CHARLOTTE — Concord appears in a newly released “Best Places to Live” ranking that’s focused on identifying the top small- to mid-sized U.S. cities for 2026.
Livability.com released its annual “100 Best Places to Live” list this week, putting Concord at No. 24 — the top rank for any North Carolina city. Across the entire Carolinas, Charleston landed higher at No. 21.
To compile the ranking, Livability.com said it partnered with Applied Geographic Solutions to analyze more than 2,000 U.S. cities with populations between 75,000 and 500,000 people. It analyzed cities using nearly 100 data points across the following eight categories: economy, housing and cost of living, amenities, transportation, environment, safety, education and health. Each city then received a “LivScore.”
Livability.com assigned more weight this year to the housing and cost of living category due to shifting economic conditions and higher living costs. It also prioritized affordability by excluding cities with median home values over $500,000 and analyzing average rents and home prices relative to local incomes.
“As Americans face consistently evolving work dynamics and a desire for the best quality of life possible amidst inflation and uncertainty, our list celebrates places where people can more realistically build families, launch businesses and lead meaningful lives,” Amanda Ellis, Livability.com editor-in-chief, said in a news release.
Concord, with a LivScore of 730, ranked highest for transportation, safety and environment. Livability.com highlighted Concord’s historic downtown, its relative affordability compared to Charlotte and economic drivers such as Speedway Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports.
Read more here.
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