The post Chicago Was Just Named America’s Best Big City for the 10th Year in a Row — and Milwaukee Cracked the Top 5 first appeared on Crafting Your Home.
Chicago has done it again. On October 6, 2026, Condé Nast Traveler named Chicago the No. 1 big city in the United States for the 10th consecutive year in its Readers’ Choice Awards. Milwaukee also made the top five, landing at No. 5 in a ranking led by reader votes.
The milestone is impressive, but there is an important detail behind the headline: Milwaukee did not make the top five for the first time. The city ranked No. 3 in 2023, 2024 and 2025, making its 2026 result more of a continued presence than a surprise debut.
Chicago Has Held the Top Spot Since 2017
Chicago’s latest victory extends a run that began in 2017. According to official tourism records, the city has now finished first in the publication’s U.S. big-city category for a full decade, from 2017 through 2026…