How do you measure the worth of a place to live? Is it by economic prosperity or the contentment of the people living there? While the two sometimes go hand in hand, there is more to being a great place to live than having a high rate of economic growth. Some of the factors (but far from all) that lead to a better quality of life include access to high-quality medical care, clean drinking water, green spaces for outdoor recreation, and a good education system. On the other hand, living in places with high poverty rates, fewer adults with a bachelor’s education, and a lower life expectancy may lead to a poor quality of life.
The Human Development Index (HDI) was created by the United Nations Development Programme and is designed to rank a country’s quality of life. To find the 40 best U.S. counties across the U.S. to live in 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the HDI. We ranked counties and county equivalents on a combination of three measures — average life expectancy at birth, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and poverty rate. Data used to calculate rankings are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a joint program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. All ACS data are five-year averages, and this is the most up-to-date data at this time. Counties with incomplete data were excluded from the analysis. To avoid geographic clustering, we only included one county per metropolitan statistical area.
These are the 40 best U.S. counties to live in:
Why We Felt This Was Important to Share
Choosing somewhere to live can be challenging. There are so many factors that go into living your best life. But you need more than just a nice neighborhood to thrive. By looking at the best counties to live in America, you can see what really goes into improving quality of life. If you’re getting ready to move, or thinking about the idea in the future, understanding what counties are ranking high in health, finances, and education can help you choose the best place for your needs.
40. Kendall County, Texas
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.5 years (2.9 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 5.1% (7.4 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 48.5% (14.2 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $104,196 ($29,047 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 45,376
- County seat: Boerne
39. Newport County, Rhode Island
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.0 years (3.5 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 7.8% (4.8 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 52.1% (17.8 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $96,319 ($21,170 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 85,442
- County seat: Newport
38. Routt County, Colorado
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 84.1 years (5.6 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 8.0% (4.6 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 50.0% (15.7 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $95,144 ($19,995 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 24,944
- County seat: Steamboat Springs
37. York County, Virginia
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.5 years (3.0 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 4.7% (7.8 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 49.5% (15.2 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $105,154 ($30,005 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 70,238
- County seat: Yorktown
36. DuPage County, Illinois
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.9 years (3.4 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 6.3% (6.3 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 51.1% (16.8 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $107,035 ($31,886 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 930,559
- County seat: Wheaton
35. Dallas County, Iowa
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.8 years (3.2 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 5.7% (6.9 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 51.5% (17.2 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $99,533 ($24,384 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 100,367
- County seat: Adel
34. Aleutians East Borough, Alaska
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 112.5 years (34.0 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 12.6% (0.1 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 16.9% (17.4 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $79,961 ($4,812 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 3,407
- Borough seat: Sand Point
33. King County, Washington
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.3 years (3.8 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 8.4% (4.1 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 54.8% (20.5 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $116,340 ($41,191 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 2,254,371
- County seat: Seattle
32. San Juan County, Washington
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 86.3 years (7.7 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 11.0% (1.5 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 52.6% (18.3 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $76,745 ($1,596 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 18,001
- County seat: Friday Harbor
31. Wake County, North Carolina
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.6 years (3.1 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 8.2% (4.3 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 55.7% (21.3 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $96,734 ($21,585 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 1,132,103
- County seat: Raleigh
30. Orange County, North Carolina
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.1 years (3.6 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 12.3% (0.3 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 61.7% (27.4 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $85,785 ($10,636 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 145,919
- County seat: Hillsborough
29. Oconee County, Georgia
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.6 years (2.0 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 4.5% (8.1 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 53.5% (19.1 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $116,221 ($41,072 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 41,978
- County seat: Watkinsville
28. Collin County, Texas
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.2 years (3.7 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 6.3% (6.2 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 54.3% (20.0 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $113,255 ($38,106 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 1,079,153
- County seat: McKinney
27. Carver County, Minnesota
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 83.2 years (4.6 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 3.8% (8.8 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 49.8% (15.5 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $116,308 ($41,159 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 107,216
- County seat: Chaska
26. Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.2 years (2.7 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 6.0% (6.6 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 56.1% (21.8 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $118,574 ($43,425 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 536,474
- County seat: West Chester
25. Mono County, California
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 103.3 years (24.8 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 11.3% (1.2 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 31.7% (2.6 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $82,038 ($6,889 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 13,219
- County seat: Bridgeport
24. Gunnison County, Colorado
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 83.9 years (5.4 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 10.8% (1.7 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 59.3% (25.0 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $76,538 ($1,389 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 17,018
- County seat: Gunnison
23. Middlesex County, Massachusetts
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.9 years (3.4 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 7.4% (5.1 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 58.5% (24.2 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $121,304 ($46,155 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 1,623,109
- County seat: Cambridge
22. Ouray County, Colorado
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 85.7 years (7.2 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 4.8% (7.7 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 49.6% (15.2 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $78,750 ($3,601 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 4,936
- County seat: Ouray
21. Johnson County, Kansas
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.4 years (2.9 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 5.3% (7.3 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 56.7% (22.4 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $103,644 ($28,495 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 610,742
- County seat: Olathe
20. Boulder County, Colorado
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.6 years (4.1 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 11.3% (1.3 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 63.2% (28.9 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $99,770 ($24,621 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 328,658
- County seat: Boulder
19. Santa Clara County, California
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 84.7 years (6.1 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 6.9% (5.7 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 55.3% (21.0 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $153,792 ($78,643 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 1,916,831
- County seat: San Jose
18. Forsyth County, Georgia
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.3 years (3.7 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 4.6% (7.9 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 56.2% (21.9 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $131,660 ($56,511 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 253,225
- County seat: Cumming
17. Albemarle County, Virginia
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.3 years (3.7 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 7.1% (5.4 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 60.1% (25.8 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $97,708 ($22,559 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 112,513
- County seat: Charlottesville
16. Delaware County, Ohio
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.7 years (3.2 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 4.5% (8.0 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 57.4% (23.1 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $123,995 ($48,846 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 216,074
- County seat: Delaware
15. Nantucket County, Massachusetts
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 83.0 years (4.5 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 4.9% (7.6 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 57.4% (23.1 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $135,590 ($60,441 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 14,065
- County seat: Nantucket
14. Hunterdon County, New Jersey
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 83.2 years (4.6 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 3.7% (8.8 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 55.5% (21.2 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $133,534 ($58,385 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 129,099
- County seat: Flemington
13. Eagle County, Colorado
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 91.4 years (12.8 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 8.0% (4.5 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 51.8% (17.5 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $98,887 ($23,738 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 55,650
- County seat: Eagle
12. Hamilton County, Indiana
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.6 years (3.0 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 4.2% (8.3 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 60.8% (26.5 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $114,866 ($39,717 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 349,527
- County seat: Noblesville
11. Summit County, Utah
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 85.6 years (7.0 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 5.2% (7.3 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 57.4% (23.1 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $126,392 ($51,243 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 42,524
- County seat: Coalville
10. Williamson County, Tennessee
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.5 years (3.0 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 4.2% (8.4 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 62.0% (27.7 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $125,943 ($50,794 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 248,897
- County seat: Franklin
9. Marin County, California
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 85.3 years (6.7 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 7.0% (5.6 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 61.1% (26.8 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $142,019 ($66,870 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 260,485
- County seat: San Rafael
8. Teton County, Wyoming
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 86.7 years (8.2 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 6.9% (5.6 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 60.3% (26.0 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $108,279 ($33,130 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 23,346
- County seat: Jackson
7. Howard County, Maryland
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.7 years (4.2 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 5.4% (7.2 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 64.0% (29.7 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $140,971 ($65,822 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 332,011
- County seat: Ellicott City
6. Douglas County, Colorado
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 83.4 years (4.9 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 3.0% (9.5 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 60.0% (25.7 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $139,010 ($63,861 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 360,206
- County seat: Castle Rock
5. Summit County, Colorado
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 93.5 years (15.0 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 7.4% (5.1 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 52.3% (17.9 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $100,611 ($25,462 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 30,955
- County seat: Breckenridge
4. San Miguel County, Colorado
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 93.6 years (15.1 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 8.5% (4.1 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 62.2% (27.8 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $72,829 ($2,320 less than U.S. median)
- Population: 8,082
- County seat: Telluride
3. Los Alamos County, New Mexico
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 83.9 years (5.3 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 3.7% (8.8 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 69.7% (35.4 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $135,801 ($60,652 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 19,253
- County seat: Los Alamos
2. Pitkin County, Colorado
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 92.5 years (14.0 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 6.7% (5.9 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 63.1% (28.8 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $96,123 ($20,974 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 17,325
- County seat: Aspen
1. Falls Church, Virginia (independent city)
- Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.6 years (2.1 years above U.S. avg.)
- Poverty rate: 2.3% (10.2 ppt. below U.S. avg.)
- Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 78.9% (44.6 ppt. above U.S. avg.)
- Median household income: $164,536 ($89,387 more than U.S. median)
- Population: 14,576
- County seat: None
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks