These are the best places to live in the US for 2026, study finds

(NEXSTAR) – What is the ideal place to live in the United States? A new study claims to have the answer.

On Monday, education research platform Niche.com released the findings of its annual “Best Places to Live in America” ranking, which identifies those coveted communities using data from the U.S. Census, FBI, Bureau of Labor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and more.

Niche noted that many of their highest ranked communities were located near major economic hubs like Silicon Valley on the West Coast and metros in the Northeast.

Atlantic Station, a neighborhood home to around 3,160 people in Atlanta, Georgia, took the top spot thanks to its perfect scores when it comes to family friendliness, nightlife, health/fitness and commute. According to Zillow, the average home price was $302,778 as of Monday, for anyone considering a move.

Rounding out the top three were two other neighborhoods: Colonial Village in Arlington, Virginia, and Evergreen Park in Palo Alto, California.

“People are increasingly looking for neighborhoods that offer both access to diverse career opportunities and a strong sense of community,” Allison Shrivastava, economist at Niche, said in a statement. “These smaller, walkable communities provide the mix of amenities and livability that families and young professionals both value.”

See the list of the top 25 places to live below:

Atlantic Station (Neighborhood in Atlanta, GA)

Colonial Village (Neighborhood in Arlington, VA)

Evergreen Park (Neighborhood in Palo Alto, CA)

Downtown North (Neighborhood in Palo Alto, CA

Clarendon Hills (Suburb of Chicago, IL)

Midtown (Neighborhood in Atlanta, GA)

Ardmore (Suburb of Philadelphia, PA)

Devon (Suburb of Philadelphia, PA)

Penn Wynne (Suburb of Philadelphia, PA)

College Terrace (Neighborhood in Palo Alto, CA)

Innsbrook (Suburb of Richmond, VA)

Chesterbrook (Suburb of Philadelphia, PA)

University Heights (Suburb of Cedar Rapids, IA)

Radnor/Fort Myer Heights (Neighborhood in Arlington, VA)

Harbour Island (Neighborhood in Tampa, FL)

University South (Neighborhood in Palo Alto, CA)

City Center (Neighborhood in Santa Monica, CA)

Cambridgeport (Neighborhood in Cambridge, MA)

Cinco Ranch (Suburb of Houston, TX)

Brookline (Suburb of Boston, MA)

Kensington (Suburb of New York City, NY)

Pinehurst Estates (Neighborhood in Overland Park, KS)

Triangle State (Neighborhood in Austin, TX)

Columbia Heights (Neighborhood in Arlington, VA)

Ballston/Virginia Square (Neighborhood in Arlington, VA)

You can visit the Niche.com study for the full ranking.

Niche also zoomed out and created a list of the most livable cities in the U.S. for 2026, see the Top 10 below:

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Sunnyvale, California

Overland Park, Kansas

Where are Americans moving to?

While employment, relationships, mortgages and other factors may stop many from moving in 2026, it begs the question: where are Americans moving to – and away from?

As for the states that are seeing largest percent change in population, the latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics show California, New Mexico, Hawaii, West Virginia and Vermont experiencing the greatest population decreases.

Idaho, Utah, Texas, South Carolina and North Carolina saw the greatest increases during the period spanning July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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