The publication ranked the country's 100 most populated metro areas based on affordability, job prospects, and quality of life. Among the top 10 are Denver, CO; San Jose, CA; and Washington, D.C. U.S. News surveyed thousands of people across the U.S. to find out which qualities they consider important in a hometown. It also used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, and Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as its own rankings of best high schools and best hospitals