The 10 most liveable cities in the US

In the United States, unrest seems to be growing by the day.

Over the weekend, a white supremacist plowed through a crowd of counter-protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia. Several cities, like Baltimore, Maryland, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Lexington, Kentucky are removing confederate monuments, despite rallies from white nationalists to preserve them.

Mass shootings in 2017 are outpacing those in previous years as well, with over 150 attacks so far. In the past few months, there have been instances of domestic terrorism and racially motivated violence, including shootings and firebombs at churches, on the streets, at mosques, and even at a Congressional baseball practice.

There have also been dozens of demonstrations from various sides of the ideological spectrum.

All these factors can affect the well-being of those who live in cities, according to a new report from The Economist Intelligence Unit. On Wednesday, the group released its annual "Global Liveability Index," which ranked 140 cities worldwide by how "livable" they are, considering five key areas: economic stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

Those that score best tend to be mid-sized cities in wealthier countries with a relatively low population density. These factors can encourage a range of recreational activities without leading to high crime levels and overburdened infrastructure (e.g. roads, subways, housing).

The report notes that some US cities have declined in score, partly due to civil unrest linked to terrorism-related violence and President Trump's policies.

The US cities that ranked the highest are below: