Grand Rapids no longer top 20 best place to live in America, U.S. News ranking says

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids has slipped out of the top best 20 places to live in the U.S., according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

Grand Rapids remains the second-best place to live in Michigan, but the latest national rankings place it at the 45th best city in America to live in.

Ann Arbor, once again, remains the best place to live in the state, according to the rankings.

Related: Ann Arbor is the best place to live in Michigan, latest U.S. News rankings say

Since 2020, Grand Rapids has largely ranked among the top 20 best places to live in the country.

Last year, Grand Rapids was ranked the 20th best place to live.

Michigan’s second-largest city was ranked 16th in 2022, 34th in 2021 and 13th in 2020.

Related: Grand Rapids ranks 20th best place to live in America, U.S. News ranking says

The U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Live rankings take into account the area’s job market, affordability, quality of life and desirability. Those factors are weighted in part based on a public survey of thousands of people throughout the U.S. to find out what qualities they consider important in a place to live.

The ranking’s data is sourced through the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sharecare, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Weather Service and other U.S. News rankings.

Cities were ranked on a 1-10 scoring system. The full methodology can be found at this link.

Grand Rapids’ overall score this year was 6.4. The report’s best place to live in the U.S. – Naples, Florida – had an overall score of 7.1.

Grand Rapids scored a 7.2 for quality of life and a 7.5 for affordability.

“Grand Rapids has an affinity for public art, and its craft brewery scene is one of the best in the nation,” the report states. “A scenic spot perched on the Grand River – Michigan’s longest waterway – Grand Rapids has evolved from its 19th-century roots as a hub of furniture production to the modern-day metropolis that is attracting college students and young families with its healthy job market, affordable housing and outdoor recreational activities.”

Grand Rapids was also ranked the 38th best place to retire in the U.S.

Other Michigan cities also made the top 150.

Ann Arbor was ranked the 19th best place in the U.S. to live; Kalamazoo was ranked 90th; Lansing was ranked 104th; Flint ranked 146th; and Detroit ranked 149th.

In order, the top 10 places to live in the U.S. according to the ranking are: Naples, Florida; Boise, Idaho; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Greenville, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; Huntsville, Alabama; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Austin, Texas; and Boulder, Colorado.

People can find out more about Grand Rapids’ ranking at this link.