NOT DES MOINES. Sorry. A new study by the U.S. World and News Report magazine has ranked Austin, Texas, as the best American city to live in. The magazine staff analyzed the 100 most populous metro areas to find the best places to live. To make the top of the list, a place had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market and a high quality of life. Here's the Top 20...
20. Houston, TX
19. Grand Rapids, MI
18. Madison, WI
17. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
16. San Francisco, CA
15. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
14. Charlotte, NC
13. Nashville, TN
12. Boise, ID
11. Colorado Springs, CO
10. Salt Lake City, UT
9. Des Moines, IA
8. Boston, MA
7. Raleigh-Durham, NC
6. Seattle, WA
5. Fayetteville, Arkansas
4. Washington, D.C (I lived and worked there for a year...if you like a two-hour commute to work, it's a great place!)
.3. San Jose, California
2. Denver, Colorado
1. Austin, Texas