The Best Large U.S. City to Live In Is … – NMP Skip to main content

The Best Large U.S. City to Live In Is …

Jul 16, 2019
Photo credit: Getty Images/eurobanks

A new survey from WalletHub has crowned Virginia Beach, Va., as the 2019 choice for the best big city to live in.
 
The survey studied the nation’s 62 largest cities and used 56 key metrics, including real estate opportunities and the quality of life standards, to determine the best location for urban dwellers. Virginia Beach ranked first among cities, and also scored first place for the highest homeownership rate (63.85 percent), the lowest share of residents living in poverty (eight percent) and the fewest violent crimes per 1,000 residents (1.38 percent).
 
Rounding out WalletHub’s top 10 best large cities to live in were Austin, Seattle, San Diego, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York, San Jose, Honolulu and Portland. Detroit ranked last among the cities studied by WalletHub, and it also had the highest number of residents living in poverty (37.9 percent, which is 4.7 times higher than Virginia Beach’s level).
 
Wichita, Kan., was ranked first for the nation’s lowest housing costs–Los Angeles ranked last–and the shortest average commute time–New York City ranked last. New York City also ranked second to last with the lowest homeownership rate, with only Miami having a smaller share of homeowners.

 
About the author
Published
Jul 16, 2019
Strong Jobs Report Threatens Mortgage Rate Rally

October hiring more than doubled expectations, pushing Treasury yields higher

Nov 06, 2026
Fed Holds Rates, But Pricing Pressures Persist

Rising Treasury yields and fresh inflation data complicate rate locks, borrower qualification, and lender margins as markets anticipate another hike in December

Oct 29, 2026
Zippy Adds Capital For Manufactured-Home Lending Push

The $20 million investment from Saluda Grade will support expansion beyond 27 states and new loan products across wholesale, retail, and community channels

Oct 16, 2026
Inflation Hits 3.7%, Putting Mortgage Rate Relief At Risk

September’s inflation pickup puts recent rate improvements at risk, potentially eroding affordability gains from lower home prices and seller concessions

Oct 14, 2026
PLACE Acquires Ardley, Expanding Push To Turn Existing Borrowers Into New Loans

The latest deal connects borrower retention technology with Maxwell's origination platform and PLACE's real estate network, creating new opportunities for lenders

Oct 09, 2026
Equifax, TransUnion Launch New Tools To Cut Credit Report Costs

Both bureaus introduce ways to purchase credit scores separately from reports, while Equifax reports growing VantageScore adoption and extends $1 pricing through 2028

Oct 09, 2026