2 Johnson County cities on list of best places to live in US this year. Do you agree?
Three cities in Kansas and two in Missouri were featured on a list ranking some of the top places to live in the United States. But none of them were Kansas City.
Livability, an online living resource that collects data from cities and towns around the country, ranked the top 100 places to live in the U.S. based on a combination of affordability, opportunity and quality of life factors, according to the website’s methodology. They gathered data from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, IRS, Department of Education, the Federal Reserve and other sources.
The resource only looks at small to mid-size cities with populations between 75,000-500,000 and cities with a median home value of $500,000 or less. While they say the list isn’t ranked from 1-100, they assign a livability score on a scale of 1-1,000, grading the cities based on its performance across categories like median commute time, school quality, doctor and hospital access, home and rental affordability measures and leisure amenities.
Of the five cities from Kansas and Missouri to make the list, only two of them are within 30 minutes of Kansas City. Here’s what cities from the region Livability ranks as the best in the United States.
Which cities were named the best in US?
Livability’s findings aren’t designed to show the best cities ranked from 1-100, but one city in the Kansas City metro received the sixth-highest score from the website’s methodology: Overland Park. The Kansas suburb was also named one of the best places to live by ranking website Niche in 2025.
The city of 203,941 people had a score of 831, and it ranked highest for education, health and economy. The city was also named one of the top 100 places to live in 2024 by Livability.
The cost of living in Overland Park is slightly higher than the national average. The median home value in Overland Park is $386,658, and the average household income is $146,043, Livability says.
“Situated in the heart of Kansas, Overland Park is a warm and welcoming community with picturesque neighborhoods, a strong economy, top-rated schools and plenty of things to do without skimping out on affordability,” Livability said in a blog post.
Coming in at the No. 9 spot on the rankings is Olathe, receiving a score of 799. The city of 145,894 also ranked highest for its education, health and economy.
The cost of living in Olathe is slightly lower than the national average. The median home value in Olathe is $348,048, and the average household income is $135,678, according to Livability.
“Olathe is the epitome of Midwestern charm, with friendly neighborhoods, top-notch schools, a thriving job market and no shortage of things to do,” Livability said in a blog post. “The city’s close proximity to Kansas City perfectly balances suburban tranquility and urban conveniences.”
Wichita was also included on the list, with a score of 662. Representing Missouri cities are Columbia, two hours east of Kansas City, and St. Louis, four hours east of Kansas City.
