wisconsin

Midwestern City Named Best Place to Live in the Country by U.S. News & World Report

NBC Universal, Inc.

In an annual ranking from U.S. News & World Report of the best places to live in the United States, one Midwestern city reigned supreme.

The list analyzed the 150 most populous metropolitan areas in the country, using quality of life, job market, affordability and desirability metrics in their methodology.

Coming out on top of the list was a moderately-sized Midwestern city that may leave many Chicagoans with a bad taste in their mouth.

U.S. News & World Report named Green Bay as the best place to live in the nation, citing a revitalized downtown, simultaneous big-city and small-town feel with a "thriving entertainment and arts scene."

Green Bay stood alone among Midwestern cities being ranked highly, as the rest of the list's Top 10 featured locations outside of the region.

While not quite cracking the Top 10, iconic Midwestern college towns Madison, Wis. and Ann Arbor, Mich. made the cut for the Top 15, being ranked 11th and 14th respectively.

Below is a full look at the Top 10:

  • 1. Green Bay, Wisconsin
  • 2. Huntsville, Alabama
  • 3. Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina
  • 4. Boulder, Colorado
  • 5. Sarasota, Florida
  • 6. Naples, Florida
  • 7. Portland, Maine
  • 8. Charlotte, North Carolina
  • 9. Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • 10. Fayetteville, Arkansas

Illinois was not given much love in the rankings, with the highest ranking for any metro area in the state being 54th for the Quad Cities region, including Moline and Rock Island in Illinois in addition to Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa.

Here's a look at where other Illinois cities ranked:

  • 70. Peoria
  • 123. Chicago
  • 133. Rockford

A look at the full U.S. News & World Report rankings can be found here.

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