As landlords and developers try to figure out the kinds of cities renters really want to live in, the answer may boil down to just one word: Livability. But determining what makes a city desirable in a world driven by data, not opinion, requires both cold, hard facts and an appreciation of the intangible factors like green space, cultural offerings, good food, and community spirit that enrich daily life.

A new report from RentCafe on the most livable places in the U.S. in 2024 tries to address both aspects based on an analysis of 139 metros using 17 key metrics. Scores for each city were weighted within three categories: socioeconomics, location and community, and quality of life.

Socioeconomics encompassed cost of living, income growth rate, poverty rate, unemployment rate, and income inequality ratio. Location and community focused on the share of higher educated residents, the share of long commutes, social association rate, the share of severe housing problems, and the ratio of arts, entertainment and recreation venues. Quality of life was weighed according to the number of physically or mentally unhealthy days, food index, access to exercise opportunities, physically inactive residents, the share of uninsured, and the ratio of healthcare providers.