What Are America's Best Cities?

For the second year running, Businessweek has conducted an evaluation of America's 100 largest cities to determine their list of the top 50. Alex Konrad discusses the results.

1 minute read

September 29, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


It's hard to argue with Businessweek's selection of San Francisco as America's best place to live. That is, of course, unless you have an aversion to stratospheric housing prices, earthquakes, and hilly terrain. According to Konrad, a number of factors went into this year's evaluation, including crime, air quality, education, and a variety of economic factors. Notably, leisure amenities, such as the number of restaurants, bars, libraries, museums, professional sports teams, and park acres by population, received the greatest weight in the evaluation.

San Franciscans may be even more pleased to learn that Los Angeles came in 50th place in the rankings, below such world renowned cities as Reno, Virginia Beach, and Rochester.  

Friday, September 28, 2012 in Bloomberg BusinessWeek

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 10, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

A line of white wind turbines surrounded by wheat and soybean fields with a cloudy blue sky in the background.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal

The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.

April 15 - Fast Company

Red and white Caltrain train.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification

The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

April 15 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

View up at brick Catholic church towers and modern high-rise buildings.

Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation

Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.

April 15 - NBC Dallas