Raleigh, North Carolina: As home to several top universities including Duke, Wake Forest, and UNC Chapel Hill, Raleigh is a very young city whose metro population of 1.2 million enjoy one of the highest rates of resident satisfaction in the country. In fact, only a couple of years ago, it was named the best place to live in America, thanks in part to its plethora of parks and other draws for nature lovers in addition to its hopping nightlife and social scenes. As the state’s capital, plenty of jobs in finance and politics are available, as are jobs in academia and the arts.