ARLINGTON, Va. — Out of all the places you could live in the country, three of the top-ranked locations are in the DMV, well, at least according to a newly released report from Niche.
Niche is an American company that aims to connect schools with families. According to their website, Niche helps millions of families find and schools using data and serves that help find the best fit for each student.
The three locations - two of which are in Virginia and one in Maryland - were listed in the company's "2023 Best Places to Live in America" ranking. This is the ninth year that Niche has produced the list with 228 cities and 17,932 towns and neighborhoods included in the data. The ranking is created using data from several sources, including the U.S. Census, FBI, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combined with resident reviews.
At the top of the list, ranking number one is Chesterbrook, Pa. - a neighborhood in the Philadelphia area. It keeps its title for the fourth year in a row, but here is where the DMV lands on the list.
The neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, ranks the highest among the three DMV locations on the list at number two.
"Colonial Village is in Arlington County and is one of the best places to live in Virginia," Niche stated on the website.
Colonial Village received an overall A+ grade with the categories of public schools, good for families, nightlife, health & fitness, and commute also receiving the same high grade. Outdoor activities received an A while jobs and diversity A- as a grade. Housing and weather received a B, and the lowest-rated category is the cost of living with a C+.
Coming in at number 16 on the list is the suburb of North Bethesda in Maryland.
The Montgomery County location is ranked the number one place to live in the state, according to Niche.
It is given an overall grade of A+. Making up that overall grade is: public schools, good for families, and health and fitness with an A+. Nightlife, diversity, and outdoor activities received a grade of an A while commute was awarded an A-. Jobs was awarded a B+, weather a B, housing was graded a B-, while the cost of living was given a C.
Last but not least, within the three DMV locations, is another neighborhood in Arlington - ranking at 21.
Said to be the second best place to live in the city, according to Niche, just like the other two spots received an A+ overall grade. Public schools, good for families, nightlife, and health and fitness ranked highly with a grade of A+. Outdoor activities and commute received an A, jobs and housing received a B+, diversity and weather got a grade of B, while the cost of living was awarded a C.
“For almost 10 years now, our Best Places to Live rankings have helped people find a new neighborhood to call home based on what matters most to them, whether that’s affordable housing, easy access to amenities or excellent local schools,” said Luke Skurman, CEO and founder of Niche. “We are proud to be a trusted resource for families, homebuyers, professionals and retirees alike in their research.”