Data & Methodology
Every score on Top City Reports is calculated from public government data using our proprietary scoring methodology. All scores range from 0–100, where higher is better. This page describes what each metric represents and where the underlying data comes from.
Core Scores
Headline 0–100 ratings shown on every city profile. Higher is better.
Livability Score
A composite rating that summarizes a city's overall quality of life across affordability, safety, educational attainment, and weather.
Affordability Score
How affordable everyday living is for a typical resident, based on the relationship between local income and housing costs.
Educational Attainment Score
A measure of educational attainment in the city, reflecting both high school and college completion rates. Measures attainment, not school quality.
Crime & Safety Score
A safety rating derived from local violent and property crime activity. Higher scores indicate safer cities.
Weather Score
A rating of climate comfort considering temperature, sunshine, and seasonal extremes.
Audience Scores
Specialized ratings tailored to specific lifestyles and life stages.
Remote Worker Score
How well-suited a city is to people who work from home, balancing connectivity, affordability, and quality of life.
Family Score
How welcoming a city is for raising a family, weighing safety, homeownership, commute, and affordability.
Retirement Score
How appealing a city is for retirees, with an emphasis on pleasant weather and a manageable cost of living.
City Indicators
Raw values reported alongside scores, drawn directly from public datasets.
Population
Estimated number of people living in the city.
Median Age
The midpoint of residents' ages — half the population is younger, half is older.
Median Household Income
The typical annual income for a household in the city.
Median Rent
The typical monthly rent paid by renting households.
Median Home Value
The typical estimated value of owner-occupied homes.
Homeownership Rate
The share of occupied homes that are owned rather than rented.
Renter Burden Rate
The share of renting households spending at least 30% of their income on rent.
Fair Market Rent (2-BR)
A government estimate of the going monthly rent for a modest two-bedroom unit in the area.
Poverty Rate
The share of residents living below the federal poverty threshold.
High School Graduation Rate
The share of adults who have completed high school or higher.
Bachelor's Degree Rate
The share of adults who hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Broadband Access
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Average Commute Time
The average one-way commute, in minutes, for workers in the city.
Violent Crime Rate
Reported violent crime incidents per 1,000 residents per year.
Property Crime Rate
Reported property crime incidents per 1,000 residents per year.
Average Temperature
The average annual temperature in the city.
Sunny Days
The typical number of mostly-sunny days per year.
Rainfall
Average total annual rainfall.
Snowfall
Average total annual snowfall.
Data Sources
All data is drawn from public, non-commercial U.S. government datasets.
U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS)
2022 (5-year estimates)
Demographics, income, housing, educational attainment, broadband, and commute statistics.
FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE)
2022
Violent and property crime counts reported by local law enforcement agencies.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
2014–2023 average
Temperature, precipitation, snowfall, and sunshine measurements from weather stations.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
2024
Fair Market Rent estimates and rental affordability indicators.
Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS)
2023
National median wages and employment levels by occupation.
A note on accuracy
No dataset is perfect. Census estimates have margins of error, crime reporting varies between agencies, and weather measurements are station-based. We encourage treating our scores as one input among many when making relocation decisions.