Raleigh-Durham metro ranked 6th best place to live in U.S.

Raleigh and Durham have, once again, been ranked better than Charlotte.

Among the 150 metro areas ranked in U.S. News & World Report's Best Places to Live rankings released Tuesday, Raleigh and Durham were ranked together as No. 6.

• The area was ranked No. 2 in last year's report.
• Charlotte, by contrast, is ranked No. 30, down from No. 20 the previous year.

The report factored quality of life, housing affordability, job market, desirability and net migration into the analysis.

Why it matters: The report is a reminder that the Raleigh-Durham metro area is up-and-coming.

• As more people flock here for good-paying jobs, affordability and proximity to the mountains and beach, our cities will need to continue to adapt.

This year, the top ten cities, according to the report, are:

1. Huntsville, AL
2. Colorado Springs, CO
3. Green Bay, WI
4. Boulder, CO
5. San Jose, CA
6. Raleigh & Durham
7. Fayetteville, AR
8. Portland, ME
9. Sarasota, FL
10. San Francisco, CA

Fun fact: Hickory, NC was ranked as the No. 1 most affordable place to live, in case you want to relocate to a premier furniture shopping destination.