This Lehigh Valley city ranked among best places to live in U.S. How did it compare to other PA cities?

It’s been nearly 50 years since Allentown was named an All-America City, but the Queen City is getting new recognition as one of the best places to live in the country.

Allentown recently made U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Places to Live” list for 2024-25, coming in at No. 128.

In looking at Allentown, U.S. News said the city’s convenient location, commitment to healthy living and celebration of the arts “make it a great place for active folks to live.” The report cited its proximity to hiking and skiing resorts, as well as cities like New York City and Philadelphia.

U.S. News also had high praise for Allentown’s architecture.

“Much of the charm in Pennsylvania’s third-largest city comes from its vast collection of historic homes and buildings, commercial structures and century-old industrial buildings,” according to the report.

Despite earning a spot on the national list, Allentown did have its fair share of competition from other Pennsylvania cities, with four others ranking higher.

Pittsburgh topped the list among Pennsylvania locations, coming in the 36th spot nationally.

Here are all the Pennsylvania cities that made the list:

1. Pittsburgh (Nationally ranked at 36)
2. Lancaster (Nationally ranked at 79)
3. Scranton (Nationally ranked at 93)
4. Harrisburg (Nationally ranked at 109)
5. Allentown (Nationally ranked at 128)
6. Philadelphia (Nationally ranked at 135)
7. York (Nationally ranked at 137)
8. Reading (Nationally ranked at 142)

In identifying the best places to live, the publication looked at data for the 150 biggest metropolitan areas in the country to see if they have a good value, are a desirable place to live, have a strong job market and a strong quality of life, according to U.S. News.

Cities are evaluated using data from various sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI and the Department of Labor. Quality of life, which measures how satisfied residents are with their daily lives, accounted for 32% of the survey.

Value, which looks at how comfortably an average resident can afford to live within their means, was 27%. Desirability, which measures if people wanted to live in a given area, was 19%, according to U.S. News. The strength of the job market in each city accounted for 22%.

In its report on Pittsburgh, the highest rated Pennsylvania city, the publication noted the city is attracting major corporations and transplants are finding it to be a hub of technology and education. The report also states it has a cheaper housing market than other bigger cities.

Here are the top five places to live in the country, according to the survey:

1. Naples, Florida
2. Boise, Idaho
3. Colorado Springs, Colorado
4. Greenville, South Carolina
5. Charlotte, North Carolina

More information on the methodology may be found at realestate.usnews.com/places/methodology.

Forget Florida, the Lehigh Valley is a top retirement spot. See where it ranks in new report.