
Austin, Texas, topped the list of the best places to live in America in 2019, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual analysis.

It's the second year in a row that Austin ranked first on the list of 125 Best Places to Live in the U.S.A.

The city offers a lively music and culture scene, but it's also one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country. It has a young population; the median age is 34.2, and a low 2.9 percent unemployment rate.

Austin's average annual salary is $51,840, and the median monthly rent is $1,155. Locals spend an average of 26.8 minutes commuting to work.

'Austin offers the strong job market, (a) reputation as a fun place to live and relative affordability that many people are looking for in a place to live,' Devon Thorsby, Real Estate Editor at U.S. News & World Report, told DailyMail.com.

This map illustrates the top 10 best places to live in 2019, according to the annual list by U.S. News & World Reports. It also includes details on the population, average salary and median rent for each of the cities

'Austin’s population continues to grow rapidly, which has increased the cost of living in the metro area over the last few years,' Thorsby added. 'Still, many people moving to the Austin metro area are coming from the coasts, and are used to higher home prices and higher rents.'

Researchers at U.S. News & World Report use U.S. Census and Department of Labor data to compile the list each year based on factors like the strength of the job market, quality of life and the cost of housing.

Based on those criteria – which include analysis of local crime rates, quality of education and health care – Denver, Colorado ranked second on the list.

Denver has a population of 2.8 million people and a median age of 36.3.

Its low unemployment rate of 3 percent helped place it on the list, though the median home price is a high $393,842. Locals spend an average of 27.5 minutes commuting to work, and $1,203 on rent.

Colorado Springs, Colorado ranked third on the list, thanks in part to lower than average costs for groceries, utilities and transportation. It has a population of nearly 700,000 people and a median age of 34.4.

The average annual salary is $50,050 and median monthly rent comes in at $1,070. Residents spend an average of 23.3 minutes commuting to work.

Fayetteville, Arkansas was fourth on the list of best places to live. In the heart of the Ozark Mountains, the community draws people who crave the outdoors and want to take advantage of its many state parks.

It has a population of 514,000 people and a median age of 33.9. Its unemployment rate is a low 2.7 percent and the average annual salary is $45,830, while median rent is a low $778 per month. Locals spend an average of 21.1 minutes commuting to work.

In fifth place was Des Moines, Iowa, a city of more than 620,000 people that still maintains a small-town feel.

The average salary is $50,600, while median rent is a low $857 a month. Median home prices are also low, at $178,942. Locals spend an average of 20.3 minutes commuting to work.

Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota came in sixth on the list of best places to live, thanks in part to its mix of big-city amenities and Midwest sensibility.

This table lists the top 10 cities on the U.S. News & World Reports list of the best cities to live in America in 2019. It breaks out the population, median age and unemployment levels for each city

The region has a population of 3.5 million people and a median age of 36.8. The metro area has a 2.7 percent unemployment rate and an average annual salary of $56,030.

The median home price is $237,367, while median rent comes in at $1,001.

Locals spend an average of 25.3 minutes commuting to work.

San Francisco ranked seventh on the list. Known for its many bohemian residents and as ground zero of the tech industry, the city attracts a mix of people.

The cost of living is high, with a median home price of $768,517 and a median monthly rent of $1,673. The average salary is $69,700, and local residents spend an average of 32.8 minutes commuting to work.

In eighth place was Portland, Oregon, thanks in part to its offbeat sense of community and unofficial slogan of, 'Keep Portland Weird.'

If low-cost living is your main concern, a separate analysis by GoBankingRates breaks out the top 10 best cities to live on a salary of $50,000. Researchers analyzed cost of living along with federal, state and local taxes in cities across the country to pinpoint which ones offered an affordable – and fun – lifestyle on a low salary

The city has a population of 2.4 million people and an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent. The median home price is $375,425 and median rent is $1,118 per month.

Portland's average annual salary is $55,330 and locals spend an average 26.6 minutes commuting to work each day.

Portland's neighbor to the north, Seattle, came in ninth on the list of best places to live. Despite misconceptions about the rain, Seattle gets less annual downfall than Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Miami.

It made the list in part due to its dual big-city and outdoor appeal. Seattle has a population of 3.7 million people and a median age of 37.1.

Its unemployment rate is 3.9 percent and the average annual salary is $63,120, while the median home price is $442,333 and median rent is $1,297. Locals spend an average of 30.1 minutes commuting to work each day.

Rounding out the top 10 is Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. The area is known for being a research and technology hub and for its major universities.

It has a population of 1.8 million and a median age of 36.4. The average annual salary is $53,788 and the region has a 3.4 percent unemployment rate.

It has a low median home price of $239,294 and median rent of $991 a month. Locals spend an average of 25.3 minutes in traffic.