While living in one of America's major cities like New York, Los Angeles, or Miami may sound glamorous, it's no secret that the lifestyle in those places can be difficult. Long work hours, tedious commutes, and a high cost of living can take a toll on residents.
Some of the best places to live in the US are actually places you might not expect, according to data from personal finance website MagnifyMoney.
The site compared the top 50 metro areas in the US using a variety of indicators including average commute times, income inequality, the cost of housing relative to income, the number of hours residents work in relation to how much they earn, the percentage of people in good health, and the cost of living compared to the national average.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top cities tended to have shorter average commutes and high marks for income equality. Miami, New York, and Los Angeles all scored abysmally on those two measures and all landed at the bottom of the list.
Here are the cities in the US where Americans live the most balanced lives:
13. Oklahoma City has the 3rd shortest average commute and the 5th lowest housing cost on the list.
9. Hartford, Connecticut, has the 7th shortest commute time and 7th lowest number of weekly working hours necessary to make $50,000 at 24.9 hours per week.
6. St. Louis, Missouri, ranks 7th for affordable housing and 2nd in terms of cheap goods and services at 7.2% below the national average.
The Gateway Arch is seen as the flooding Mississippi River runs in front of it June 25, 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri. Forecasters say the Mississippi River appears to have crested in the northern parts of Missouri and would by June 25 in southern parts of the state and in Illinois. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
5. Raleigh, North Carolina, has been drawing residents to the Research Triangle for years with its concentration of high-tech jobs. It ranks 4th for income equality and 3rd for best rested.
4. Cincinnati, Ohio, ranks 3rd for cost-effective housing, 2nd for best rested, and has the cheapest goods and services at 7.3% lower than the national average.
1. Taking the top spot overall, Minneapolis, Minnesota, ranks 5th for income equality and 8th for best sleep. 57.1% of its residents reported having very good or excellent health.
