19 Jul Livability: Madison #1 Best Places to Live in the US
Why Madison is one of the best cities to live in
With a famous farmers market, tons of free cultural attractions, outdoor concerts rocking all summer long and 200 miles for hiking, biking and snowshoeing, Madison, WI, earns its rank as the best place to live in the U.S. (for the second year in a row!). This Midwest college town possesses a resilient economy and is a welcoming place for recent grads, families and retirees alike. Located on an isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona, Madison has a dozen beaches plus hundreds of parks, and residents in this bike-friendly city prefer getting around town on two wheels. Frank Lloyd Wright’s mid-century marvels and the beloved Dane County Farmers Market add to the magic of Madison.
For the last nine years, Livability editors and data scientists have combined our great love of cities and data to create our annual ranking of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America.
Every year, the list changes: we conduct exclusive studies and surveys, adjust our algorithm and add new variables and data points. But one thing remains constant: We always start with the data. This year, we examined more than 2,300 cities based on more than 50 data points that are grouped into eight categories, measuring a city’s economic stability, housing, amenities, infrastructure, demographics, social and civic capital and health care. This is how we calculate each city’s LivScore.