Six Ohio cities make top 150 Best Places to Live: See where Columbus ranked

Though Columbus may struggle with its identity, that didn't stop the city from making the list of best places to live in the country.

Six Ohio cities made the 2023-24 list of the 150 "Best Places to Live in the U.S." that U.S. News & World Report released Tuesday. However, a sleeper pick has bested the capital city.

In Ohio, Cincinnati ranked highest at no. 50. Youngstown ranked next, at no. 62, followed by Columbus at no. 69, Toledo at no. 84, Cleveland at no. 97 and Dayton at no. 141.

Columbus received an overall score of 6.3 out of 10. Here's how the city was ranked further in five categories:

• Desirability: 5.2

• Value: 7.1

• Job market: 6

• Quality of life: 6.6

• Net migration: 5.6

Here's how Youngstown, which received an overall score of 6.3, compared:

• Desirability: 5.1

• Value: 8.4

• Job market: 4.6

• Quality of life: 6.7

• Net migration: 5.7

Youngstown bested Columbus in value, while its quality of life and net migration were nearly on par. But Columbus still received the higher score for its job market.

U.S. News & World Report evaluated cities using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. News' own internal resources. Visit realestate.usnews.com/places/methodology to learn more about the media company's methodology.

U.S. News & World Report ranks best place to live in Ohio

U.S. News & World Report also ranked the Best Places to Live in Ohio for 2023-24.

Unsurprisingly Cincinnati topped that list, followed by Youngstown at no. 2 and Columbus at no. 3.

Here are the Best Places to Live in Ohio, according to U.S. News & World Report:

• No. 1: Cincinnati

• No. 2: Youngstown

• No. 3: Columbus

• No. 4: Toledo

• No. 5: Cleveland

• No. 6: Dayton

Columbus has more than an 'unbridled passion for college football'

The outlet said Columbus, which also ranked 69th in U.S. News & World Report's Best Places to Retire, might be known for its "unbridled passion for college football," but also has more to offer.

Highlights included the "bustling and energetic workforce" from Ohio State University and many companies; the art, music, theaters, museums and culture; as well as the lively Short North and the charming and historic German Village, making Columbus an entertaining city with plenty to do.

More rankings: Where did Ohio rank on U.S. News & World Report's best states list?

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@taijuannichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus makes top 150 Best Places to Live in the US