to strain household budgets, how far the dollar will stretch in a given area is increasingly important. In assessing the money value cities offer, U.S. News considered factors like housing affordability and “price parity,” or an area’s cost of goods.
“For the most part, Green Bay has been able to maintain a very low cost of living,” Thorsby said. “Probably the fact that the weather may deter some people keeps it from being a super fast-growing metro area.”
U.S. News determined Green Bay to have the perfect mix of big-city amenities complemented with a small-town feel. Not to mention, its thriving entertainment and arts scene, revitalized downtown, and two college campuses creates an energy that appeals to both young families and retirees.
A couple of other Wisconsin cities made U.S. News’ list, as well, including Madison and Milwaukee, ranking No. 11 and No. 65, respectively. U.S. News ranked the nation’s most populous metros based on their scores across the following categories: quality of life, accounting for 36% of the score; value, 23%; desirability, 22%; and job market, 19%. Factored in the quality-of-life index is data including high school students’ college readiness, quality of education, proximity to quality health care, crime rates and air quality.
To determine a city’s desirability score, editors released a survey asking people where they’d prefer to live, given the choice. Weather and a number of other elements like museums, parks, restaurants and bars relative to a metro’s population were also considered.
Here is the list of the top 10 places to live in the U.S.:
- Green Bay, WI
- Huntsville, AL
- Raleigh & Durham, NC
- Boulder, CO
- Sarasota, FL
- Naples, FL
- Portland, ME
- Charlotte, NC
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Fayetteville, AR
