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And the Winner of 2026’s “Nicest Places in America” Search Is …

In 2017, Reader’s Digest launched the Nicest Places in America with a single goal: to shine a spotlight on communities that demonstrate what’s possible when people look out for their neighbors. A decade later, our annual search is still going strong, and we couldn’t do it without our readers, who point us in the right direction by nominating the places they think are the “nicest” each year. (Send in a nomination for 2027 below!)

This year, we found a very special place to commemorate our 10th Year Special: Liverpool, New York! This tiny village near Syracuse has a heart the size of a city, and its people truly inspire us.

Read on for more about Liverpool—along with the rest of 2026’s finalists—and see how we spent 24 hours in the Nicest Place in America.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more heartwarming stories, fun facts, humor, cleaning, travel and tech all week long. 

Meet Our 2026 Winner

Clockwise from top left: Liverpool First Presbyterian Church; a free book-exchange box outside a residence; Heid's of Liverpool; feeding the geese at Onondaga Lake; columbine flowers at the Liverpool Public Library; sign greeting incoming drivers from the New York State Thruway; Operation Northern Comfort breaks down a ramp; playground at Onondaga Lake Park.

A Tiny Village in New York Spread Charity Far and Wide—And Became 2026’s Nicest Place in America

This year’s top honor goes to … Liverpool, New York! Find out how a mission to help strangers thousands of miles away has grown into a community where lending a hand is simply a way of life.

Click here to read all about it.

Spend a Little Time in 2026’s Nicest Place in America

What can you learn about a place in a single day? When it’s a tiny town packed with amazing people, a whole lot. Visit Liverpool with us below!

Check Out the 2026 Finalists

Meet Our Judges

Craig Melvin
Mitch Albom
Sandra Clark
Mónica Guzmán
Molly Irani

Meet Our Past Winners

See where all 154 of our Nicest Places land on this map, and read the stories below to find out more about the ones that took home the top honor.

2025 Winner: Asheville, North Carolina

2024 Winner: Provo, Utah

2023 Winner: Buffalo, New York

2022 Winner: Coulterville, California

2021 Winner: The Quality Inn in Kodak, Tennessee

2020 Winner: Buchanan, Michigan

2019 Winner: Columbiana, Ohio

2018 Winner: Yassir Falafel House in Knoxville, Tennessee

2017 Winner: Gallatin, Tennessee

Add a Dose of Niceness to Your World

11 Ways to Turn Your Community into One of the Nicest Places in America

Building a strong community depends on you, and we can help. Click here for some tangible—and surprisingly easy!—tips on how to make your hometown a place you can truly call home.

Time to Plan Your Nicest Vacation Yet! Here’s Your Guide to All of Reader’s Digest’s Nicest Places in America Winners

Ten years of our Nicest Places franchise means 10 amazing places to visit! Check out where to stay and what to do while you’re there.

Find Your People

Nominate Your Nicest Place!

Why trust us

For more than 100 years, Reader’s Digest has been known for its heartwarming true stories and focus on community. In 2017, we launched the Nicest Places in America, an annual contest that honors kind, inspiring people making a difference in their hometowns. Readers send in nominations, and Reader’s Digest’s editorial team vets the entries and whittles them down with the help of a panel of judges. This year, the judges included Today co-anchor Craig Melvin, Tuesdays with Morrie author Mitch Albom, author and podcast host Mónica Guzmán, StoryCorps CEO Sandra Clark, and Molly Irani, the co-founder of Chai Pani Restaurant Group in Asheville, North Carolina, which was 2025’s Nicest Place in America. We are committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

The post And the Winner of 2026’s “Nicest Places in America” Search Is … appeared first on Reader's Digest.



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