In a country full of the great places to live, choosing the best city is quite a challenge. Most major and big cities in America have higher crime rates compared to smaller cities. Safety and security of the people is one of the big factors in looking for the best city to live. Based from USA Today's rankings, the top five best cities listed this year exemplify the best qualities that Americans look for in a city. These cities exude the peacefulness and accessibility of basic amenities of a desirable American city.
Another basis of a general quality is the face of education that one city can offer, from a high-quality system of learning to the high percentage of population's educational attainment. The local economic aspect of the city is another significant basis of this criteria, the status of its employment and unemployment rate.
Even with the supreme qualities of these basis to be on this list, these five best cities to live in the United States also have places on the list of cities with the highest cost of living. This shows the notion that best quality equates to a higher cost, illustrating an American economic system.
1. Newton, Massachusetts
Leading the list of the best places to live in the United States, Newton is a suburb of Boston. Crime rates were just mere fractions of the 2012 figures. In between 2011 and 2013, the employment rate within this city rose by 0.5 percent. This city also provides the best quality education for students, with almost half of school-age residents of Newton attended private schools.
2. Bellevue, Washington
With a well-educated population, Bellevue, located across Lake Washington, is placed in the second spot on this list. More than half of their adult population has a college degree. Between 2011 and 2013, Bellevue, Washington also produced a 5 percent growth in employment rate and only a 4.7 percent unemployment rate for 2012. The only downside living in this city is the high-cost of living.
3. Mountain View, California
Mountain View has completed the checklist of qualities to be on this list, with the city's low crime rate, well-educated population and excellent schools, and high rate of employment. It is also the home city for several large technology companies. But like Bellevue, the cost of living in Mountain View, Californian is high, with $750,000 median value of homes.
4. Pleasanton, California
Another city from California, Pleasanton is positioned in the fourth place of the best places to live in the United States. In 2012, it had about less than 70 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, noting as one of the lowest crime rates in the United States. This city also has a highly educated population. Last year, Pleasanton had only 3.7 percent unemployment rate, among the lowest rates in the national scale. But, Pleasanton is among the list of cities with a high-cost of living.
5. Evanston, Illinois
Like other cities on this list, Evanston of Illinois has a well-educated population, with produced more than two-thirds of adults had accomplished at least a bachelor's degree. Secondary school students of Evanston also had above average performance for 2013. Another educational point, Northwestern University, a top American university, is based in this city.
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