SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — According to a new study from U.S. News & World Report, six cities in Utah are among the best places in the country to live in 2025 and 2026 — and you may be surprised to learn that Salt Lake City did not make the list.
The ranking lists the country’s 250 best cities, with the order determined through an analysis of several categories, including quality of life, housing affordability, crime rates, commute times, unemployment rates, and more. The Utah cities that made the list are as follows:
While Salt Lake City is not considered one of the best places to live based on this U.S. News list, it has ranked highly among the best places to start a career and 2025 summer travel destinations, according to recent WalletHub studies. Another analysis showed Salt Lake is popular with younger people who are shopping for homes.
Learn more about the Utah cities in the U.S. News & World Report Best Places ranking below.
Of the Utah cities that made the cut, South Jordan ranked the highest on the list of the 250 best cities to live — and it is the only Utah city on the list in the top 100. According to U.S. News, South Jordan has an overall score of 6.4 out of 10.
“South Jordan offers a higher value of living compared to similarly sized cities,” U.S. News said.
South Jordan reportedly boasts a median household income of $127,500 and a 2.43% unemployment rate. Rent in South Jordan averages $1,505, and the median home value is over $600,000, U.S. News reports.
Learn more about how South Jordan earned its spot on U.S. News’ website.
Sandy came in at number 109 in the rankings from U.S. News, with an overall score of 6.2 out of 10.
According to U.S. News, Sandy is also ranked favorably in terms of value when comparing housing costs to median household income. The median home value in Sandy is reportedly higher than the national average.
Most residents of Sandy commute to work, according to the study, and drive about 21 minutes to get to work (which is 0.9 minutes lower than the national average, according to the study).
Learn more about how Sandy earned its spot on U.S. News’ website.
Layton earned an overall score of 6.1 out of 10, and is the last Utah city in the list to be included in the top 150 cities, according to U.S. News.
The average commute time for Layton residents is reportedly 19 minutes, which is lower than the national average. Layton also scored positively in the value category, with a median household income of over $100,000 and a median monthly rent of roughly $1,200.
“The job market in Layton is better than the national average,” U.S. News said.
Learn more about how Layton earned its spot on U.S. News’ website.
Lehi earned an overall score of 5.9 out of 10, according to U.S. News.
While the median household income is higher than several other cities on the list (nearly $123,000), the median monthly rent is also higher (over $1,600 per month). Lehi also has a healthier job market than similarly sized cities, as well as a shorter commute time.
According to U.S. News, more than 66% of Lehi’s population is married, meaning nearly 34% of the city is single (which is lower than the national average).
Learn more about how Lehi earned its spot on U.S. News’ website.
West Jordan is one of the last Utah cities ranked among the country’s best places to live, with an overall score of 5.8 out of 10, according to U.S. News.
West Jordan scored highly in terms of the value of living and housing affordability, when comparing median household income ($105,418) to housing costs.
However, West Jordan has a longer commute time than the national average (22.6 minutes) and also has fewer single people, which both impact the score.
Learn more about how West Jordan earned its spot on U.S. News’ website.
Out of 250 cities included on the list, Orem took the 248th spot with an overall score of 5.8 out of 10, according to U.S. News.
Orem reportedly has a median household income of $84,126 (slightly higher than the national average) but a median monthly rent of over $1,200. However, Orem has a shorter commute time than the national average, with most residents driving just over 16 minutes.
While Orem is not ranked as highly on the list, it still offers a high value of living and has a healthier job market than other similarly sized cities.