NYC ranked far from best on annual list of top US cities, according to travelers with some shockers beating out the Big Apple

NYC’s not number one — and it’s not even close.The Big Apple has received a big Bronx cheer from the worldly readers of a high-end travel publication — shoved down to a mediocre number eight on a list of the best cities in the country.

Travel + Leisure’s hotly anticipated annual Best Cities awards saw Gotham garrotted by charmers like Charleston, SC, and Santa Fe, NM — the latter muscling into the top spot.The elite list is part of the glossy rag’s World’s Best Awards — determined annually by reader votes for three decades.

With an overall score of 88.5, readers praised New Mexico’s diminutive capital city, favored turf of artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, as a four-season destination with an unparalleled food and arts scene.With a population of just over 90,000, Santa Fe, set in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is famed for its Pueblo-style buildings and historic plaza.A National Historic Landmark, the plaza continues to serve as a commercial and cultural hub where local craftsmen sell their work.Just south of the city is the San Miguel Chapel, thought to be the oldest church in the U.S. (Presumably, votes were counted and travel completed before it was revealed that wild rats in Santa Fe country tested positive for the plague — just saying.) Charleston, last year’s winner, slipped to number 2 on the list — but still received high marks from travelers this year, with an overall score of 87.3.Readers praised the South Carolina city for its “excellent restaurants,” “Southern hospitality,” and “beauty and history.”Charleston remains a top-tier destination for travelers and those looking to relocate.

In 2025, it posted the highest net migration per capita in the country, adding nearly 80 residents for every 10,000 people already living there. The South continued to show out elsewhere in the list with Savannah and New Orleans taking third and fourth place, respectively.Among large cities, Chicago earned ...