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The Nicest Places in America 2024

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It takes a village to put together Reader’s Digest’s Nicest Places in America. For our eighth annual contest, we started as we always do: by asking you, our readers, to be our scouts around the country and send us your nominations for the nicest places you know. Our editorial team vets each place carefully, whittling down the list with the help of our panel of judges, who know a thing or two about niceness themselves. Congratulations to each of the 2024 Nicest Places in America. Keep showing us all how it’s done!

Read on to check out 2024’s winners—including Provo, Utah, which earned this year’s top spot. Then scroll down to submit a nomination for 2025’s Nicest Places in America!

Visit Our 2024 Winners

Two people sit on chairs, overlooking a lake with reeds, beneath tree branches, mountains visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky. The Nicest Place in America 2024: Provo, Utah
A mining structure stands tall amidst a town, with snow-capped mountains and a clear sky in the background. The Montana Mining Town with a Heart of Gold
Bicycle stands in a well-organized workshop with tools on the wall and shelves filled with supplies in a wooden shed. This Town's Free Bike Shed Keeps a Community Mobile
People sitting and socializing on blankets in a park, surrounded by trees and tents, with a distant tower visible through the canopy. Brooklyn's Hippest Neighborhood Proves It's Cool to Be Kind
A Hurricane Devastated One Of Floridas Final Frontiers—but It Wont Go Down Without A Fight A Florida Community Bands Together After a Hurricane
Five adults wearing colorful costumes hold brooms, posing in a grassy, park-like setting near trees. A Tiny North Carolina Town Offers Free Dental Care

Nicest Places on Today

Visit Our Past Winners

City skyline with roads and riverfront, highlighted by a The Nicest Place in America 2023: Buffalo, New York
Barn stands quietly among dry grass, beside tall green pine trees, under blue sky with scattered clouds, creating a rustic countryside scene. The Nicest Place in America 2022: Coulterville, California
Smiling man stands confidently in a blue polo shirt, positioned in a brightly lit hallway with visible windows. The Nicest Place in America 2021: The Quality Inn in Kodak, Tennessee
Flag hangs above pedestrians crossing a small town street, bordered by historic buildings under a partly cloudy sky. The Nicest Place in America 2020: Buchanan, Michigan
Theater displays show listings on its marquee, beneath a clear sky, with people gathered at the entrance and a nearby streetlamp with hanging plants. The Nicest Place in America 2019: Columbiana, Ohio
Counter staff chatting, smiling, and taking an order in a falafel restaurant with a menu board and Coca-Cola dispenser. The Nicest Place in America 2018: Yassin's Falafel House in Knoxville, Tennessee
Group in red robes singing enthusiastically outdoors, with a church-like building in the background under a partly cloudy sky. The Nicest Place in America 2017: Gallatin, Tennessee

Meet Our Judges

Man smiling, wearing glasses, a navy suit, and a striped tie, with a blue flower lapel pin, against a plain light background. Al Roker
A man stands calmly, wearing an orange shirt and gray jacket, with a blurred indoor background suggesting a casual setting. Mitch Albom
Person smiling, standing still, wearing colorful earrings and a black top; background shows tall grasses and a blurred, patterned wall. Mónica Guzmán
A person smiles while standing by a window, wearing glasses and a striped sweater, with arms crossed. Books fill shelves in the background. Steven Petrow
A woman smiles, wearing glasses and a white blouse, in a softly lit room with a blurred blue background. Bonnie Kintzer
Two men stand together smiling on a basketball court, surrounded by trees. One wears a black vest; the other, a purple shirt with Craig Elston

Send Us Your Nicest Place!