The 50 best places to live in America

21. Sarasota, Florida

Population: 735,767

Average annual salary: $40,600

Quality of life: 7.4

Value: 5.1

Sarasota boasts “warm temperatures year-round, award-winning beaches, and a thriving arts and cultural scene,” said a local expert. The biggest employers in Sarasota are in education, trade, and transportation, and the leisure and hospitality sector touts a low unemployment rate powered by a recent increase in tourism and a flood of new residents.