Inside the best 20 places to live in America: How a ‘playground for the powerful and wealthy’ topped the list

It is known as the Paradise Coast, famous for its warm weather, low taxes and slow pace of life.

So it’s no wonder that Naples, Florida, has been named America’s best place to live, according to an official ranking.

The closely watched annual report of American news and world said the southwest Florida city had become a “playground for the powerful and wealthy” and a hotspot for retirees.

Paradise comes at a cost, however, as home prices in the city are more than double the national average.

Naples was followed by Boise, ID, Colorado Springs, CO and Greenville, SC.

For locals, Naples’ top ranking is no surprise. Mark Danni, a resident of 22 years, told the Naples daily news: ‘I love seeing the sun every day.

“I love that Naples has a wide variety of live performing arts groups, where Neapolitans can see so many different performing arts productions all year round.”

The average home in Naples costs $577,769 — more than twice the national average of $281,900, according to the report.

For the past two years, the city has ranked sixth in US News and World Report.

But the score is supported by a strong labor market, with an unemployment rate of 3.6 percent – ​​compared to a national average of 5.3 percent.

The city’s median household income is $98,120 – almost a third higher than the national average of $75,149.

Furthermore, the crime rate is also below that of the rest of the country, with 106.8 crimes committed per 100,000 city residents.

To determine the best places to live, researchers rated cities based on six key criteria: affordability, happiness, health care, retiree taxes, desirability and labor market.

Erika Giovanetti, credit expert at US News and World Report, told CBS MoneyWatch: ‘This year’s survey found that people are concerned about the economy and want more financial stability. Therefore, the value and labor market categories were the factors that mattered most to people. That’s something that has really helped Naples.

“There’s a large retired population, so there’s a lot of well-paying work for health care workers who are willing to care for the aging population in that part of the country.”

She added that quality of life was America’s top priority, while the report’s findings reflected “increasing consumer concerns” about affordability.

Rising interest rates and blistering inflation have pushed the cost of living to the highest levels in recent history.

In second place was Boise, ID, which attracted an influx of newcomers during the pandemic house prices rise from $364,500 in February 2020 to $498,490 today.

The report notes: “Idaho’s capital sits right on the border between city and country, civilized and wild, refined and raw.

‘Yes, there are wilder places. Yes, there are more urban places. But Boise is a good place to live if you can get to both easily.”

Colorado Springs, CO came in third place thanks to its colorful nature, thriving suburbs and manageable cost of living.

It famously inspired the 1993 Pike Peaks song “America the Beautiful.”

Meanwhile, Greenville, S.C., ranked fourth. Researchers noted that the area’s reputation as a textile powerhouse had seen a boom in manufacturing jobs.

The city’s unemployment rate is 3.8 percent, while the median household income is $76,193.

However, the ranking was pushed down by the high crime rate, which stands at 469.8 crimes per 100,000 people.

Rounding out the top ten were: Charotte, NC, Raleigh, NC, Huntsville, AL, Virginia Beach, VA, Austin, TX, Boulder, CO.

It comes after Utah was named the best state to live in by a separate report, also by US News and World.

Governor Spencer Cox recently theorized that the ranking was due to Utah’s sense of community.

He told Fox News Digital, “One of the things that makes Utah special is that we lead the nation in upward mobility and social capital, connectedness, we lead the nation in service and philanthropy every year, and that we are not dependent on the government to solve all our problems.’