Trendy and young, this Washington neighborhood is a top place to live in US, report finds

A Seattle neighborhood known for its trendy restaurant scene, good schools, and generally left-leaning residents is one of the best places to live in the United States, according to a new report.

South Lake Union placed sixth in the 2025 Best Places to Live in America rankings compiled by Niche, a reviews website that describes itself as the “market leader in connecting colleges and schools with students and families.”

It was the only neighborhood in the Pacific Northwest to crack the top 10, besting places like the Indiana town of Carmel, Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood, and the Huntsville, Alabama, suburb of Madison.

Separately, Bellevue, Washington, ranked 9th in Niche’s 2025 Best Cities to Live in America list, scoring highly for its public schools, jobs, diversity, and commute. It beat out liberal enclave Berkeley, California, which was 10th.

The rankings considered crime, school ratings, living costs, local amenities, and job prospects, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, Labor Department, and other sources, according to Niche. The rankings included 230 cities and more than 18,000 locations across the U.S.

Here’s more on the rankings:

Is Bellevue a good place to live?

Bellevue, a city of about 151,000 people, has some of the best public schools and is one of the healthiest places to live in the nation, according to Niche. It has an “urban suburban” feel and scores highly for employment rates and business growth. The median household income is $161,300, and the median home value is $1.2 million. Residents generally reported feeling “pretty safe” in Bellevue.

Is South Lake Union a good neighborhood?

South Lake Union is the best neighborhood to raise a family in Seattle, and it’s also the best neighborhood in the city for young professionals, according to Niche. The median home value is $586,000, and the median rent is $2,445. The neighborhood also scores highly in the health and fitness, nightlife, commute, and outdoor activities categories. The median household income is $130,318.

Top 10 best places to live, according to Niche

1. Colonial Village, neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia
2. Atlantic Station, neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia
3. Chesterbrook, suburb of Philadephia, Pennsylvania
4. Harbour Island, neighborhood in Tampa, Florida
5. City Center, neighborhood in Santa Monica, California
6. South Lake Union, neighborhood in Seattle, Washington
7. Carmel, town in Indiana
8. Midtown, neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia
9. Madison, suburb of Huntsville, Alabama
10. Johns Creek, suburb of Atlanta, Georgia

Top 10 best cities to live, according to Niche

1. Naperville, Illinois
2. The Woodlands, Texas
3. Cambridge, Massachusetts
4. Arlington, Virginia
5. Irvine, California
6. Plano, Texas
7. Columbia, Maryland
8. Overland Park, Kansas
9. Bellevue, Washington
10. Berkeley, California