Top 50 US counties — equal-weight livability

🏆 Top 50 US counties to live in — equal-weight composite

Mean of 9 signed indicator percentiles across 3,144 scored counties (back to the map). Equal-weight livability composite per county: each indicator is percentile-ranked across ~3,100 US counties (signed so 100 = good), and the score is the mean of available percentiles. Weights are a value judgment — equal weighting is a disclosed default, not truth. Indicators: ACS income / poverty / unemployment / education / rent burden / broadband (2023 5-yr), CDC PLACES fair-poor health, FEMA National Risk Index, EPA median AQI (monitored counties only — missing indicators are dropped from that county's mean; fewer than 6 available = no score, grey). Small-county ACS estimates carry wide margins of error. No crime indicator: there is no complete open national county-level source.

#	County	Score	Strongest on	Weakest on
1	Los Alamos County, New Mexico	97.8	Poverty rate, Bachelor's degree or higher	Unemployment rate
2	Morgan County, Utah	96.2	Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Unemployment rate
3	Oconee County, Georgia	92.6	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Bachelor's degree or higher	Unemployment rate
4	Harding County, South Dakota	92.3	Median rent as % of income, Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)	Median household income
5	Thomas County, Nebraska	91.8	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI), Median rent as % of income	Bachelor's degree or higher
6	Goochland County, Virginia	91.1	Poverty rate, Median household income	Median rent as % of income
7	Union County, Ohio	90.3	Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
8	Hinsdale County, Colorado	89.9	Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Median household income
9	Greeley County, Kansas	89.0	Unemployment rate, Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)	Poverty rate
10	Edmunds County, South Dakota	88.1	Median rent as % of income, Unemployment rate	Bachelor's degree or higher
11	Pottawatomie County, Kansas	87.8	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Poverty rate	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
12	Summit County, Utah	87.6	Median household income, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
13	Saunders County, Nebraska	87.5	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Poverty rate	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
14	Hughes County, South Dakota	87.2	Median AQI 2024 (EPA), Unemployment rate	Median rent as % of income
15	Cass County, Nebraska	87.0	Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
16	Bottineau County, North Dakota	86.6	Unemployment rate, Median rent as % of income	Bachelor's degree or higher
17	Calumet County, Wisconsin	86.2	Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
18	Bristol County, Rhode Island	86.2	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Median household income	Median rent as % of income
19	Ouray County, Colorado	86.0	Poverty rate, Bachelor's degree or higher	Median rent as % of income
20	Cook County, Minnesota	85.7	Median AQI 2024 (EPA), Bachelor's degree or higher	Poverty rate
21	Ozaukee County, Wisconsin	85.6	Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
22	Kearney County, Nebraska	85.6	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Unemployment rate	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
23	Hanson County, South Dakota	85.6	Median rent as % of income, Poverty rate	Bachelor's degree or higher
24	Falls Church city, Virginia	85.6	Bachelor's degree or higher, Broadband subscription	Unemployment rate
25	Juneau City and Borough, Alaska	85.5	Broadband subscription, Median household income	Unemployment rate
26	Monroe County, Illinois	85.4	Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
27	Currituck County, North Carolina	85.4	Median household income, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Bachelor's degree or higher
28	Lincoln County, South Dakota	85.2	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Broadband subscription	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
29	Broomfield County, Colorado	85.2	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Broadband subscription	Median rent as % of income
30	Washington County, Nebraska	85.1	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Poverty rate	Median rent as % of income
31	Grand Isle County, Vermont	85.1	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI), Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Median rent as % of income
32	Dodge County, Minnesota	85.1	Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Median rent as % of income
33	Boone County, Indiana	85.0	Poverty rate, Bachelor's degree or higher	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
34	Renville County, North Dakota	84.9	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI), Unemployment rate	Bachelor's degree or higher
35	Jefferson County, Montana	84.8	Poverty rate, Median rent as % of income	Broadband subscription
36	Dallas County, Iowa	84.8	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Bachelor's degree or higher	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
37	Poquoson city, Virginia	84.7	Median household income, Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)	Median rent as % of income
38	Hamlin County, South Dakota	84.6	Poverty rate, Median rent as % of income	Bachelor's degree or higher
39	Otoe County, Nebraska	84.4	Median rent as % of income, Broadband subscription	Bachelor's degree or higher
40	Fauquier County, Virginia	84.4	Median household income, Poverty rate	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
41	Carver County, Minnesota	84.4	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Poverty rate	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
42	Mills County, Iowa	84.3	Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Median rent as % of income
43	McPherson County, Nebraska	84.3	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI), Unemployment rate	Median household income
44	St. Croix County, Wisconsin	84.2	Median household income, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
45	Grant County, Kansas	84.0	Median rent as % of income, Poverty rate	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)
46	Wayne County, Utah	83.7	Median AQI 2024 (EPA), Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)
47	Fluvanna County, Virginia	83.7	Median household income, Poverty rate	Unemployment rate
48	Seward County, Nebraska	83.6	Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Poverty rate	Median rent as % of income
49	Grundy County, Iowa	83.5	Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)	Bachelor's degree or higher
50	Hancock County, Indiana	83.2	Poverty rate, Broadband subscription	Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

County

Score

Strongest on

Weakest on

Los Alamos County, New Mexico

97.8

Poverty rate, Bachelor's degree or higher

Unemployment rate

Morgan County, Utah

96.2

Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Unemployment rate

Oconee County, Georgia

92.6

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Bachelor's degree or higher

Unemployment rate

Harding County, South Dakota

92.3

Median rent as % of income, Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Median household income

Thomas County, Nebraska

91.8

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI), Median rent as % of income

Bachelor's degree or higher

Goochland County, Virginia

91.1

Poverty rate, Median household income

Median rent as % of income

Union County, Ohio

90.3

Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Hinsdale County, Colorado

89.9

Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Median household income

Greeley County, Kansas

89.0

Unemployment rate, Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Poverty rate

Edmunds County, South Dakota

88.1

Median rent as % of income, Unemployment rate

Bachelor's degree or higher

Pottawatomie County, Kansas

87.8

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Poverty rate

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Summit County, Utah

87.6

Median household income, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Saunders County, Nebraska

87.5

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Poverty rate

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Hughes County, South Dakota

87.2

Median AQI 2024 (EPA), Unemployment rate

Median rent as % of income

Cass County, Nebraska

87.0

Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Bottineau County, North Dakota

86.6

Unemployment rate, Median rent as % of income

Bachelor's degree or higher

Calumet County, Wisconsin

86.2

Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Bristol County, Rhode Island

86.2

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Median household income

Median rent as % of income

Ouray County, Colorado

86.0

Poverty rate, Bachelor's degree or higher

Median rent as % of income

Cook County, Minnesota

85.7

Median AQI 2024 (EPA), Bachelor's degree or higher

Poverty rate

Ozaukee County, Wisconsin

85.6

Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Kearney County, Nebraska

85.6

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Unemployment rate

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Hanson County, South Dakota

85.6

Median rent as % of income, Poverty rate

Bachelor's degree or higher

Falls Church city, Virginia

85.6

Bachelor's degree or higher, Broadband subscription

Unemployment rate

Juneau City and Borough, Alaska

85.5

Broadband subscription, Median household income

Unemployment rate

Monroe County, Illinois

85.4

Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Currituck County, North Carolina

85.4

Median household income, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Bachelor's degree or higher

Lincoln County, South Dakota

85.2

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Broadband subscription

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Broomfield County, Colorado

85.2

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Broadband subscription

Median rent as % of income

Washington County, Nebraska

85.1

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Poverty rate

Median rent as % of income

Grand Isle County, Vermont

85.1

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI), Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Median rent as % of income

Dodge County, Minnesota

85.1

Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Median rent as % of income

Boone County, Indiana

85.0

Poverty rate, Bachelor's degree or higher

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Renville County, North Dakota

84.9

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI), Unemployment rate

Bachelor's degree or higher

Jefferson County, Montana

84.8

Poverty rate, Median rent as % of income

Broadband subscription

Dallas County, Iowa

84.8

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Bachelor's degree or higher

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Poquoson city, Virginia

84.7

Median household income, Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Median rent as % of income

Hamlin County, South Dakota

84.6

Poverty rate, Median rent as % of income

Bachelor's degree or higher

Otoe County, Nebraska

84.4

Median rent as % of income, Broadband subscription

Bachelor's degree or higher

Fauquier County, Virginia

84.4

Median household income, Poverty rate

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Carver County, Minnesota

84.4

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Poverty rate

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Mills County, Iowa

84.3

Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Median rent as % of income

McPherson County, Nebraska

84.3

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI), Unemployment rate

Median household income

St. Croix County, Wisconsin

84.2

Median household income, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Grant County, Kansas

84.0

Median rent as % of income, Poverty rate

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Wayne County, Utah

83.7

Median AQI 2024 (EPA), Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Fluvanna County, Virginia

83.7

Median household income, Poverty rate

Unemployment rate

Seward County, Nebraska

83.6

Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES), Poverty rate

Median rent as % of income

Grundy County, Iowa

83.5

Poverty rate, Fair/poor self-rated health (CDC PLACES)

Bachelor's degree or higher

Hancock County, Indiana

83.2

Poverty rate, Broadband subscription

Natural-hazard risk (FEMA NRI)

Generated by Facetwork workflow livability.workflows.BuildBestCountyMap · view FFL · source repo · generated 2026-07-16 21:51 UTC