Alexandria Ranks Among Best Cities To Live In America

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Niche is out with its 2019 Best Cities To Live in America list, and Alexandria made the cut.

Niche, which ranks cities, schools and companies, took a comprehensive look at how livable U.S. cities are. The site grades cities on cost of living, housing, public schools, diversity, crime and safety, jobs, health and fitness, commute times and more.

Overall Alexandria ranked 25th in the nation. Niche awarded the city high scores in the categories of health and fitness, outdoor activities, diversity, nightlife and good for families. It received lower scores for housing, crime and safety, and cost of living. Public schools received a B plus rating.

Niche also included user reviews for the cities in its rankings. Users leaving four or five-star reviews cited Alexandria's proximity to DC, diversity, landmarks and a thriving business community. One current resident summed the city up as having "a good feeling of community without it feeling too claustrophobic."

Alexandria's neighbor Arlington topped the nationwide list while DC ranked 33rd. Arlington ranked high for public schools with lower rankings for housing and cost of living like Alexandria.

A separate Niche list looked at best places to live in Virginia by neighborhood. Arlington neighborhoods dominated the top 25, although Alexandria's Taylor Run neighborhood ranked 23rd.

The top 10 Cities to Live in America are:

1. Arlington, Virginia
2. Ann Arbor, Michigan
3. Berkeley, California
4. The Woodlands, Texas
5. Plano, Texas
6. Naperville, Illinois
7. Overland Park, Kansas
8. Columbia, Maryland
9. Cambridge, Massachusetts
10. Bellevue, Washington

See the full best cities in America ranking here.