Have you ever wanted to move to a big city? Perhaps your current surroundings just aren’t doing it for you anymore. Whether that’s the case or even if you just want to find out which US big cities are the best then this article is for you.
For this article, we wanted to compare the top ten big cities and rank them by how livable they are. We used the definition of a big city as those cities which have a metro population of three million and over. Just a reminder that the metro population is not to be confused with the urban population, we’ll provide another article for that one! We have used our own internal data to generate a Livability index to allow us to compare each city by factors such as crime, education and cost of living.
San Francisco, California
Starting off the list of top ten big US cities, we have San Francisco in 10th place. The city has a metro population of around 4.69 million. San Francisco scored 51/100 for Livability as a result of high crime rates and cost of living. However, don’t let that put you off. We have previously included San Francisco as one of the top ten cities for public transportation which is an incredibly important factor if you’re living and presumably working as it removes the need for the up-keep of a car, finding parking and battling rush hour traffic. All of which can let you take in all that a big city has to offer with ease.
Seattle, Washington
Next up, on the list öf the top ten big cities to live in, we have Seattle in ninth place. This seaport city has a metro population of just over four million. Besides being the poster city for coffee, we have previously recognised Seattle as being of the top ten green cities and the city features a metro population of just over four million. If climate and being green is important for you then living in Seattle may make a switch to a big city a lot easier. The city scored 55/100 for livability from our data although the cost of living was only just slightly above average, in today’s climate affordability is more important than ever.
Denver, Colorado
Next up in eighth place for the top ten big cities, we have Denver. The city scored 62/100 for livability with the cost of living being one of the significant factors in the overall score. The city has a metro population of just under three million and with quite a young population compared to the national average with a median age of 34.4. This may also be a deciding factor for some people as living in a big city can be lonely without the prospect of finding people to meet.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
In a tie for sixth and seventh place, we have Minneapolis as one of the top 10 big cities with a metro population of around 3.7 million. The city scored 63/100 for livability with the biggest factor being the low cost of living. Although, you should keep in mind the city is exposed quite regularly to very cold weather so you may need to factor that in before making the move to this particular big city.
San Diego, California
Again in sixth and seventh place for the top ten big US cities, we have San Diego, the second city in California. With plenty of beaches and good weather, the city also features a metro population of just over 3.3 million. The city scored 63/100 with the cost of living, education standards and cost of living all scoring at or around average. So whilst Minneapolis had a very low cost of living, to determine which city deserves sixth or seventh would be subjective on what type of weather and activities you would prefer. We’ll leave that one up to you!
Boston, Massachusetts
Next up, another tie for fourth and fifth place for the top ten big US cities, we have Boston. The city has a metro population of around 4.87 million and with the range of jobs, world-class educational facilities and innovative companies in the city, it’s no wonder why! The city scored 64/100 with education standards being one of the highest-scoring factors so if you have a family, maybe this city is for you!
Atlanta, Georgia
The next city in combined fifth and fourth for the best big cities in America is Atlanta. The city scored 64/100 with the determining factor being the low cost of living. So this city will rank higher for those who don’t require the world-class education in Boston although the education in Atlanta is still above average. The city also features a metro population of around six million, making it one of the biggest cities on this list.
New York City, NY
In third place for the top ten big cities to live we have New York City. Would this list be complete without the addition of NYC? With a metro population of close to twenty million, it is the largest in the United States. The city scored 66/100 for livability with education again just edging it to this position. No doubt, with all that New York, has to offer it really is worthy of a top-three finish for the best big cities in America.
Dallas, Texas
In second place for the best big cities, we have Dallas. The city features a metro population of over 7.6 million people and provides a commercial and cultural hub in Texas. In terms of Livability, the city scored 69/100 with the low cost of living and education being the highest scoring factors. With plenty of benefits such as being home to sporting teams, no income tax and plenty of restaurants, cafes and pubs it really does make Dallas a desirable city to be!
Tampa, Florida
Finally, in first place for the top ten big cities, we have Tampa! With a metro population of over 3 million, the city features great weather and plenty of things to do. The city scored 71/100 with a low cost of living, low crime rates and good education standards, all of which have led to this city being crowned our best big city for 2022!
We hope you enjoyed this article and hopefully it provides you with an insight into some of the biggest cities in America. Feel free to browse the rest of our site!