Virginia, Maryland neighborhoods among 20 best places to live in the US, study finds

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR/ DC News Now ) — Do you love where you live? From large communities down to small neighborhoods, a new Niche study ranks the best places to live in the United States in 2024, and three of them are in the DMV: two in Arlington County, Va. and another in Maryland.

Pulling statistics from the U.S. Census and other sources, the study’s authors weighed a number of factors that include cost of living, schools, crime, outdoor activities, job opportunities, diversity and more to create this year’s “ 2024 Best Places to Live in America ” ranking.

Leading all communities this year is Colonial Village in Arlington, Virginia, which is home to roughly 3,000 people, according to Niche, many of them young professionals. Colonial Village also received the highest possible rating for its nearby public schools, nightlife, health & fitness and commute.

Rounding out the top three were the suburban town of Carmel, Indiana, home to 99,453 people, and Chesterbrook, a suburb of Philadelphia. Both were given the highest possible marks for their public schools and family friendly communities.

Radnor/Fort Myer Heights in Arlington came in at Number 8. Another neighborhood in the DMV that made it onto the list was was North Bethesda in Maryland.

See the top 20 places to live below:

See the Niche website for the full, searchable list of the “2024 Best Places to Live in America,” or find the ranking of a neighborhood near you using this map .

For U.S. home shoppers eyeing better schools, increased job opportunities, lower crime or other qualities in a new neighborhood, the real estate market has been brutal in recent years.

The U.S. housing market is coming off a deep, two-year sales slump triggered by a sharp rise in mortgage rates and a dearth of homes on the market. The overall decline in rates since their peak last fall has helped lower monthly mortgage payments, providing more financial breathing room for homebuyers facing rising prices and a shortage of homes for sale this year.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate slid down to 6.6% in January, but rates have climbed back to nearly 7% in recent days.

“After decreasing for a couple of weeks, mortgage rates are once again on the upswing,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

When mortgage rates rise, they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much they can afford in a market already out of reach for many Americans.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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