PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland made a big jump this year on an annual list of the Top 25 places to live in the United States.
U.S. News and World Report published the annual list, and ranked Portland sixth overall, a jump of 26 spots from its No. 32 ranking in 2017.
"U.S. residents view Portland as a highly desirable place to live, and it takes the No. 2 spots in that category," U.S. News wrote. "Additionally, a strong job market and consistent growth in population due to net migration over a five-year period leads to the Rose City's rise in the rankings.
Seattle ranked 10th on the list, dropping four spots from its No. 6 ranking in 2017. Seattle merited a high ranking because of a "consistently strong job market" and "high desirability among U.S. residents as a place to live," U.S. News wrote.
Austin, Texas ranked No. 1 on the list. Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado; Des Moines, Iowa; and Fayetteville, Arkansas rounded out the Top 5. See the complete list here.
U.S. News surveyed more than 2,000 people and asked which factors they care about most when deciding where to live. That data was then applied to the nation's 125 largest metro areas, judging the qualities of each location based on cost of living, job market, crime rates and qualify of education, among other factors.
