A pair of eastern Iowa cities are among the 100 best places to live, according to a recent ranking.
Each year, Livability.com publishes its top 100 places to live in the United States, focusing on small—to medium-sized cities.
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City each scored well on a multi-prong scale, each securing spots of the prestigious list.
How does Livability determine its top places to live list?
The methodology for Livability’s list is designed to identify cities that offer the best combination of affordability, opportunity, and quality of life. The media company partners with Applied Geographic Solutions to curate the list based on 100 data points across eight categories:
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- Economy: Includes unemployment rate and income growth
- Housing and cost of living: Considers affordability and tax rates
- Amenities: Covers cultural, leisure and shopping options
- Transportation: Examines car ownership, walkability, and commute times
- Environment: Assesses population density, air quality, and disaster risks
- Safety: Looks at crime rates and overall community security
- Education: Evaluates school quality and educational attainment
- Health: Considers life expectancy and healthcare access
Each city is assigned a Livability Score (LivScore), derived from an algorithm that weighs each category, with a possible score of 1,000. The company looks at 2,000 cities with populations between 75,000 and 500,000 each year.
The final list of 100 cities represents the top 5% of cities within the studied range.
Why is Cedar Rapids a top place to live?
Cedar Rapids, the second-largest metro area in the state, has a LivScore of 718, placing it ahead of Coral Springs, Florida, which has a score of 717, and Rio Rancho, New Mexico, which has a composite score of 716.
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Cedar Rapids scored the highest in the categories of housing, cost of living, transportation, amenities, and economy. Last year, Cedar Rapids was down slightly from the year before, securing a score of 762 in 2024.
Cedar Rapids, according to the list, offers a welcoming lifestyle with a rich history and diverse culture within the city limits. The Linn County city is home to thriving industries like manufacturing, technology, and bioscience while maintaining a strong connection to farmland.
Why is Iowa City a top place to live?
Iowa City secured a LivScore of 709, placing it ahead of Lincoln, Nebraska (707), and Fargo, North Dakota (706).
Like Cedar Rapids, Iowa City scored high in housing and cost of living, and transportation, though its highest scoring categories were health (67), and education (65. Iowa City also lost ground from a year ago, scoring 747 in 2024.
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The City of Literature is home to the largest hospital in the state, while the community also boasts safe neighborhoods, well-regarded public schools, and a strong economy driven by education, technology, and manufacturing.
The top five cities in the U.S.
While the Livability doesn’t officially rank each city, these five cities had the highest LivScore among the 100 on this year’s list:
- Flower Mound, Texas, with a LivScore of 875
- Carmel, Indiana (872)
- Sugarland, Texas (854)
- Naperville, Illinois (841)
- Roswell, Georgia (838)
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
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