Ranked: 100 best cities in the USA 2024

From the Big Apple in the east to the “City of Great Neighbors” in the west, these are the 100 best cities in the USA

In the USA, for many, the pandemic reshaped what people look for in places to live, work and play. The rise of remote work led to a significant migration away from the so-called ‘Superstar Cities’ such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to cities on the rise like Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix.

This shift has broadened economic opportunities, potentially reducing inequality. However, rising cities must invest in infrastructure, housing, and amenities to sustain growth and avoid decline. Meanwhile, large urban hubs remain vital, attracting international migrants who will play a key role in supporting ageing domestic populations and fueling future economic growth.

Wherever the world’s US-bound expats, digital nomads and remote workers choose to relocate to, chances are it will be to one of the Land of Liberty’s major cities, whether it’s a ‘superstar’ or a ‘rising star’.

With this in mind, Canadian consultancy film Resonance, which has offices in Vancouver, Montreal, Singapore and New York, has published a new report ranking the 100 best cities in the USA with populations of more than 500,000.

“Resonance once again analyzed the principal cities of U.S. metropolitan statistical areas with populations of more than 500,000. Our goal in producing these reports is to create the most comprehensive and holistic approach to measuring and benchmarking both perception and performance of cities available.”

– Chris Fair, Resonance President & CEO

How does the ranking work?

Contrary to similar ‘best-of’ lists, the index assesses a city’s culture, diversity, prosperity, infrastructure and employment opportunities.

They use 31 factors grouped into three categories covering a range of criteria including climate, access to outdoor space, education and work prospects, population diversity, leisure options and even social media popularity.

What is the best city in the USA?

The study named New York the best city in the USA. The Big Apple has topped the ranking every year since its inception in 2016. In 2024, the city boasts a dizzying roster of new shows, hotels and parks – and record real estate prices. Real estate sales and rentals have shot up recently to their highest-ever median rents in Manhattan – currently registering at a new all-time high in the mid-$5,000s per month.

Tourism numbers to New York have shot up from 33 million visitors
in 2021 to 62.2 million in 2023 which includes 11.6 million international and 50.6 domestic visitors. The trend is projected to continue to 64.5 million in 2024 according to New York City Tourism + Conventions, the city’s official tourism marketing arm.

“We are so appreciative of New York City’s recognition as #1 on Resonance’s 2024 America’s Best Cities Ranking—for the ninth year in a row. We believe it’s a testament to our steady tourism recovery and growth. Our destination continues to shine—with only-in-NYC experiences, including Broadway, world-class dining and sporting events, diverse arts and culture offerings, rich history and more across the five boroughs.”

– Nancy Mammana, CMO and interim CEO, New York City Tourism + Conventions

Both of the city’s main airports are receiving facelifts with Newark Liberty International’s updated Terminal A opening with 33 new gates and construction has started on a congestion-easing 2.5-mile elevated guideway train system.

JFK airport just unveiled 130,000 square feet of new and renovated space and it will open a brand-new, $9.5-billion international terminal in 2026 as part of a larger $19-billion airport transformation plan. The New Terminal One will become the largest terminal in the airport and feature 23 gates and more than 300,000 square feet of dining, shops and lounges. It’s also going to be an ode to the city’s five boroughs with green spaces and city festival activations.

The report also praised the introduction of Local Law 18, a government measure to crack down on short-term rentals which has seen short-term lets fall by more than 80% between August and October 2023. The result was almost 10,000 new or renovated hotel rooms opened in 2022 alone.

New and progressive museums are popping up, including the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona, Queens which is a new cultural centre that includes an interactive exhibit, archival collections, a 68-seat jazz club and a store.

Other cultural highlights include the Met’s announcement of a $500-million renovation of its modern and contemporary wing. For those who prefer their culture outdoors, classics like the High Line and Central Park are now joined by the city’s newest green space, Little Island – 2.4 acres floating on the Hudson near the Meatpacking District on the site of an old pier.

Other winning cities

The usual suspects of Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Las Vegas closely follow New York. Chicago was hailed as America’s great Midwest metropolis that “pulses with infrastructure and affordability that eludes many other iconic global cities.”

In terms of business, Chicago performed well due to its abundance of meetings and conventions of all sizes which see crowds pour into McCormick Place and its stunning Lake Michigan position. The city ranked first in the Convention Center subcategory.

Chicago also has the second-most Fortune 500 headquarters in the country, behind only New York. It also ranked in the top five cities in the Prosperity subcategories from Job Postings and Patents to Professional Services.

Los Angeles, another mainstay on the ranking, was lauded for its string of massive upcoming sporting events, starting with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the NBA All-Star Game in 2026. The Super Bowl follows in
2027, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games arrive in Summer 2028 when the city will become the first place in the USA to host the event three times.

Miami was praised for its “arms-wide-open acceptance of newcomers.” The city ranks third in the Outdoors subcategory, and, even better, in second for Instagram Hashtags that show off the wealth of sights. But
it was Miami’s openness to immigrants – specifically the LGBTQ+ community and Silicon Valley migrants – that really won acclaim.

Rounding out the top five was Las Vegas which received almost 41 million visitors in 2023, a 5.2% increase over 2022 and not far back from the record 42.9 million set in 2016.

Sneaking into the top 100 is Modesto in California. Known as the “City of Great Neighbors”, Modesto was described as sunny, diverse and soon-to-be connected to Silicon Valley. The city is currently a 90-minute drive from Silicon Valley but is looking forward to the Valley Link Rail Project, a proposed commuter rail service that will connect the San Francisco Bay Area with the northern San Joaquin Valley, including Modesto.

100 best cities in the USA – complete ranking

The 100 best cities in the USA ranked including their relative scores in the Livability, Lovability and Prosperity subcatergories.

Rank	City	Live	Love	Pros	Pop
1	New York, NY	1	1	1	19,909,000
2	Chicago, IL	2	4	3	9,567,000
3	Los Angeles, CA	6	3	2	13,112,000
4	Miami, FL	3	5	11	6,124,000
5	Las Vegas, NV	7	2	16	2,266,000
6	San Francisco, CA	4	6	6	4,692,000
7	Boston, MA	12	9	7	4,912,000
8	Washington, DC	9	10	9	6,346,000
9	Seattle, WA	5	11	13	4,002,000
10	Houston, TX	15	14	5	7,143,000
11	San Diego, CA	8	8	18	3,290,000
12	Orlando, FL	14	7	15	2,679,000
13	Atlanta, GA	20	13	8	6,095,000
14	Denver, CO	10	15	14	2,959,000
15	Austin, TX	11	17	12	2,296,000
16	Dallas, TX	25	18	4	7,673,000
17	Philadelphia, PA	18	19	17	6,233,000
18	Minneapolis, MN	13	29	21	3,678,000
19	New Orleans, LA	17	12	52	1,264,000
20	Portland, OR	16	20	28	2,505,000

Rank	City	Live	Love	Pros	Pop
21	Phoenix, AZ	27	21	19	4,864,000
22	Nashville, TN	41	16	22	1,991,000
23	Tampa, FL	21	23	26	3,194,000
24	Salt Lake City, UT	19	38	27	1,255,000
25	St Louis, MO	22	26	30	2,814,000
26	San Jose, CA	81	48	10	1,982,000
27	Detroit, MI	33	31	23	4,376,000
28	Charleston, SC	29	22	53	803,000
29	Honolulu, HI	24	25	54	1,010,000
30	Charlotte, NC	68	27	20	2,669,000
31	Pittsburgh, PA	31	30	32	2,366,000
32	San Antonio, TX	39	24	41	2,571,000
33	Baltimore, MD	54	28	25	2,840,000
34	Columbus, OH	38	40	31	2,137,000
35	Portland, ME	28	32	58	553,000
36	Milwaukee, WI	32	41	43	1,569,000
37	Tucson, AZ	26	34	68	1,042,000
38	Raleigh, NC	59	35	24	1,421,000
39	Madison, WI	30	56	39	679,000
40	Cleveland, OH	43	42	36	2,080,000

Rank	City	Live	Love	Pros	Pop
41	Buffalo, NY	23	49	82	1,163,000
42	Cincinnati, OH	61	36	34	2,254,000
43	Indianapolis, IN	67	37	33	2,110,000
44	Kansas City, MO	69	33	37	2,191,000
45	Boise, ID	37	74	49	772,000
46	Omaha, NE	46	53	48	967,000
47	Sacramento, CA	57	44	45	2,395,000
48	Rochester, NY	35	58	59	1,087,000
49	Albuquerque, NM	48	43	60	916,000
50	Richmond, VA	55	52	44	1,316,000
51	Louisville, KY	65	45	47	1,283,000
52	Grand Rapids, MI	44	69	55	1,087,000
53	Oklahoma City, OK	60	50	46	1,429,000
54	Lansing, MI	34	96	67	539,000
55	Des Moines, IA	52	65	50	711,000
56	Lancaster, PA	36	63	88	553,000
57	New Haven, CT	62	91	35	866,000
58	Providence, RI	63	70	42	1,671,000
59	Albany, NY	42	83	65	902,000
60	Harrisburg, PA	40	94	75	593,000

Rank	City	Live	Love	Pros	Pop
61	Tulsa, OK	53	57	66	1,018,000
62	Lexington, KY	58	60	56	516,000
63	Akron, OH	45	87	73	701,000
64	Hartford, CT	72	93	38	1,216,000
65	Jacksonville, FL	83	46	51	1,614,000
66	Colorado Springs, CO	70	54	62	755,000
67	Provo, UT	49	99	74	678,000
68	Dayton, OH	47	80	94	813,000
69	Durham, NC	90	76	29	648,000
70	Wichita, KS	51	75	84	647,000
71	Toledo, OH	50	81	93	645,000
72	Memphis, TN	80	39	76	1,336,000
73	Spokane, WA	56	61	98	585,000
74	Virginia Beach, VA	82	59	57	1,798,000
75	Ogden, UT	64	100	83	697,000
76	Syracuse, NY	66	84	92	659,000
77	Pensacola, FL	71	62	100	510,000
78	Greenville, SC	84	55	78	931,000
79	Fayetteville, AR	74	92	72	551,000
80	Chattanooga, TN	86	51	97	564,000

Rank	City	Live	Love	Pros	Pop
81	Allentown, PA	79	97	64	863,000
82	Bridgeport, CT	93	106	40	958,000
83	El Paso, TX	85	66	87	867,000
84	Baton Rouge, LA	78	73	91	870,000
85	Birmingham, AL	88	67	71	1,114,000
86	Poughkeepsie, NY	75	107	86	698,000
87	Little Rock, AR	87	64	89	749,000
88	McAllen, TX	76	90	96	873,000
89	Scranton, PA	77	101	102	567,000
90	Columbia, SC	89	71	77	832,000
91	Knoxville, TN	98	47	79	884,000
92	Springfield, MA	91	95	70	689,000
93	Oxnard, CA	95	105	61	842,000
94	Worcester, MA	97	98	63	976,000
95	Youngstown, OH	73	104	110	540,000
96	Riverside, CA	102	79	69	4,610,000
97	Greensboro, NC	99	68	95	775,000
98	Fresno, CA	101	77	85	1,008,000
99	Jackson, MS	92	89	104	591,000
100	Modesto, CA	96	102	105	552,000

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Lead image: Ashfaq Karim/Shutterstock