The Nicest Place in America

The village of Liverpool, NY, just picked up a national title for being nice. Reader's Digest has named the one-square-mile village outside Syracuse its 2026 "Nicest Place in America," citing an outsized culture of service and neighborliness among its 2,600 residents. Born there: Operation Northern Comfort, a nonprofit that started with a mission to help people far away and now anchors local life, which even runs a crawfish festival that draws some 6,000 people to Syracuse's Clinton Square. "Residents of Liverpool are united by a common understanding that small change brings big impact and that helping others—without motive or promise of reward—is the ultimate expression of human connection," Leigh Belz Ray, Reader's Digest editor-in-chief, tells the New York Post.

While Liverpool offers the expected small-town touches—tree-lined streets, parks along Onondaga Lake, and businesses with names like Knitty Gritty and Dead Ends—judges pointed to its deep volunteer base and habit of pitching in as the real reason it stood out for the contest's 10th anniversary. The 2026 finalists also included Portland, Oregon; Charleston, Arkansas; and Swanville, Minnesota. Previous winners were Asheville, NC, in 2025; Provo, Utah, in 2024; and Buffalo, NY, in 2023. Check out RD's full love letter to Liverpool here.