Vienna Named World's Most Livable City for the Ninth Year in a Row

There are lots of qualities to look for in a home city—climate, housing, and access to healthcare, to name a few. According to the latest Quality of Living City Ranking from the consulting firm Mercer, Vienna excels in all these areas, making it the world’s most livable city for the ninth year in a row, CNBC reports.

Every year, Mercer publishes a city report that companies and organizations can use to calculate compensation and hardship allowances for employees working abroad. The most recent survey ranks 231 cities, judging them on criteria such as political stability, education opportunities, and economic environment. According to Mercer, “Vienna remains the highest ranking city in Europe and globally, providing residents and expatriates with high security, well-structured public transportation, and a variety of cultural and recreation facilities.”

Behind the Austrian capital was Zurich, Switzerland, followed by Auckland, New Zealand and Munich, Germany tying for third. Vancouver, Canada represents the most livable city in North America in the No. 5 slot.

To find the best-rated American city on the list, you have to go all the way down to 30th place. That spot is occupied by San Francisco. The next U.S. city to make the cut is Boston at No. 35, then Honolulu at 36, Seattle at 44, New York at 45, and Los Angeles at 64. There is one category where a city in America came out ahead of the rest: This year, Mercer provided a separate ranking for city sanitation and named Honolulu No. 1.

Mercer’s city survey also named the least livable cities in the world for 2018. Baghdad, Iraq ranked last at No. 231, with Bangui in the Central African Republic and Sana’a in the Yemen Arab Republic ranking just above it.

Mercer only looks at the world’s major cities for their annual ranking. If you’re more interested in locations on the smaller side, here’s a list of the best small cities in America.