Naperville ranks No. 1 for best city to raise family, best public schools in America

Beauty shot of Naperville with Paddleboat Quarry, Moser Tower
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Naperville has racked up more accolades, earning the No. 1 spot on Niche’s “Best Cities to Raise a Family in America” list, as well as its “Cities with the Best Public Schools in America” list.

It also earned the No. 3 spot on the site’s “Best Cities to buy a House in America” list.

And its high marks across those categories landed Naperville at No. 4 on Niche’s “Best Cities to Live in America” list.

Ninth annual best places rankings by Niche

The accolades all come with the release of the data-driven review platform’s ninth annual 2023 Best Places to Live in America rankings.

Niche examined 228 cities and 17,932 towns and neighborhoods to calculate its lists, using dozens of public data sources such as the U.S. Census and FBI, along with millions of reviews on its site. It “combines user feedback and insights with industry standards to determine the key components” of the grades, according to the website.

Overall A+ grade for Naperville

Niche gave Naperville an overall grade of A+. No surprise as per the rankings above, it got an A+ in both the public schools and good for families categories. It also received an A+ for health and fitness.

It came in with a solid A for outdoor activities. In the categories of diversity and jobs, it pulled in an A-. Housing, nightlife, and commute all earned a B+.  The score dipped to a B- for crime & safety, and then dropped a letter grade, to a C+ for weather, and a C for cost of living.

Who earned the best city to live in America spot?

Landing at the top of the list for best cities to live in the country was Cambridge, Massachusetts. Second was Arlington, Virginia, with The Woodlands, Texas in third.

Naperville’s ranking of No. 4 on the “Best Cities to Live in America” list is just one step down from where it had landed last year, at No. 3.

Who was tops for “Best Places to Live in America?”

For Niche’s overall “Best Places to Live in America,” both neighborhoods as well as cities were noted. Coming in first was Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Second on the list was Colonial Village, a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, with Ardmore, Pennsylvania, another Philadelphia suburb, coming in third.

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