This City Was Just Named the Most Livable in the U.S.—With Clean Air, Easy Outdoor Access, and Job Stability

“Hey Seattleites, it’s not all bad news. We are the #1 city to live in the United States… Wow…!

Sometimes that might be easy to forget with everything going on here, but good to know, and that must mean people will still be moving here… 😊”

-Rob Kellum

Seattle stood out globally for its high disposable income and quality of life.
Gautier Houba/Travel + Leisure

• A global study named Seattle the best place to live in the U.S. and the eighth best in the world.
• The Emerald City ranked high for healthcare, quality of life, and disposable income.
• Boston is the only other U.S. city to make it to the top 10, ranking No. 10; Zurich topped the list.

There’s more to Seattle than its reputation as a favorite getaway. Last month, a study by the digital entertainment platform JB ranked the Emerald City as the best place to live in the U.S. and one of the top 10 in the world.

The company analyzed 45 cities worldwide, evaluating each metropolis on six core features: overall quality of life, safety, healthcare access, air pollution levels, unemployment rates, and monthly disposable income. Seattle ranked as the most liveable option in the U.S., placing eighth overall. Across the country, Boston was the only other domestic city to appear in the top 10.

Seattle’s high ranking reflects a combination of excellent healthcare, a high quality of life, and the second-highest disposable income in the top 10. Ultimately, it’s what helped the city outperform larger, more expensive urban areas—both domestic and international—many of which earned high marks in isolated categories but fell short overall.

Seattle’s coastal location, coupled with lush greenery, offers more than postcard-worthy scenery. Easy access to the mountains and water influences how residents spend time outdoors, which has mental and physical health benefits. (In 2024, the city was named the most outdoor-friendly in the U.S.) Meanwhile, an economy centered on tech, healthcare, and education provides stability and supports long-term investment in healthcare and environmental standards.

And while Seattle consistently ranks among the country’s most expensive cities due to its high cost of living, JB’s study found that residents had an average monthly disposable income of $2,703, the second-highest among the top 10 cities, after Zurich.

From a global perspective, Seattle successfully held its own against stiff competition. While European cities such as Zurich, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Vienna dominated the top spots, the Emerald City still placed ahead of Edinburgh and Boston. Check out the complete list below:

1. Zurich, Switzerland
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
4. Vienna, Austria
5. Munich, Germany
6. Helsinki, Finland
7. Melbourne, Australia
8. Seattle, United States
9. Edinburgh, United Kingdom
10. Boston, United States

Lauren Dana Ellman
Travel + Leisure
March 3, 2026