Best Places To Live In Illinois: These 3 Cities Make The List

Each year, US News & World Report comes out with their picks for The Best Places To Live In The US. They pick the top 150 places to call home in the country, and they base their judgements on an analysis of public data and user opinions. To top the list, a place must earn high scores in criteria such as desirability and quality of life.

Is the very best place to live in America located within Illinois' borders?

Let's not get carried away. Illinois may not have the number-one-best-place-to-live spot, but we put three cities into the top 150, so we probably shouldn't get greedy about our overall ranking among all 50 states.

Before We Unveil The Illinois Cities On US News & World Report's List, Let's Take A Look At The Places They Deemed To Be The Very Best In The Entire Country

Unsurprisingly, people really like living someplace that features lots of warm weather, sunshine, and in the case of the number-one ranked city on the list, no state income tax. Here are the cities that US News & World Report ranked as the top 5 best places to live in the US:

1. Naples, Florida
2. Boise, Idaho
3. Colorado Springs, Colorado
4. Greenville, South Carolina
5. Charlotte, North Carolina

It would appear that in addition to loving warm weather and sunshine, there are lots of us who love snow and mountainous areas, too.

Rounding out the top ten cities are Raleigh, North Carolina, Huntsville, Alabama, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Austin, Texas, and Boulder, Colorado.

Of The 3 Illinois Cities To Make The List, The Greeting Card Featured Above Also Shows The City That Comes In Last Behind The Two Other Illinois Cities

That would be Chicago, which carries an overall ranking in the nation of #119, and receives as score of 5.8 out of a possible 10. Chicago drew praise for its "never-ending events and friendly residents."

The city that's ranked #2 in Illinois, and #105 overall with a score of 6 out of 10 is a city that has taken more than its fair share of criticism from people both outside and inside its city limits is:

US News & World Report's take on Rockford is pretty complimentary, giving Rockford kudos for its entertainment options downtown and for boasting "big-city amenities at a fraction of the cost."

And finally, the Illinois city that they rank as the number-one place to live in the state:

Peoria comes in at #82 overall in the country, with a score of 6.2 out of a possible 10. The reasons for their high ranking, according to US News & World Report are the city's "river-view bluff and in its family-filled suburban subdivisions."

I've got nothing against Peoria, but I think I'd rather have Rockford's "entertainment options and big-city amenities at a fraction of the cost." Which is a good thing, considering I already live in Rockford.