(NEXSTAR) – For the second straight year, a neighborhood in Virginia has taken top honors in an annual study of the best places to live in the United States.

Niche, a research and ranking platform, releases a report each year that weighs data from the Census Bureau, FBI, NOAA, the Niche local survey and other sources to rank more than 12,000 communities across the country.

In 2025, the top place to live was once again Colonial Village in Arlington, Virginia. Home to just over 3,000 people, the neighborhood received the best possible grade when it came to public schools, health and fitness, commute, nightlife and family-friendliness.

"This year’s results highlight significant growth in the South, which is well represented across our Best Places to Buy a House and Lowest Cost of Living categories," Niche PR Manager Zach Chatham told Nexstar. "Notably, Texas stands out as a top destination, attracting a surge of newcomers.”

A SmartAsset study in late 2024 echoed those findings, showing that roughly 615,000 people moved to The Lone Star State between 2021 and 2022, according to IRS........

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