The most neighborly cities in the USA

Neighbors can be both a blessing and a curse, but did you know that some cities are just more neighborly than others? Neighbor, a search engine for self-storage options, looked at everything from number of hours residents spent volunteering to the number of nonprofits per 100,000 residents to find the top 25 most neighborly cities in America. Can you guess which ones took the top spots?

Madison, Wisconsin

It’s no surprise that in first place is a Midwestern city. Madison, Wisconsin is the state’s capital and a booming college town. Unlike it’s Milwaukee, its industrial counterpart, Madison offers a more diverse job market, paving the way for companies like nonprofits. It currently has the highest amount of nonprofits per 100,000 residents in the entire country! It’s also been rated as the fourth happiest city in the country by WalletHub. With a low crime rate and ample opportunities to volunteer thanks to its number of nonprofits, it’s no wonder the city is rated as the most neighborly in the country. Plus, the Midwest is known for its neighborliness, except perhaps when sports are involved.

Rochester, New York

Rochester, New York is ranked as the second most neighborly city in the country, rising from tenth place back in 2020. It ranks fifth in the nation for volunteering and 4th for neighborly acts, as well as 17th for charitable donations.

Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon rose from its spot in fifth place to third this year, ranking tenth in the nation for charitable donations, giving, volunteering and neighborly acts. It’s also considered the 17th happiest city in the nation, too, which could influence why people are so apt to help each other out.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Another Midwestern university city, Minneapolis climbed into fourth place from its spot in sixth place in 2020. It’s one of the top ten happiest cities in the nation and ranks in the top 10 for charitable giving, volunteering and neighborly acts. It ranks fourteen in the nation for number of nonprofits per 100,000 residents.

Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa is the fifth most neighborly city in America. It ranks ninth for the number of nonprofits per 100,000 residents, eleventh for volunteering and is considered the sixteenth happiest city in the nation.

Washington, D.C.

Our nation’s capital is the sixth most neighborly city in America, rising from its spot in seventh place in 2020. It ranks sixth in charitable giving and number of nonprofits, ranking thirteenth in the nation for volunteering. It’s also considered the 21st happiest city in the nation.

Boston, Massachusetts

New to the list of the nation’s most neighborly cities, the multicultural city of Boston ranks seventh overall, taking third place for the number of nonprofits and fourth for charitable giving.

Seattle, Washington

Seattle has risen from its spot as the thirteenth most neighborly city in the nation to take eighth place this year! The home of Starbucks ranks fifth in the nation for charitable giving and is considered one of the happiest cities to live in.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is another new city to this list, ranking ninth overall this year. It ranks ninth in the nation for charitable giving and eleventh for its number of nonprofits.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The second Wisconsin city on this list, the industrial city of Milwaukee ranks as the tenth most neighborly city in America. The home of the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t make it into last year’s rankings, but this year is considered one of the top ten for charitable giving, neighborly acts and volunteering.

Raleigh, North Carolina

While Raleigh, North Carolina ranks eleventh overall, it ranks 54th in number of nonprofits and 55th for charitable giving. But when it really comes down to it, Raleigh has a very low crime rate and ranks third in the nation for neighborly acts of kindness.

San Jose, California

In twelfth place is San Jose, California. It’s considered the fifth happiest city in the nation, ranking low in crime and high in charitable giving, number of nonprofits and volunteering.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is another new addition this year, ranking as the thirteenth most neighborly city in the nation. It’s home to the seventh highest number of nonprofits per 100,000 residents.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan has risen from 20th place last year to fourteenth this year, due to its rise as one of the happiest cities in the nation. The Midwest neighborliness is strong with this one.

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport, Connecticut has risen one spot from 2020, ranking fifteenth in the nation for neighborliness this year. Home to the second highest number of nonprofits in the country, it also ranks 26th for neighborly acts of kindness.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah has fallen from its spot as the second most neighborly city in the nation to the sixteenth this year due to its low numbers of nonprofits per number of residents. It still ranks well in the other categories, though, earning it the sixteenth spot.

Spokane, Washington

Spokane, Washington fell from eighth place to seventeenth this year, but it still ranks high for neighborly acts of kindness and volunteering.

Oxnard, California

Another new city on this list, Oxnard, California ranks as the eighteenth most neighborly city in the nation. It is ranked as the tenth safest city in the country and also ranks high for happiness.

Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown, Pennsylvania is a newcomer to the list, ranking nineteenth overall. It ranks 16th for low crime rates and 29th for its rate of volunteering.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana ranks as the twentieth most neighborly city in the nation, ranking ninth for volunteering and 23rd for neighborly acts of kindness.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado fell from last year’s spot in fourteenth place down to 21st. While it ranks first for volunteering, it’s crime rates are fairly high and it scored low in charitable giving.

Durham, North Carolina

Durham, North Carolina ranks as the 22nd most neighborly city in the nation, ranking as one of the happiest cities in the nation, too. It ranks 25th for volunteering and 21st in the nation for number of nonprofits per 100,000 residents.

Provo, Utah

Provo, Utah is another new addition to the list this year, ranking 23rd overall, but scoring highly in two categories. It ranks second in the nation for both charitable giving and volunteering, plus it has the second-lowest crime rates in the nation. Why is it in 23rd place, then? It also ranks 97th in the nation for number of nonprofits.

Baltimore, Maryland

The 24th most neighborly city in the country is Baltimore, Maryland. It ranks seventh for charitable giving, tenth for neighborly acts and seventeenth for volunteering.

San Francisco, California

One of the happiest cities in the nation, San Francisco finishes off the list at 25th place, ranking fifth in the nation for its high number of nonprofits per 100,000 residents.