The 50 best places to live in America

32. Portland, Oregon

Population: 2,320,323

Average annual salary: $52,140

Quality of life: 6.5

Value: 6.3

Portland isn’t for everybody – its slogan is “Keep Portland Weird,” after all. But one local expert asserts that it’s a “well-rounded city with more than just the offbeat shops and events” and a population that has “more academic degrees than the national average.”

An annual job growth rate of 2.9% per year is attributed to roots in the technology sector, including major employer Intel Corporation, as well as the 6,000-employee headquarters for Nike, located about seven miles outside of Portland.