Huntsville is the best place for families to live in the United States, according to U.S. News and World Report.

The news magazine’s rating is out today, ranking cities according to affordability, quality of life and job markets.

The ranking takes into account not just the cost of living and average annual salary, but quality of high school education, average commute time, crime rates, health care access and other factors.

Huntsville edged out San Jose, Calif.; Green Bay, Wisc.; Fayetteville, Ark. and the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

The magazine notes that Huntsville’s median annual salary is above the national average, but residents spend about 19.62% of their median annual household incomes on the cost of living.

According to U.S. News, Huntsville is the fourth most affordable metro area out of the 150 areas on the list, and ranked 25th for its relatively low risk of extreme weather or natural disasters.

It’s not the first honor the publication has bestowed upon the Rocket City.

In 2022, Huntsville was rated the nation’s best place to live by U.S. News & World Report, climbing to the top of the ratings after being listed No. 3 in 2021.

Source: Huntsville is the best place for families to live, according to US News and World Report AL.com (August 16, 2023)