US News ranks Kentucky city higher than Asheville on best places to live list. Here’s why
Lexington has made U.S. News & World Report’s list of the “Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2024-2025,” snagging the No. 15 spot among 150 major cities featured.
Placing within the top 20, Lexington beat out locations like Asheville, N.C., and Oklahoma City on the popular ranking and consumer advice website. But why? According to U.S. News, cities have to offer good value to residents, as well as a strong job market and high quality of life to place toward the top of the list.
Here’s what U.S. News had to say about Lexington, including how it arrived at the decision.
What makes Lexington a good place to live?
Summing up Lexington’s appeal, U.S. News found the city has been able to blend influences from the South and Midwest to offer residents a unique place to live.
It noted the University of Kentucky continually draws young, educated people to the area and is the city’s most important employer. The local horse industry also helps power the economy while distinguishing it from similar-sized cities in the Midwest.
Lexington’s picturesque horse farms and bourbon scene often draw the eye of national lifestyle brands like Southern Living and Condé Nast Traveler. More recently, the city also got a nod from Bloomberg as a must-visit travel spot in 2025.
But according to U.S. News, the crux of Lexington’s appeal lies in that it offers a good quality of life for a relatively low cost of living.
“Lexingtonians also love college basketball, locally sourced cuisine, outdoor recreation and bourbon. The region has a variety of industries, a temperate climate and plenty of access to the great outdoors. The area’s population is growing, but the cost of living is still relatively low. A diverse job market and a stable economy make Lexington ideal for young professionals, families and retirees,” U.S. News writer Megan Larkin wrote.
The Herald-Leader reached out to Mayor Linda Gorton’s office for comment Thursday via email, but has not received a response.
Here’s how Lexington compares to the top 20 cities featured by U.S. News & World Report as the best places to live in 2024-25:
Naples, Fla.
Boise, Idaho
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Greenville, S.C.
Charlotte, N.C.
Raleigh, N.C.
Huntsville, Ala.
Virginia Beach, Va.
Austin, Texas
Boulder, Colo.
Sarasota, Fla.
Green Bay, Wis.
Charleston, S.C.
Madison, Wis.
Lexington, Ky.
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Asheville, N.C.
Omaha, Neb.
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Fort Wayne, Ind.
What methodology did U.S. News use?
U.S. News & World Reports pulls from public data and user opinions to inform its rankings of the best places to live. To earn high scores, places must rank highly in desirability and quality of life, among other criteria.
It draws from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Labor and survey responses. The four factors used in the analysis — quality of life, value, desirability and local job market — were weighted using responses from a February 2024 public survey in which people from across the country voted for what they believed was the most important factor in choosing a place to live.
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