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. Meanwhile, one Southern California neighborhood has rocketed toward the top of the list.
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, Colonial Village in Arlington, Virginia, was once again the top place to live. Home to just over 3,000 people, the neighborhood received the best possible grade for public schools, health and fitness, commute, nightlife and family-friendliness…