For the second time in less than a month, Naperville has been named one of the best places to live in the U.S., this time ranked at No. 4 in a list of 100 in a new report from Livability.
According to the website, which spotlights small and mid-size U.S. cities, more than 2,000 cities were evaluated for the rankings. The list was compiled by its analysis of “more than 100 data points in eight essential categories to measure a city’s overall health and ‘fun factor.’”
Categories included housing and cost of living, the economy, safety, transportation, and education. Only cities with populations between 75,000 and 500,000 and median home values of less than $500,000 were considered.
Naperville shines for health, safety and education
Naperville received high marks in several specific areas, earning a perfect 100 for health, a 99 for safety, and a 95 for education. It scored in the 80s in two other categories, landing an 86 for housing & cost of living, and an 83 for transportation. Its lowest score was a 43, for environment.
Livability lauded Naperville for its “top-rated schools, pristine parks and a bustling downtown,” noting that those qualities, among others, provided a high quality of life for residents. Diverse restaurants, a strong library system, and the city’s Riverwalk were also pluses named by the site.
Just three cities bested Naperville in the overall list: Sugar Land, Texas, at No. 3, Carmel, Indiana, at No. 2, and Huntsville, Alabama, which took the number one spot.
Other Illinois cities on the list include Evanston and Aurora, which were ranked No. 13 and 39, respectively.
Naperville named No. 1 best city to live in the U.S. by Niche
As mentioned, this is the second time in a month that Naperville has landed among the top spots to live in the country. Online rating database Niche ranked Naperville as the No. 1 best city to live in America in a recent ranking.
This was the third year in a row that Naperville earned the top honor on Niche’s ranking.
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