Carmel No.2 on U.S. List
Livability.com announced that Carmel has been named one of the 2026 Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. Now in its 13th year, the annual list highlights the nation’s most vibrant and affordable small to mid-sized cities.
The 2026 ranking is built on the idea of finding an “everything” city – a place where a career, a home and a high quality of life are all within reach. Out of more than 2,000 cities analyzed, CITY earned its spot through exceptional performance across eight key categories, particularly in the safety, education and health categories. Notably, the cities on this year’s list represent the top 5% of U.S. cities with populations between 75,000 and 500,000.
“Our ‘Top 100’ is an annual data-driven collection of what we consider to be the best small to mid-size cities,” says Amanda Ellis, Livability.com Editor-in-Chief. “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”.
Why Carmel, IN, Stands Out
Livability.com partnered with the data experts at Applied Geographic Solutions (AGS) to analyze nearly 100 data points for cities with populations between 75,000 and 500,000. This “sweet spot” population range represents cities that offer big-city opportunities while remaining small enough to feel like home.
Affordability was a primary driver in this year’s selection process. Because of rising costs nationwide, the 2026 algorithm gave extra weight to the Housing and Cost of Living category. To ensure the cities on the list are truly accessible, Livability only includes places with a median home value under $500,000. Carmel’s inclusion underscores its status as a community where your paycheck goes further, and quality of life comes first.
Personalized for Every Resident
While Carmel earned a high LivScore to secure its spot, the Livability.com platform lets users customize the list by their own priorities, such as safety, education or health care accessibility.
The complete 2026 Top 100 Best Places to Live list is available now at Livability.com.