Naperville again No. 1 on Niche list of best American cities

For a second straight year, Naperville has been ranked the best city to live in America, according to the Niche website.

In a near duplication of Niche’s 2024 list, Naperville topped The Woodlands, Texas; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Arlington, Virginia; and Irvine, California.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment for Naperville to be the envy of so many cities around the United States. But it’s no surprise when you see how the community works together,” Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli said.

“Everything from the school districts to the park district, to provide all the services and the schools and the recreational opportunities, they really push the numbers that make the Niche ratings so high,” he said.

Niche went deep in its rankings, highlighting 190 top American cities of at least 100,000 people.

Naperville also topped Niche’s 2025 rankings for the best cities to buy a house in America, the best cities to raise a family, and cities with the best public schools.

Wehrli said it is the fifth consecutive year Naperville has been ranked among the top five for best cities to raise a family and the cities with the best public schools.

Over the past decade, Naperville has received recognition from various publications and entities, including Money, 24/7 Wall Street, Livability, SafeWise, the Center for Public Safety Excellence, and the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation.

“I think we’ve continued to focus on everything we can to make our city great,” Wehrli said. “We never apply for these recognitions.

“While those awards are great,” he said, “they come as a surprise to us.”

A marketing firm based in Pittsburgh, Niche uses data from sources, including the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local survey respondents.

In addition to receiving an overall A+ rating from Niche, Naperville also earned that grade for its public schools and as being “good for families.” It earned an A- for both housing and diversity, a B+ for nightlife, and a B for crime and safety.

“I think it’s really the commitment of all the leaders of the past who’ve pursued good planning to get where we are today,” Wehrli said.