With hybrid work schedules and fully remote positions now the norm in many industries, gone are the days of having to reside where you work. Yup, now lots of us can pick and choose where we want to be, which means livability factors are more critical than ever before. And to help with this weighty decision, the team at the apartment-search website RentCafe has just released its 2026 report of the top 10 most livable metro areas in the United States.
When you’re looking for the best place to live, work and raise a family, affordability is often top of mind. That’s true whether you’re renting or buying your own home (that’s right, the RentCafe report is not just for renters!). But determining livability goes beyond dollars and cents: It also includes finding a strong sense of community and a high quality of life.
Whether you’re pondering a new job or just looking for a change of scene, we’ve got all the details from the report coming up. Keep reading to learn which city earned the top spot in the nation for livability.
How did the report determine the most livable cities?
First, RentCafe carved out metro areas across the U.S. that have at least 300,000 residents, using 149 of them for their analysis. To figure out which of these largest cities were the most livable, they then looked at 17 individual metrics within three broad categories: socioeconomics, quality of life and location and community…