Why do cities in North Carolina always rank well on "best places to live" lists?

I've noticed that cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, and Asheville always seem to rank very well on those "best places to live" lists. For 2008, Charlotte ranks at number 1. Asheville at 6th place. The Raleigh / Durham area is ranked 2nd on Forbe's list of best places for business and careers. I've been to Raleigh and the whole place seems very clean, although it's mostly big box stores and urban sprawl, it seems like a nice place. So what do North Carolina cities do that other cities don't? Why are NC cities always doing good on those lists?

Public Comments

1. I have no idea. I have lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina for thirteen years and it is not a good place to live. Poor economy, bad crime rate, and a lot of gangs. I have been to Raleigh a couple times. It is clean, never seen any indication of gang activities, and it appears to do very well economically.
2. i think its the places that u live i lived in greensboro for 2 years and it was amazing i like it. Its nice and simple basically....