U.S. urban cities make up only 3 percent of the landmass in the United States, but account for roughly 80 percent of the U.S. population, according to a new report from WalletHub.
Large metropolitan cities typically draw people looking for economic opportunity, especially young professionals seeking career advancement or active social lives.
Despite the obvious benefits of living in a bustling metropolitan area, there are substantial trade-offs to consider, according to WalletHub, which noted that a much higher cost of living would have to be factored into a budget and pollution is commonly a concern. A higher population often inflates travel times for commuters and the likelihood of travel delays and limited housing availability is much greater.
WalletHub looked at factors such as affordability, economic opportunities and education and health services to rank 62 of the largest cities in the U.S.in terms the life they have to offer to residents.
Ultimately, every location has pros and cons, according to the WalletHub report. For example, San Jose, Calif., has a cost of living that is 67 percent higher than the U.S. national average, according to a recent report from Forbes. However, a strong local economy and high incomes help to offset the high cost of living in the city.
Here is a list of WalletHub's best big cities to live in, in ascending order:
10. New York
New York had the third-lowest crime rate of the cities studied. In fact, New York has had one of the lowest crime rates the city has seen in decades, according to a 2018 report from ABC news. Murders in America’s largest city were a record low 290 in 2017, a steep drop from 2,245 murders in 1990.
9. Colorado Springs, Colo.
Colorado Springs ranked second in affordability. Although the cost of living is on the rise in the city, the numbers are still relatively low. The median household income is $54,527, according to a report from CBS News.
8. San Jose, Calif.
San Jose ranked fourth in the economy category. Residents have a median household income of $83,787, compared with the national average of $53,482. The unemployment rate is also low (2.8 percent), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. San Jose is also home to a number of massive ecommerce and software companies, including Ebay, Adobe Systems and Cisco Systems.
7. Portland, Ore.
Portland ranked third among the most bike-friendly cities. There are 315 miles of bikeways found in the city, where 7 percent of residents are bike commuters — one of the highest percentages in the country, according to a report from the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Portland is also home to the World Naked Bike Ride, which brought in nearly 9,000 participants last year, according to a report from BikePortland.org.
6. Honolulu
Honolulu ranked third among cities with the lowest percentage of residents living in poverty. Currently, only 8.7 percent of residents live in poverty (compared to the national average of 12.7 percent), according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
5. San Diego
Coffee lovers looking to move to a new big city will find no shortage of the beverage in San Diego. The city ranked fourth among cities with the most coffee shops per capita—but that doesn't mean the beverage comes cheap. A consumer could pay as much as $11 for a single cup, according to a report from NBC San Diego.
4. San Francisco
San Francisco ranked second in the quality of life category, receiving high scores in areas including average commute time, average length of a work day, and the amount of recreation available per capita. Residents also experienced the highest income growth compared to any other city, according to the report.
3. Austin, Texas
Austin has one of the strongest economies among American metropolitan areas, according to a recent report from POLICOM. The city’s economy was ranked the 19th strongest in 2009 and has gradually moved up on the list each year securing the top spot in 2017, according to the report. Austin also experienced the third-highest growth in income, just behind Seattle, according to data from Wallethub.
2. Virginia Beach, Va.
Virginia Beach was ranked the safest city among all top big cities for its low crime rate (348 violent crimes per 100,000 people), as compared to similar cities like Charlotte, N.C. (441 per 100,000 people) or Myrle Beach, S.C. (459), according to data from USA Today.
1. Seattle
Young professionals looking for a location with tons of opportunity may want to consider relocating to Seattle. The city ranked number one for the highest population of individuals age 25 and over with a high school diploma or higher education. Seattle had the second-highest income growth, just behind San Francisco, and placed in the top five for cities with the highest percentage of residents with health insurance, according to the report.
The full report can be viewed here.