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Nicest Places

After hearing all your stories and submissions, we’ve found some of the nicest places in America. From metropolitan miracles to small-town hidden gems, our nation’s capacity for human kidness will amaze you. Did your town make the list?

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Nicest Places in America 2022

Nicest Places in America is a nationwide search for places where people are kind and do amazing things to improve each others' lives every day. Tell us your story!

This Man’s Homemade Ice Rink Brought Manton, Michigan Together During a Dark Winter

When the pandemic forced Manton, Michigan to shut down, resident Scott Chittle decided that the community needed a safe place...


When COVID-19 Struck, One Woman Turned Her Horse Ranch Into an Oasis the Community Needed

“I had a vision for the space being therapeutic for whoever the universe sent our way—horses or people.”


Taking in the Community During a Christmas Blizzard, the Quality Inn in Kodak, Tennessee Is the Nice...

When the residents of Eastern Tennessee went to bed on Christmas Eve of 2020 dreaming of a white Christmas, they...


The Boot Texan Kitchen in Houston, Texas

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut Houston down, Angeline Latchley and her fiancé found themselves unemployed and bored, like so many...

Manton, Michigan

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the town to shut down, Scott Chittle decided that the community needed a safe place...


The Quality Inn in Kodak, Tennessee

When icy temperatures this past winter froze Kodak, Tennessee, shutting power down and freezing pipes, Sean Patel, owner of the...

Renton, Washington

For most people, a free Christmas cheesecake would be a welcome surprise. But for Diane Dobson of Renton, Washington, it...


Nina and Doug’s House in Austin Hills, Texas

Chelsea Timmons was going through a year of transition: She quit her teaching career to deal with mental health issues...


The Sun and Moon Ranch in Lexington, North Carolina

In 1971, at just two years old, Shannan Hearne mounted a horse for the first time. She felt a deep...


Brooks, Georgia

When COVID-19 hit Brooks, Georgia, the first thing Angel Girard noticed in her neighborhood Facebook group, “Life in the Brooks...

Littleton, New Hampshire

The people of Littleton, New Hampshire can always find something to be glad about: their rich history, their beautiful countryside,...


Lake City, South Carolina

The quiet beauty of Lake City is typical for a South Carolina town: tidy small homes lining peaceful, leafy streets....


Sugar Land, Texas

When David Sebek and his business partner Tracie Whitacre opened Escape Again Rooms 20 years ago, they were glad to...


Letter from the Editor: Searching for a Good Place

Do you live in a place where people really care?


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Nicest Places in America 2021

We're on a hunt for the Nicest Places in America!

These Are the 50 Nicest Places in America, According to Our Readers

This list of our 50 Nicest Places in 2020 came from over 1,000 stories sent to us by readers. Check...


The 50 Nicest Places in America in 2019

This list of our 50 Nicest Places in 2019 came from over 1,000 stories sent to us by readers.


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Reader’s Digest Nicest Places in America

Every year, our editors read through thousands of nominations from readers to find the Reader's Digest Nicest Places in America....


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Nicest Places in America 2021

Nicest Places in America is a nationwide search for places where people are kind and do amazing things to improve...


Incredible Generosity Makes Red Handed Tattoo in Shreveport the Nicest Place in Louisiana

Learn how the owner of one small-town tattoo shop made a big difference.


Caring for Neighbors Makes Yardley the Nicest Place in Pennsylvania

Coronavirus couldn't stop this congregation's spirit of giving.


Walking the Walk Makes Rio Vista the Nicest Place in California

Find out why this small town was voted the nicest place in California.


Kid Power Makes Gaithersburg the Nicest Place in Maryland

In a time when we need kindness more than ever, young people are stepping up in this Maryland city.

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Fighting COVID-19 and Racial Injustice, Buchanan, Michigan, Is the Nicest Place in America

In 2020, we received a record number 1,177 story submissions to our annual search for the Nicest Places in America...


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Q&A: Mitch Albom Talks Kindness Through the COVID Crisis and the Nicest Place in America

We sat down with Tuesdays With Morrie best-selling author and moral voice of America Mitch Albom to discuss the...


Americans Surprisingly United Locally—Though Nationally, Divided as Ever, Survey Shows

Americans feel more unity with those in their local communities, even as they see the country as divided as ever.

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In Columbiana, Ohio, the Nicest Place in America in 2019, Nobody Gets Left Behind

In Columbiana, Ohio, nobody gets left behind, from blue-collar workers, to the wealthy, to folks who sometimes need a little...



The Nicest Place in Idaho: Hidden Springs

When illness nearly caused a beloved shop owner to close the doors, one group came to the rescue: Her customers.