2 MD Cities Named Best Places To Live By U.S. News

MARYLAND — Nearly one-third of Americans say the coronavirus pandemic has them re-evaluating where they live, according to a new ranking. With that in mind, some of them may want to consider moving to two Maryland communities that couldn't be more different, but both earned high marks.

The Eastern Shore city of Salisbury is now listed as the 95th best place to live in the United States, according to a new ranking released this week by U.S. News & World Report. The other Maryland city that made the list is the city of Baltimore at No. 100.

The 2021-22 list ranks the country’s 150 most populous metropolitan areas based on affordability, job prospects and desirability. This year, researchers also looked at how the top communities fared throughout the pandemic and how much work is needed to recover.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise that many metro areas that saw unemployment levels skyrocket in 2020 fell in the rankings, but those with greater employment stability tended to fare well,” Devon Thorsby, real estate editor at U.S. News, said in a news release.

For the second consecutive year, Boulder, Colorado, was named the No. 1 place to live due to high quality of life, a robust job market and high desirability scores. Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina, jumped nine spots to take No. 2 and Huntsville, Alabama, catapulted 12 spots to No. 3.

To determine which cities made the cut this year, U.S. News asked thousands of people across the country to share what factors are most important when choosing a place to live. Survey responses were categorized into five indexes: the value of living there, the quality of life, the health of the job market, whether people want to live there and whether people are actually moving there.

U.S. News also used data available from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sharecare and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Read more about the Best Places To Live methodology.

Overall, Salisbury received a score of 6.4 on a 10-point scale. Also, here’s a look at how the city measured up in each category:

• Job market: 5.9
• Value: 6.1
• Quality of life: 6.8
• Desirability: 5.4
• Net migration: 8.3

Here's what U.S. News said about Salisbury:

"While Salisbury continues to grow as the hub of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware metropolitan area, it has never lost touch with the small-town feel fitting of a place that remains predominantly rural. Though it is home to the 8,000-plus-student Salisbury University and draws major events such as the National Folk Festival, a 15-minute drive from the heart of downtown will take you to the farm fields of surrounding Wicomico County.

"The longtime nickname 'The Crossroads of Delmarva' is fitting for Salisbury in many ways, since it sits nestled among Delaware, Maryland and Virginia on a map. It is a melting pot of college students, retirees and families who might all be seen together enjoying a Saturday night at a microbrewery or watching a minor-league baseball game."

Overall, Baltimore received a score of 6.3 on a 10-point scale. Also, here’s a look at how the city measured up in each category:

• Job market: 7.7
• Value: 6.7
• Quality of life: 5.8
• Desirability: 5.4
• Net migration: 5.7

Here's what U.S. News said about Baltimore:

"Baltimore's elegant architecture, friendly people and lively pockets of nightlife and music make Charm City a pleasant and fun place to call home. The metro area also boasts a restaurant scene that goes beyond the city's famous crab cakes, pit beef and Berger cookies.

"Baltimore is home to a variety of communities that are concentrated in the city's neighborhoods, several dozen of which are designated as historic districts. Walking through these distinct areas provides a glimpse into the city's worldly population. Little Italy, located near the Inner Harbor, and Greektown, on the east side, both showcase their residents' heritages in eateries and shops."

Pandemic-related unemployment played a big role in where cities landed on this year’s ranking. Some of the biggest changes include Boston, which fell 13 spots, and Las Vegas, which plummeted 50 spots. Meanwhile, San Diego fell 52 spots and Honolulu fell 42 spots.

To see where these and other cities ranked, check out the full list of 2021’s Best Places To Live.