I think you people are missing the point. Its not “Top ten places to visit”. Its “Top ten places to live”. Therefore, if you haven’t lived in any of the top cities then you are basically not qualified to make a judgement. I for on have lived in Vancouver (number 4) and San Diego, CA. Here’s how I would compare them.
Weather: San Diego
Jobs: San Diego
Culture: Vancouver
Outdoors: Vancouver
Air quality:Vancouver
Public Transit:Vancouver
Crime (least): Vancouver
Poverty (least): Vancouver
Infrastructure: Vancouver
The pros of american cities ( I’ve only lived in one) is there tends to be more work and they tend to be more happening (vague I know).
The cons of american cities ( I’ve only lived in one) is they tend to be dirtier, less safe, and there tends to be more extreme poverty.
The pros of Vancouver is its clean, safe, there is a good social safety net, public transit is excellent. Qualities that are typically shared by Northern European cities, Australia, and Canada.
Cons limited opportunities in certain industries (although the same could be said for american cities)