If you’re looking for the best place to live in America, U.S. News & World Report has just revealed where you need to go. The real estate arm of the digital media company released its list of The Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2026-2027, placing Carmel at the top after the Indianapolis suburb finished runner-up last year. Carmel is already one of America’s coolest suburbs and an unexpected artsy biker’s paradise, but it’s now also getting due recognition for its high livability.
According to U.S. News reporter Erika Giovanetti, Carmel earned its first-place ranking by having “a little bit of something for everyone.” U.S. News looked at 859 cities for this year’s ranking. It assessed its own internal resources and data from various private and government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Department of Commerce, and the Federal Reserve. Of the 859 cities, Carmel consistently performed well across the four main indexes used to determine the best places to live: quality of life, value, desirability, and job market.
Carmel’s best result was finishing 15th for quality of life, an index that assesses multiple aspects of life, including education, healthcare, air quality, environmental risks (such as natural disasters), and state economy and infrastructure. This high quality of life propelled Carmel to the top spot, but its other scores — 40 for jobs, 90 for desirability, and 114 for value — were also well above average. A big part of this quality of life in Carmel centers around its pedestrian-friendly nature. The suburban city has thoughtful additions, such as its 28.5-mile paved Monon Trail for walkers and cyclists to get into downtown and beyond, and an active arts community. Carmel is also Indiana’s “Roundabout Capital,” providing over 150 roundabouts to improve traffic flow and help drivers and pedestrians feel safer.
How art fosters life in Carmel
Carmel has a friendly and supportive community that makes everyone feel welcome, whether they’re visitors, new residents, or longtime locals. Wendy Stein, a Carmel local who’s lived in the city for over 30 years, writes in her blog, Life in Indy, that Carmel “hosts a wide variety of events to bring the community together” each year. Many of these community events center around Carmel’s art culture. The annual Carmel International Arts Festival, held on the last weekend of September, exhibits over 100 professional artists to the public. During this weekend, you can browse high-quality jewelry, paintings, sculptures, photography, and other unique pieces available for purchase. The festival also showcases local student artwork and features live music and food trucks…