Nation’s best spot to live is right here in metro Atlanta, report says

There are plenty of cities throughout the U.S. whose residents may boast that theirs is the best, extolling their culture, history or other amenities.

But according to rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report, a city in Fulton County is the only one that can truly claim the top spot.

Johns Creek, a north Fulton suburb about 25 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, ranks No. 1 on the publication’s 2025-2026 list of “250 Best Places to Live.”

The city of about 80,000 people, known for its foliage and sense of community, was touted for its strong job market and quality of life.

“We are blessed with a great community, and it’s always nice when others recognize that,” said Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry in a statement. “The council and I will continue to focus on delivering value and a strong quality of life for our residents.”

This marks the first time a Georgia city has won the honor since the publication debuted its current version of the annual rankings in 2016, according to U.S. News officials.

Last year, Naples, Florida, took the top spot.

Other Georgia cities to make this year’s list are: Alpharetta (No. 24), Roswell (No. 52), Dalton (No. 147), Smyrna (No. 158) and Warner Robins (No. 176).

More than 850 cities were analyzed for the rankings, which took into account the job market, value, quality of life and desirability. U.S. News said it weighed those and other factors based partly on a survey of thousands of people across the U.S. to discover what “qualities they consider important in a place to live.”

While the cost of living was higher in Johns Creek than the national average, it had a healthier job market than similarly sized metro areas, the report found. Unemployment was also lower than the national average of just over 4%.

Due to increased economic uncertainty, this edition of the rankings put more emphasis on each city’s affordability and jobs, said Erika Giovanetti, a consumer lending analyst at U.S. News.

“People are really craving that stability and being able to, you know, finance a high-quality lifestyle,” she said.

Both Johns Creek and Alpharetta were helped by their central locations being “just a quick commute away” from large employers, she added.

Johns Creek gained points for its abundance of parks, school system and college readiness, according to the rankings. Giovanetti said the city’s low crime rates and overall quality of life also gave it a leg up.

Here are the top 10 places on this year’s list: