This Fresno County city is one of the most livable in the U.S., study says. See why

A Fresno County city is one of the most livable places in the United States, according to Livability.

Clovis landed on the site’s 2024 list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. , which ranked small to mid-sized cities based on factors including housing, education and environment. Each city was then given a quality-of-life score.

“What makes a city a great place to live?” Livability said on its site. “The most livable cities in the U.S. offer a combination of affordability, opportunity and quality of life factors.”

Carmel, Indiana, topped the list of the best 100 places to live in the nation with a score of 875 out of a possible 1,000.

Cary, North Carolina, and Columbia, Maryland, tied for second place with a score of 874, and Fishers, Indiana, came in third place with a score of 864.

Why is Clovis one of the most livable cities in US?

Clovis , just east of Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley, ranked highly on Livability in terms of environment, transportation and economy.

The city, which has a population of 124,309, had a quality-of-life score of 751 out of 1,000.

“With tree-lined streets and friendly neighbors, Clovis blends small-town charm with modern amenities,” Livability said on its site.

The city has an urban greening master plan that “includes bicycle transportation, improved air and water quality, urban forest management,” according to the site.

Livability also mentioned a vintage market that’s popular among residents.

Here are some other factors Livability looked at:

How did other California cities fare?

Elk Grove scored the highest out of four California cities on the list, with a quality-of-life score of 799 out of 1,000.

Redding had a score of 751 and Murrieta scored a 730.

How did Livability rank cities?

Livability partnered with to create its 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. list.

“There’s when it comes to the perfect place to live,” Livability stated on its website, which is why the cities were not ranked in numerical order.

Livability limited its list to more than 2,000 cities that fit its population parameters of 75,000 to 500,000 people.

Only cities with a median home value of $500,000 or less were included in the Top 100 Best Places to Live list.

Livability based its scores on about 100 data points measuring eight broad categories:

• Economy, including unemployment rate
• Housing and cost of living, including tax rates and home and rental affordability
• Amenities, such as museums, parks, golf courses and shopping
• Transportation, including walkability and median commute time
• Environment, including population density, air quality and natural disaster risks
• Safety, including crime rates
• Education, such as school quality
• Health, including life expectancy and access to doctors and hospitals

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