The best places to live in the Midwest

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Edited by: Jon Bortin
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There have been many headlines about the number of Americans choosing to relocate in recent years, particularly amid the postpandemic remote work boom. While the Sunbelt currently leads the nation in population growth, the National Association of Realtors found that nearly 1 in 5 homebuyers are moving to the Midwest — and they’re finding the region has more to offer than just cows and cornfields.

Far from the “flyover country” it’s sometimes derided as, the Midwest boasts a generally low cost of living, dynamic arts and cultural scenes, quality education and an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities. Whether you’re considering a move to or within the Midwest to save money, to be closer to family or simply to have a change of scenery and see what the heartland is all about, there are countless vibrant, community-oriented Midwestern cities to evaluate and explore.

To uncover the best places to live in the Midwest, we analyzed the region's 100 largest cities using five key factors: safety, affordability, economy, education and quality of life. Keep reading to discover which Midwestern city could be your ideal home in 2025.

Note: While Midwesterners often engage in spirited debate about which states are part of the Midwest, we adhere to the Census definition of the region: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.


Key insights

Carmel, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis, is the best place to move to in the Midwest due to its high scores in education, safety and economic strength.

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High crime and unemployment rates coupled with lower rates of postsecondary education rank Detroit last.

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Illinois is the most represented state in the top 25, with five cities: Naperville, Arlington Heights, Bloomington, Waukegan and Cicero.

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Top 5 cities to move to in the Midwest

The Midwest offers a variety of flourishing, affordable and safe cities that cater to different lifestyles, from family-friendly communities with small-town charm to thriving job markets and spirited college towns. Check out the five cities that scored highest:

1. Carmel, Indiana

High scores in education, safety and economic strength earned Carmel the top-ranking spot. Carmel’s residents may agree with our findings: In a recent community survey conducted by the City of Carmel, 98% of respondents said they felt safe there.

While Carmel has a below-average walkability score, the city is far from cookie-cutter suburban sprawl. Carmel has been dubbed the Roundabout Capital of the U.S. The construction of more than 150 roundabouts has improved traffic congestion, emissions and safety. According to the Federal Highway Administration, Carmel has seen injury crashes fall by 70% since the roundabout conversion program began.

Key metrics include:

  • Highly educated population: Carmel ranks the highest of all Midwestern cities for education. About 75% of the city's residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
  • Low crime rates: Carmel ranks seventh in safety, with just 0.65 violent crimes per 1,000 people.

2. Naperville, Illinois

Naperville’s strong economy — the second largest in Illinois — rocketed it to the second position on our list. Companies including Nicor Gas, Nalco Water (Ecolab), BMO and Nokia employ thousands of people in their Naperville offices.

While Naperville isn’t one of the most affordable cities, it is one of the safest. Of the 100 largest cities in the Midwest, Naperville has the lowest rate of violent crime per 1,000 residents. It also happens to be one of the safest cities to drive in, not just in the Midwest but in all of the U.S.

Some notable findings from our source data:

  • Strongest economy: Naperville boasts low rates of poverty (4.4%) and unemployment (4.2%) and a high rate of home value appreciation (nearly 8.6% over the past year, almost twice the national average).
  • Third most-educated population: The city ranks third overall for education, with almost 72% of residents holding a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree.
  • Higher housing costs: The median monthly rent in Naperville is $2,006, the ninth-most expensive among the Midwestern cities we compared.

3. Arlington Heights, Illinois

The Chicagoland suburb of Arlington Heights earned third place on our list with a balance of strong scores across several categories. It ranks in the top 10 Midwestern cities for education and in the top 11 cities for both safety and quality of life. The city also ranks slightly more affordable (60th place out of 100) than nearby Naperville (69th).

Noteworthy figures include:

  • Third-strongest economy: Arlington Heights has an appealing combination of low unemployment (3.6%), a relatively small share of the population living below the poverty line (6.3%) and above-average home value appreciation (7.3%).
  • High quality of life: The city has the highest walkability score out of the overall top 20 cities on our list. More than 90% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park or green space, too.

4. Appleton, Wisconsin

Appleton is the one-time boyhood home of Harry Houdini, but there’s no smoke and mirrors when it comes to the city’s place on our leaderboard. Strong scores in multiple categories earned Appleton the rank of fourth-best city to move to in the Midwest.

Most striking from the data is Appleton’s combination of safety and economic strength with impressive affordability, disproving the notion that thriving, safe communities are only accessible to the affluent. In fact, Appleton has the highest combined score for safety and affordability (51.01 points out of 60 total possible) and the highest combined score for affordability and economy (40.49 points out of 50 possible) of all 100 cities on our list.

Other key findings about Appleton:

  • A top city for affordability: Appleton is ranked the fifth-most affordable city on our list, and it has the highest affordability score among the top 30 Midwestern cities.
  • Sixth-strongest economy: Appleton has relatively low rates of unemployment (3.9%) and poverty (8.5%) plus a solid home appreciation rate (7.31% from 2023 to 2024).

5. Waukesha, Wisconsin

Cheeseheads rejoice — another Wisconsin city, the western Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, rounds out our top five best cities to move in the Midwest. This may not be surprising: Wisconsin also ranks as one of the best states to raise a family in 2025 and one of the best states for public education.

Waukesha is a well-rounded option for transplants to the Midwest, ranking in the top 10 cities for safety, in the top 11 cities for economic strength and in the top 25 cities for affordability. It also scored in the top half of all cities for education and quality of life.

Check out these impressive stats:

  • Balancing safety and affordability: Waukesha’s combined score for safety and affordability (49.74 out of 60 possible points) is the fourth highest of all the Midwestern cities on our list.
  • Great access to parks: Nearly 94% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a green space, the highest percentage among the top five overall cities.

How does the rest of the Midwest compare?

Whether you have a specific reason for wanting to move to the Midwest or just feel a general pull toward the heartland, take a moment to reflect on what you’re most looking for in a new city. Everyone will define and prioritize factors like safety, affordability and quality of life differently. As you explore the data below, keep your own personal metrics in mind to help identify which city could be the best fit.

What to consider when moving to the Midwest

If you’re moving to the Midwest from another part of the country or a different part of the world, know that the region has distinct climate and weather patterns and a unique culture of kindness. Take a look at the basics of Midwestern living to make sure you’re prepared for what’s in store.

  • Yes, “Midwest nice” is a thing.

    The Midwestern reputation for being friendly and polite is not just a stereotype. Research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that psychologically, the Midwestern region is “defined by moderately high levels of Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness.” Translation: Be ready for small talk with neighbors and casual greetings from strangers in public, especially in smaller cities and towns.

  • Expect all four seasons.

    The Midwest experiences a full range of weather, from hot, humid summers to frigid winters. Invest in quality snow boots, a warm coat and accessories like gloves or mittens for the colder months, but rest assured that you’ll get to break out your sandals and sunscreen in the summer.

  • … Especially the winter.

    Make sure you’re prepared for a fairly cold, gray season. Snow and ice are common during Midwest winters, and it takes some practice to get comfortable behind the wheel when roads are slick. Brush up on how to drive safely in wintry conditions and consider signing up for a winter driving course. If the weather’s impacting your mood, take extra care to protect yourself against seasonal affective disorder — or plain old cabin fever.

  • Be aware of the potential for tornados.

    Since the 1950s, tornado activity has shifted from the Great Plains toward the Midwest (and Southeast). To prepare, make plans for where you’ll take shelter if a tornado strikes, and familiarize yourself with local safety procedures, like the monthly testing of tornado sirens and the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. You may also want to make sure your home or renters insurance covers tornado damage.

Methodology

To identify the best cities to move to in the Midwest, the ConsumerAffairs Research Team evaluated the 100 most populous cities in the Midwest region (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau) across five weighted categories. In each category, the city that performed the best was given the highest possible score, with others earning relative scores. We added together category scores to get overall scores out of a maximum of 100 points.

  • Safety (30 points): This score is based on rates of violent crime (15 points) and property crime (15) per 1,000 residents. Data is from NeighborhoodScout.
  • Affordability (30 points): This category includes median housing costs as a share of median income (15) and median rent for November 2024 (15).
  • Economy (20 points): The economy score considers each city’s unemployment rate (5 points), percentage of residents below the poverty level (8) and home appreciation from 2023 to 2024 (7). Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau and Zillow.
  • Education (10 points): This category evaluates the highest level of educational attainment for the city's population, including the percentage with a high school diploma or equivalent (2 points), a bachelor's degree (4), or a graduate or professional degree (4). Data is from the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Quality of life (10 points): The quality of life score considers walkability (3 points), the percentage of the city population living within a 10-minute walk of green space (4) and average annual temperature (3). Data is from NYU Langone Health and Weather Spark.

For questions about the data or if you'd like to set up an interview, please contact acurls@consumeraffairs.com.

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Article Sources

ConsumerAffairs writers primarily rely on government data, industry experts and original research from other reputable publications to inform their work. Specific sources for this article include:

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, “Explore Census Data.” Accessed Jan. 20, 2025.
  2. NeighborhoodScout, “Neighborhood Scout.” Accessed Jan. 20, 2025.
  3. NYU Langone Health, “City Health Dashboard.” Accessed Jan. 20, 2025.
  4. Weather Spark, “The Weather Year Round Anywhere on Earth.” Accessed Jan. 20, 2025.
  5. U.S. Census Bureau, “New Estimates Show Population Recovered for Large Cities and Grew in Small Places on Outskirts of Urban Areas in 2023.” Accessed Jan. 21, 2025.
  6. National Association of Realtors, “Migration Trends.” Accessed Jan. 21, 2025.
  7. City of Carmel, “Carmel Community Survey.” Accessed Jan. 19, 2025.
  8. Institute of Transportation Engineers, “How Carmel, Indiana Became the ‘Roundabout Capital of the United States’." Accessed Jan. 19, 2025.
  9. Public Square: A CNU Journal, “How roundabouts transformed Carmel.” Accessed Jan. 19, 2025.
  10. City of Carmel, “Roundabouts.” Accessed Jan. 19, 2025.
  11. U.S. Department of Transportation, “Building Roundabouts for a Safer City in Carmel, Indiana.” Accessed Jan. 19, 2025.
  12. Moody’s Investors Service, “City of Naperville, IL.” Accessed Jan. 19, 2025.
  13. Naperville Development Partnership, “Major Employers.” Accessed Jan. 19, 2025.
  14. Federal Housing Finance Agency, “U.S. House Prices Rise 4.3 Percent over the Prior Year; Up 0.7 Percent from the Second Quarter of 2024.” Accessed Jan. 20, 2025.
  15. Encyclopedia Britannica, “Appleton.” Accessed Jan. 20, 2025.
  16. American Psychological Association, “Divided We Stand: Three Psychological Regions of the United States and Their Political, Economic, Social, and Health Correlates.” Accessed Jan. 20, 2025.
  17. American Meteorological Society, “A Comprehensive Analysis of the Spatial and Seasonal Shifts in Tornado Activity in the United States.” Accessed Jan. 20, 2025.

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