For those of us that love the mountains and wild backcountry, living in a mountain town is the dream. Fresh air, glorious scenery, a thriving outdoor scene and access to trails, slopes and superb places to camp are just some of the reasons escaping life in the city and putting down roots in a mountain town is so appealing.
A study published in 2025 has revealed the best American mountain towns as of 2024. Using the key metrics of weather, affordability and quality of life, it has arrived at a league table of villages, towns and cities right across the great mountain ranges and wilderness areas of the United States – and with frankly surprising results.
In this feature, we take a closer look at the best American mountain towns that made the top five and consider what qualities placed them so highly. We also reveal how the study was conducted and other key findings of the research.
The 5 best mountain towns in the US
The study found these were the five best mountain towns in the US based on its key metric scores:
2. Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Meet the expert
Alex is a lover of mountains and the outdoors. A qualified Mountain Leader, he adores any time spent in the high places. Often opinionated, in the case of this feature, he's simply the messenger – reporting on the findings of WeGoDating.com's study into the best mountain towns in America.
Tucson – Arizona
Arizona's Tucson secured first place among America's mountain towns thanks to a combination of scenic magnificence, the number of sunny days it enjoys every year and its affordability. Low crime rates and a vibrant downtown make the city a joy to explore, while the nearby Santa Catalina Mountains provide the outdoor enjoyment.
It dominated matters when it came to the weather – the town enjoys around 350 sunny days a year. So, if you're a sun worshipping hiker, the adventure potential here is almost limitless. And, despite its relatively mild winters, there's skiing at Mount Lemmon with 18 trails across the 80 acres of its Ski Valley.
Rutherfordton – North Carolina
In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the town of Rutherfordton is among the most affordable of the country's mountain towns. This was a large part of the reason it was able to secure 2nd place in the study, though don't discount the region's weather, with 213 sunny days every year on average. However, it's not renowned for its skiing, so snowsports enthusiasts should probably look elswhere.
Rutherfordton was badly impacted by the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene in 2024 and is relying more than ever on a steady flow of tourists to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Terlingua – Texas
Terlingua is a gateway to Big Bend National Park, one of our picks of the best desert national parks and home to true backcountry experiences, impressive canyons and exceptional stargazing. The town, close to the Mexican border, boasts excellent affordability and mild winter temperatures. It's desert landscapes are not exactly a snowy places, so ski enthusiasts should apply elsewhere. However, desert hikers will be in their element.
It has a rich mining heritage and its famous Ghost Town is a beguiling place to visit with an end of the world feel. Restaurants, art galleries and superb sunsets await, while the locals are welcoming and full of character.
Bentonville – Arkansas
The self-proclaimed 'mountain biking capital of the world', Bentonville, a small town in the Ozarks, scored remarkably highly for quality of life in the study. Not only this, it was an attractive proposition for its cost of living and for its weather, too.
Of course, if you're a mountain biker, it may well be your personal paradise. There's 70 miles of trails running through the city, connected to a further 400 miles of award-winning trails across Northwest Arkansas. In 2023, the town was named as a New Capital of Cool by the Wall Street Journal, thanks to its vibrant foodie and art scenes.
Again, this isn't a great shout for snow sports enthusiasts but hikers and campers can fill their boots on the trails of the nearby Ozark Mountains.
Bend – Oregon
Shredders, do not fear, we've got some skiing for you here! Bend in Oregan has the full gamut when it comes to mountain adventure, surely the best all-rounder in the study's top five best mountain towns in America. Twenty-two miles to the west of the small city is the Mt. Bachelor ski resort, with its 124 trails and 12 lifts. Hikers are totally spoilt by the rugged landscapes of the Central Cascades, the geological grandeur of the Newberry Volcanic National Monument and the beauty of the Deschutes River.
Bend scored particularly well in when it came to cost, especially when compared to the likes of Portland and Seattle, though it's still more expensive than the national average.
About the study
The towns featured above were part of a recent study into America's best mountain towns, conducted by WeGoDating.com. Researchers evaluated 170 American mountain towns across three key metrics: weather, affordability and quality of life in order to ascertain which were the best to live in or visit year-round.
They gave scores for a number of qualities within each metric, using sources such as weather databases, costs of living platforms like Expatistan or Numbeo, crime and safety reports, data from environmental agencies and healthcare cost databases.
For weather, researchers considered the number of sunny days per year, the average temperatures for winter activities in January and the inches of snow per year, with those that catered best for skiers and other winter sports scoring more points in this regard.
For affordability, the cost of living for both single people and families were taken into account, with expenses such as housing and groceries considered.
Finally, for quality of life, the researches gave particular weight to the violent crime rate in each town, the air quality index and the cost of local healthcare.
The researchers were then able to create a league table based on the scores each town received, thus providing a quantitive overview of America's best mountain towns.
Of course, one person's dream mountain town is going to be different to the next person's. We all have our own idea of what lifestyle suits us best. However, the study does provide food for thought. If you're thinking of upping sticks and moving to the mountains, it might be worth delving into it.
Other key findings
Some of America's most reputed and sought after mountain towns found themselves quite a way down the league table. Aspen in Colorado was way down in 76th place, despite being one of the snowiest options. This was partly because it was both the most expensive for an individual to live and the priciest for families, too. As recently as 2022, Forbes reported that the average family home in Aspen will set you back in excess of $10 million.
The cleanest air prize went to Montana's ski and mountain biking destination Big Sky, beating Colorado's Telluride into second place. Despite taking first place in the overall rankings, Tucson made an appearance in the top five most polluted towns, at number four. However, the ignominious title of most polluted went to Alaska's Girdwood, the gateway to the Chugach National Forest.
Where crime rates were concerned, the quaint mountain village of Mentone in Alabama was named as the safest. Meanwhile, Georgia's alpine village of Helen, with its Bavarian style architecture and scenic backdrop, came out as the "most dangerous". However, this may be to do with the impact its low population of around 500 people has on any crime to population ratio.
