| Fortune Well editor Jennifer Fields here, filling in for Alyson this week.
To say that the pandemic upended our social ties is an understatement. Though we’re still making sense of the physical and mental impact of isolation and disconnection, one thing is clear—we’ve never been lonelier. And it’s hurting our health and shortening our lives.
That’s why when we went out to compile our annual list of Best Places to Live for Families, we knew that support systems needed to factor in just as much as housing prices, health care, senior resources, and education.
We looked at 1,900 cities across the U.S., analyzing 200,000 unique data points, including a city’s walkability, its proximity to essential resources, and its overall well-being scores, to get a sense of community connectedness.
We also talked to people who live there. Health and wellness reporter Alexa Mikhail interviewed residents from some of our top-ranked cities and heard again and again that when it came time to find a place to relocate or retire, people chose a place that fostered social interaction.
This year, we expanded our Best Places list from 25 cities to 50. Now you can find a best place to live in every state. While some states—whether owing to certain laws or their political climate—may not meet everyone’s needs, the list provides a wide range of options from which you can find a place to call home.
See which cities made the list below. |
