According to U.S. News & World Report, four North Carolina cities have made the list of the top 25 places to live in the United States this year, highlighting the state’s appeal for quality of life, education, and job opportunities.
The list was created using data on 150 major cities, focusing on factors like housing affordability, household income, education quality, healthcare, and air quality.
Here are the North Carolina cities that made the cut:
- No. 23: Greensboro – Known for its high-quality public schools and good value. The Early College at Guilford, the state’s top-ranked high school, is also located here.
- No. 17: Asheville – Famous for short commute times, Asheville scores high in quality of life and air quality.
- No. 6: Raleigh – Proximity to top universities like Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NC State, plus being a tech hub and state capital, helped Raleigh rank in the top 10.
- No. 5: Charlotte
Population: 862,609
Median Home Price: $359,446
Median Household Income: $88,791
“Charlotte’s Got a Lot,” according to the city’s tourism slogan. And the data backs that up. Charlotte has a healthy balance of impressive scores across all our ranking categories: job market (No. 22), desirability (No. 26), quality of life (No. 34) and value (No. 43). Just 10 or 15 years ago, you might be hard-pressed to meet a true Charlotte native.