Bostonians can claim a quality of life in their city that’s worth bragging about. According to Mercer, the world’s largest human resources consulting firm, the city is better to live in than most other places in the U.S.
In its 18th annual Quality of Life Survey, the consulting firm evaluated the living conditions in more than 440 cities worldwide, considering an array of criteria from “schools and education” to “political and social environment” to “public services and transportation.”
What played the biggest role in determining the best quality of life, however, was safety.
“Heightened domestic and global security threats, population displacement resulting from violence, and social unrest in key business centres around the world are all elements adding to the complex challenges facing multinational companies when analyzing the safety and health of their expatriate workforces,” said Ilya Bonic, senior partner and president of Mercer’s Talent business.
In its rankings, Boston came in at No. 34. Considering only U.S. metros, the city was second only to San Francisco, which managed the No. 28 spot.
That Boston would rank so high is a testament to its resilience following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which took three lives and injured an estimated 264 others.
Other U.S. cities mentioned in Mercer’s survey included Honolulu (35), Chicago (43) and New York City (44).
To see the full top 50, check out our table below:
Rank | Metro | Country |
---|---|---|
1 | Vienna | Austria |
2 | Zurich | Switzerland |
3 | Auckland | New Zealand |
4 | Munich | Germany |
5 | Vancouver | Canada |
6 | Dusseldorf | Germany |
7 | Frankfurt | Germany |
8 | Geneva | Switzerland |
9 | Copenhagen | Denmark |
10 | Sydney | Australia |
11 | Amsterdam | Netherlands |
12 | Wellington | New Zealand |
13 | Berlin | Germany |
14 | Bern | Switzerland |
15 | Toronto | Canada |
15 | Melbourne | Australia |
17 | Ottawa | Canada |
18 | Hamburg | Germany |
19 | Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
19 | Stockholm | Sweden |
21 | Brussels | Belgium |
21 | Perth | Australia |
23 | Montreal | Canada |
24 | Stuttgart | Germany |
24 | Nurnberg | Germany |
26 | Singapore | Singapore |
27 | Adelaide | Australia |
28 | San Francisco | United States |
28 | Canberra | Australia |
30 | Helsinki | Finland |
30 | Oslo | Norway |
32 | Calgary | Canada |
33 | Dublin | Ireland |
34 | Boston | United States |
35 | Honolulu | United States |
36 | Brisbane | Australia |
37 | Paris | France |
38 | Lyon | France |
39 | Barcelona | Spain |
39 | London | United Kingdom |
41 | Milan | Italy |
42 | Lisbon | Portugal |
43 | Chicago | United States |
44 | New York City | United States |
44 | Tokyo | Japan |
46 | Edinburgh | United Kingdom |
46 | Kobe | Japan |
46 | Seattle | United States |
49 | Los Angeles | United States |
49 | Yokohama | Japan |