North America
United States
Capital Washington · 327M people · Dollar
- Top cities
- 14.2MNew York City
- 13.5MLos Angeles
- 5.3MChicago
- 4.3MHouston
- 2.6MPhoenix
Photo by Connor Gan on Unsplash
- CostPricey≈11% over North America
- SafetyCaution2.2/5
- MobilityLimited2.8/5
- CultureRich4.0/5
- ClimateVariable-14–41°
Top cities
- New York City14.2M residents
- Los Angeles13.5M residents
- Chicago5.3M residents
- Houston4.3M residents
- Phoenix2.6M residents
Source: GeoNames
Cost of living in United States
On the pricey side for North America — if you skip San Francisco.
Its $3,491 median runs ~11% above North America's median major city ($3,155); San Francisco ($5,450) runs 2.0× Detroit ($2,740).
Good to know — low cost often trades against local salaries and visa options — budget for income, not just spending. Learn how we measure this →
Safety in United States
The one thing to watch: property crime.
Most hazards across United States sit in a normal range — property crime is the one area that runs higher.
Good to know — a calm national average can hide neighbourhood-level crime — research the specific district you would live in. Learn how we measure this →
Getting around United States
Mobility in United States depends on the city — San Francisco leads, Jacksonville trails.
The country average (2.8) hides a wide spread: San Francisco reaches 4.0 while Jacksonville sits at 1.6. Choose by city, not by country.
- San Francisco4.0
- Washington3.8
- Boston3.8
- New York City3.6
- Portland3.6
- Minneapolis3.6
- Chicago3.4
- Philadelphia3.4
Good to know — strong airport access can coexist with weak everyday transit — check the mode you would actually use. Learn how we measure this →
Culture in United States
Culture in United States concentrates in its big cities — New York City leads, Jacksonville is lighter.
The country average (4.0) is carried by a few cities: New York City reaches 4.8 while Jacksonville sits at 1.3. Check the specific city, not the country.
- New York City4.8
- Chicago4.4
- San Francisco4.3
- Los Angeles4.2
- Washington4.1
- Philadelphia4.1
- Boston4.0
- Portland3.9
Good to know — a strong national culture score can be carried by one or two big cities — check the specific city, not only the country average. Learn how we measure this →
Airports in United States
Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport is United States's busiest gateway.
129 major airports handle about 1810M passengers a year. Tap any to see its nearest cities and how far they are.
Good to know — passenger volume is total throughput, not direct-route breadth; a large hub can still lack flights to your region. Learn how we measure this →
Passport strength in United States
United States holds one of the world's strongest passports.
- Mobility
- #10169 destinations
- GDP reach
- #4472.6% of world GDP
- Heritage
- #351,038 of 1,353 UNESCO sites
Good to know — a mobility rank counts how many destinations you can enter, not how useful they are; a strong passport can still gate the one place you care about. Learn how we measure this →
Climate in United States
Warm summers, gentle winters.
Across its cities, summer highs top out near 41°C feels-like while the coldest spots dip to around -14°C; sun is plentiful, up to ~342 days a year in Honolulu.
Feels-like °C — monthly range across cities
Good to know— a country isn't one climate but a range; the extremes here are different cities, not the same place across seasons. Learn how we measure this →
Who thrives in United States
United States suits a wide range of lifestyles.
Fit is scored per lifestyle and anchored to the cities that serve each best — Career Builder leads. Pick one to see exactly where it works.
Great fit
Decent fit
Good to know — fit is by city, not country; a lifestyle that thrives here may only do so in one or two of its cities. Learn how we measure this →