The Best Cities to Move to in America

There are many reasons to move to America, including the fact that the country has some of the world's best cities. Send My Bag is here to tell you about the 5 best cities to move to in America, according to the 2019 ranking of the 125 best places to live in America compiled by U.S News. With the largest economy in the world, and one that is only expanding, America is seen by many to be up there with the best countries to move to for lifestyle and employment. A downside for many might be Donald Trump’s presidency and the financial strain of healthcare, but there are many cities in America with plenty of advantages, like cultural diversity, lots of entertainment picks, natural landscapes to explore, great housing locations, career prospects, favourable climates and many other things that make for a happy lifestyle.

Austin, Texas 

Austin, for the third year in a row, has been named as the best city to live in the US! Austin also made the list of America’s happiest cities. With happiness being key to everyday life and well-being, this should make Austin a top contender in the best cities to move to in America.

Austin has been a hot spot for millennials, having the 5^th highest average annual net migration of millennials between 2012 and 2017. The city’s culture, friendliness, physical environment, and fair income taxes are some of the core things that millennials love about the Texas capital, as shown in a 2019 U.S cities scorecard for millennials.

As the live music capital of the world, moving to Austin means that you could enjoy its cultural entertainment scene any day or night of the week, which you’ll be a stone’s throw away from if you opt for a condo in Downtown or Old West Austin. Other young, hip, and cultural areas include Gateway and Hyde Park, which are around 10-20 minutes away from Downtown Austin. Hyde Park is also near The University of Texas, which means there is a large student community there.

Austin is also one of the best cities to move to in America for families as it has a crime rate lower than the national average and there are lots family-friendly neighbourhoods and plenty of natural surroundings for family adventure days! Top neighbourhoods include Avery Ranch, which is a 30-minute drive away from Downtown Austin, and Brentwood and Windsor Park, which are both about a 15-minute commute by car. Listed house prices in these areas start at around $300,000-$600,000 and go right up to the $700,000-$1,000,000 mark.

If you are relocating abroad alone, Austin is one of the best cities in America to move to as it was named the 3^rd best U.S city for meeting new people, so there’s no need to worry about finding friends. Austin overall is a city for culture, friends, and family!

Denver, Colorado

Denver is another one of the best cities in America that is proving popular for millennials. It seems that Denver has a bright future, and if you move to the Colorado capital, you could too! Denver has been named a ‘millennial hiring paradise’ due to the thousands of companies that have set up in the city and the thousands of job listings to choose from. The city featured in Forbes’ 2018 list of the best cities for jobs, which was based on whether job growth had slowed or accelerated since 2006. Denver was one of the cities that saw acceleration, ranking 12^th on the list.

Denver’s housing market is also booming, which only makes sense bearing in mind its population boom. It was recently reported that from just February to March 2019, there was a 20% increase in homes and condos bought in Denver. The houses are, however, on the pricier side because of the high demand for homes. A single-family home, on average, was sold for $450,000 in March 2019. Family-friendly neighbourhoods in Denver include Washington Park, Centennial, and Littleton, which are all only 15-20 minutes away from Denver’s city centre.

The Denver government have set a goal to increase the city’s public transport, so that eventually 75% of all households and offices are within a quarter mile of a high-frequency transport line.

The outdoor recreational activities in Denver are endless, with more than 200 mountain parks. Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Pikes Peak, and Evergreen are all around a one to two-hour drive from Denver’s city centre. Not to mention that you can also get to a ski resort for the same journey time. With over 300 days of sunshine in Denver, staying indoors would probably be a rarity.

Denver is known as the mile-high city because it is elevated 5,280 feet above sea level, but it also clearly elevates above other US cities regarding what it has got to offer, making it one of the best cities to move to in America.

Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs’ top position in the U.S. housing market goes to show just how much people are becoming interested in moving here. Forbes identified the city as having the 6^th hottest real-estate market by gauging interest from buyers, the median list price for houses and their value. The median list price for a house in Colorado Springs was $399,500 as of March 2019, lower than what a house would sell for on average in Denver, Colorado. There are due to be plans put in place in 2019 for more affordable housing because of concerns about rising house prices and to meet with the demand of the city.

Colorado Springs’ unemployment rate is 3.6%, which is its lowest in eighteen years, and which is also below the national U.S average of 3.9%. In fact, Colorado Springs was recently reported to be the number one U.S. city for employment growth, and the fifth best city to find a job, according to a 2019 ranking of 182 American cities by financial website WalletHub.

Colorado Springs is home to endless natural beauty, with many people travelling there to see the red rock formations of the Garden of the Gods, or the seven streaming waterfalls of The Broadmoor Seven Falls. Natural wonders like these are under 30 minutes away if you decide on a move to Colorado Springs. On top of this, just over an hour’s drive will get you to Colorado’s capital city of Denver and Colorado’s iconic Pikes Peak mountain. If you fancy a ski holiday, rather than paying for flights, all you need to do is pack your car and take a 2 and half hour road trip to ski resorts like Keystone, Copper Mountain, and Breckenridge.

The winters in Colorado Springs are cold and snowy, but the summers always make up for this with plenty of sunshine, warmth, and low humidity. Colorado Springs is, therefore, a city that is home to lots of variety – warm summers, snowy winters, natural wonders, city living and great career opportunities. Altogether, these factors make it one of the best cities to move to in America!

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Fayetteville is home to a wide-ranging arts, culture and entertainment district. Downtown Fayetteville and Dickson Street is where you will find many independent galleries, boutiques, bars, and restaurants. The artsy, hip, and historic atmosphere is only one of the factors making Fayetteville one of the best cities to move to in America!

Fayetteville’s unemployment rate is a lot lower than the U.S. national average. In fact, it has the 6^th lowest unemployment rate, as shown by the Bureau of Labour Statistics.

Fayetteville has a largely young demographic. This is due to the city’s young and hip vibe, its flagship state university, which brings in a large student population, and the fact that the city’s good safety record and pleasant surroundings are encouraging young families to raise children there. Fayetteville has actually been ranked as one of the most secure mid-size cities in the U.S. in the annual most secure U.S places to live study. Children can also be brought up with easy access to lots of outdoor recreational activities, including multi-use trails that stretch over 110 miles, neighbourhood parks, lakes, and local and regional mountain parks. A road trip of two hours will get you to the natural beauty and scenic views of the Ozark Mountains.

Fayetteville has plenty to offer – from art and culture, to job stability, to a good safety record, and lots of the outdoors to explore. It is definitely an under-rated U.S. city.

Des Moines, Iowa 

In just two years, Des Moines has jumped up 7 spots on the U.S best places to live ranking. It also took 7^th place in the Forbes list of the best cities for business and careers. Des Moines is ranked as one of the cheapest U.S cities, and has made it into the top 50 happiest U.S cities!

Des Moines is known to have shaken off its reputation of being backwards and conservative, and is instead recognised as a city of culture. The Guardian released an article in March 2019 about the city’s investments into a variety of art and music venues and food spots ‒ from live music venues, to places for craft beers and cocktails, to arts and education hubs, to restaurants serving cuisines from around the world.

The booming millennial population in Des Moines is also adding to the city’s modern vibe and progressiveness. Forbes named the state of Iowa the best in the country for millennials to build wealth and a career and to own a home. Today, the young people of Des Moines are able to have a lot of financial independence, with 31.1% of 2019 homebuyers in the city being aged 20 to 29. Des Moines has, therefore, been named the 5^th hottest city for millennials!

Des Moines’ cultural scene is only set to grow further through development projects and the renovation and regeneration of old buildings and areas into spaces for hotels, restaurants, bars, exhibitions, events, and so on. The city is definitely becoming a hot spot to live if you are looking for fun, value for money, culture, and community!

San Francisco, New York, or Los Angeles will most likely come to mind for many people when thinking about the best cities to move to in America. Of course, these cities are still hot spots for many, but the top 5 U.S. cities we’ve talked about have been ranked above these more obvious cities on everything from culture, to career opportunities, to lifestyle, to value for money, and so on.

If you are planning on moving to one of these U.S. cities for the first time, or to another city that we haven’t mentioned, check out our starter guide on moving to America – a 12 step plan on what to do when making the big move. Don’t forget that our door-to-door luggage shipping service takes away the stress of trying to find a removals company and having to pay their hefty fees.