The 20 best places to live in the South — the region that's still the best place to live in America

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• U.S. News & World Report published its annual list of the 50 best places to live in America.
• The South had the most entries on the list, including the No. 1 city, Austin, Texas.
• Cities were ranked by metrics including desirability, affordability, and quality of life.

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U.S. News & World Report released on Tuesday its annual list of the 50 best places to live in America, comprising the metro areas with the perfect combination of affordability, a good job market, and quality of life.

While every geographic region of the US was represented on the list, it's the South that seems to have come out on top for the third year in a row.

The U.S. Census Bureau definition of the South includes 16 states and Washington, DC (check out the specifics here). The region had 20 cities in the top 50 — more than any other — including the city that received the highest marks, Austin, Texas. 

But it wasn't just the typical Southern hotspots like Austin, Atlanta, and Nashville that put the South over the edge this year. This year also saw four new Southern cities added to the list: Huntsville, Alabama; Lexington, Kentucky; Asheville, North Carolina; and Fort Myers, Florida.

U.S. News & World Report used five criteria — job market, value, quality of life, desirability, and net migration — to definitively rank these major metro areas. You can read U.S. News' full methodology here.

Read on to see the 20 Southern cities that made the cut this year.

20. Atlanta, Georgia

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Population: 5,612,777

Average annual salary: $50,720

Median home price: $192,892

Median monthly rent: $1,003

Quality of life: 5.8

Value index: 7.0

An attractive blend of big city and big country, Atlanta is attracting transplants far and wide with its award-winning restaurants, culture centers, and flourishing job market. More than a dozen Fortune 500 companies call the city home, including Delta, The Home Depot, and The Coca-Cola Company, and it's an increasingly popular spot for film productions.

In addition, "The Chattahoochee River that traverses the metro area, and Stone Mountain, the world's largest chunk of exposed granite, located just northeast of the city proper, also offer a quick escape from any urban anxiety," says one local expert.

19. Jacksonville, Florida

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Population: 1,424,097

Average annual salary: $45,140

Median home price: $184,508

Median monthly rent: $984

Quality of life: 6.7

Value index: 6.3

Jacksonville's beach-adjacent location makes it ideal for outdoor activities. In addition to spending lazy days in the sand, residents can also visit the area's prime golf courses or go hiking, camping, and kayaking in the nearby parks. Jacksonville also continues to grow, with burgeoning art and music scenes, as well as new business development, according to a local expert.

18. Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Population: 654,589

Average annual salary: $44,100

Median home price: $140,633

Median monthly rent: $714

Quality of life: 6.5

Value index: 7.1

The cost of living in Winston-Salem is a bargain. The city's average housing costs remain well below the national average — renters pay about $200 less per month for a one-bedroom apartment than their counterparts around the country.

Residents can also take advantage of the city's cultural offerings with visits to the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art and the Reynolda House Museum of American Art.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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