5 Indiana cities make U.S. News & World Report’s top 250 places to live

(WISH) — Five Indiana communities secured spots on U.S. News & World Report’s “250 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2025-2026,” with two Hamilton County cities ranking among the nation’s elite and several others making the top 100.

The annual ranking evaluates metropolitan areas and smaller cities based on housing value, desirability, job market strength and quality of life. The expanded 2025–2026 list analyzed 859 cities and highlighted the top 250 nationwide.

Carmel ranked No. 2 and Fishers was No. 4.

Carmel was cited for a robust job market and the community’s strong value.

Fishers was noted for its continued growth and competitive quality-of-life metrics.

Noblesville, also in Hamilton County north of Indianapolis, finished 50th on the list,

Greenwood, south of Indianapolis in Johnson placed 91st.

Columbus, southeast of Indianapolis in Bartholomew County, came in at 92nd.

Cities in the rankings are evaluated using data from Applied Geographic Solutions (AGS) and U.S. News’ own internal resources. AGS develops its core database and specialized indexes from both private and government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve and the Bureau for Economic Analysis, as well...