America is home to some incredible places — and one travel expert just shared their top 10 favorite cities within the country.
In response to travel author Hannah Summers, Detroit, Michigan, is the — shocking — No. 1 pick. The Midwest city’s recent resurgence helped it earn the list’s top spot.
“The revamp and official reopening in 2024 of the once glamorous, then derelict Michigan Central Station symbolised a brand new era for the birthplace of Motown music,” she wrote in a story for the Times.
“But there had been signs of change and renewal for a long time, with fresh, independent restaurants and great community initiatives: the town has a real entrepreneurial spirit.”
San Diego, California, got here in second place for her, and unsurprisingly, the colourful city of Miami, Florida, rounded out the highest three. “There’s one city within the US that I urge everyone who loves beaches to go to — Miami. It’s a spot that has all of it,” she wrote in regards to the popular tourist spot.
A head-scratching selection is Windfall, Rhode Island, which got here in fourth place.
Summers described it as an “under-the-radar” city that isn’t as well-known as Boston, which is an hour’s drive south, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a top-tier city.
The author raved in regards to the Rhode Island city’s food scene — which is crammed with up-and-coming “big-name chefs,” mom and pop donut shops and “old-school Italian delis within the Federal Hill neighbourhood.”
The Big Apple did make the list, but sadly, further down, earning the eighth place slot.
She mentioned the touristy spots like Central Park and Times Square — “But there are many other great ways to see the town, from kayaking along the Hudson River to joining a day sailing trip (book via Airbnb Experiences), tacking past the Statue of Liberty.”
Plus, she gave a shoutout to among the boroughs.
Denver, Colorado, got here in last on the list.
Summers mentioned the way it’s considered one of the “most liveable cities within the US” complete with antique shops, food balls, and “excellent museums equivalent to the Kirkland Museum of Wonderful & Decorative Art and the kid-friendly Denver Museum of Nature & Science.”
Listed below are the highest 10 best cities within the US
1. Detroit
2. San Diego
3. Miami
4. Windfall
5. Austin
6. Scottsdale
7. Recent Orleans
8. Recent York City
9. Savannah
10. Denver
In relation to where the happiest cities on the planet are — that list is perhaps much more of a shocker.
Copenhagen, Denmark, was named the happiest city on the planet in 2025 by the Institute for Quality of Life.
Surprising news for Recent Yorkers — and possibly the remainder of the country — is that the Big Apple was ranked No.1 because the so-called happiest city within the US.
12 months after yr, the Institute ranks cities committed to “cultivating and growing happiness,” based on their site.
