#safest-towns

#safest-towns

"Domestic migration patterns continue to redistribute the population from the largest counties to less populous ones. Collectively, the 50 counties with 1 million or more people in 2025 had a net domestic migration loss of 637,634."

As we move into a new year, the data shows that people are being much more strategic about where they move. While the massive surge of migration to the Sunbelt remains a primary driver of growth, moving to a particular state or region is taking a back seat to moving to very specific neighborhoods.

Vermont took the No. 1 spot. Opera Beds reported that the Green Mountain State has a diabetes rate of 16.7 percent, the lowest among adults over 65. The obesity rate for this age group in Vermont is also lower than the national average: 24.4 percent compared to 30.7 percent.

Poplar Bluff, Missouri. The study found that the annual cost of living in this small town, also known as the "Gateway to the Ozarks," is $32,941, while the median household income is $42,035. Poplar Bluff's violent crime rate is 0.372, and its property crime rate is 2.111 per 1,000 residents. According to Redfin, the median home price here is just under $142,000, which is about $281,000 below the national median.

And the city that topped the ranking for the sixth year in a row is San Francisco. "[...] even though the area's monthly housing costs are three times higher than the U.S. median ($2,693 compared to $943 nationally)," the report notes, the city "excels in other metrics, especially health, boasting excellent access to health care, universal access to exercise opportunities, and low smoking rates."

He began by characterizing what I had written as "fascinating," which could have meant a multitude of things coming from a teenager. He then explained that his eighth-grade English class included recent discussions about immigrant pursuits of the American dream. Accordingly, one major takeaway from those conversations with his teacher and peers was that many people come to the U.S. because it is perceived as a land of opportunity.

If you belong to the latter group, AARP recently shared its ranking of the best small towns to live for older adults. The non-profit organization considered communities with populations of 5,000 to 24,999 residents and evaluated them on over 60 factors across categories such as housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, and health. Additionally, AARP noted that "residents of small communities typically experience lower income inequality, more jobs per worker, and greater age diversity compared to the national average."

McCann noted that Massachusetts ranks third in job security and ninth in poverty rate, which increases the likelihood that parents will be able to provide for their children. While Massachusetts is not the cheapest state - with high housing and child care costs compared with the rest of the nation - McCann said that residents make up for it with high incomes. In addition, Massachusetts has the fifth-best water quality in the country,

Owning a home is the goal for many, but sometimes, it's smarter financially to rent. Plus, without being tied down by a mortgage, renters have the flexibility to decide where to live every 12 months. Apartment search website RentCafe analyzed 149 metropolitan areas with at least 300,000 residents to make that decision easier. The site factored in 17 metrics across three key categories - location and community, quality of life, and socioeconomics - to rank which metros were the most livable.

"When I think about the best cities for young adults, I start with what recent high school and college grads actually value: access to jobs, reasonable housing costs, walkable or active social scenes, and the ability to build independence without being financially stretched from day one," says Danielle Andrews, realtor with Realty One Group Next Generation. But where exactly are these young person-friendly spots?