Each year, Livability.com publishes its top 100 places to live in the United States, focusing on small- to medium-sized cities, and the results might be surprising.

This year’s list features one South Dakota city. Sioux Falls made the list, receiving a score of 741.

Why is Sioux Falls, South Dakota a top place to live?

Sioux Falls takes the billing for being the most populous city in South Dakota, according to U.S. Census data, with a population of 202,078 and one of the fastest-growing Midwest cities. Sioux Falls received a LivScore of 741, placing it ahead of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which has a score of 740, and Duluth, Minnesota, which has a composite score of 736.

Sioux Falls scored the highest in the categories of housing, cost of living, health and amenities, according to Livability.

Nestled amidst rolling hills and lush greenspaces, Sioux Falls offers a unique blend of urban amenities and natural beauty. It’s a city that not only provides a hub for leisure activities but also boasts a thriving economy. The South Dakota city has a strong job market driven by healthcare, finance, and manufacturing, while maintaining affordable housing options.

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:

• 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 health care access

Each city is assigned a Livability Score (LivScore), derived from a proprietary algorithm that weighs each category, with a possible score of 1000. 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.

The top five cities

While the list doesn’t officially rank each city, these five cities had the highest LivScore among the 100 places on this year’s list:

1. Carmel, Indiana, with a LivScore of 875
2. Cary, North Carolina, with a LivScore of 874
3. Columbia, Maryland, with a LivScore of 874
4. Fishers, Indiana, with a LivScore of 864
5. Naperville, Illinois, with a LivScore of 862

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_