Move over Seattle. Portland, our neighboring city to the south, is moving on up.
Portland made a big jump this year on the list of the 2018 Top 25 Best Places to Live in the USA by U.S. News and World Report.
The annual list ranked Portland sixth overall, a jump of 26 spots from its No. 32 ranking in 2017.
"U.S. residents view Portland as a highly desirable place to live, and it takes the No. 2 spots in that category," U.S. News wrote. "Additionally, a strong job market and consistent growth in population due to net migration over a five-year period led to the Rose City's rise in the rankings.
Seattle ranked 10th on the list, dropping four spots from its No. 6 ranking in 2017. Seattle merited a high ranking because of a "consistently strong job market" and "high desirability among U.S. residents as a place to live," U.S. News wrote.
Austin, Texas ranked No. 1 on the list. Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado; Des Moines, Iowa; and Fayetteville, Arkansas rounded out the Top 5.
Top 10 Best Places to Live in the US - 2018
1. Austin, TX
2. Colorado Springs, CO
3. Denver, CO
4. Des Moines, IA
5. Fayetteville, AR
6. Portland OR
7. Huntsville, AL
8. Washington, DC
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
10. Seattle, WA
U.S. News surveyed more than 2,000 people and asked which factors they care about most when deciding where to live. That data was then applied to the nation's 125 largest metro areas, judging the qualities of each location based on cost of living, job market, crime rates and quality of education, among other factors.
