By Diane Schmidt, About.com Guide

Finding the best places to live takes a little research. Many companies and organizations have done a lot of the legwork for you, having compiled data and conducted surveys to find where in the world are the best places to live.

World’s Best Places to Live

The London-based Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Liveability Ranking, conducted a worldwide search for the best places to live and visit. Looking at 40 different indicators arranged in five separate categories, including stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure, EIU published some interesting findings. With three cities in the top ten, Canada came out on top due to its low crime, little threat from terrorism and a highly developed infrastructure. The best ranked US cities were Cleveland and Pittsburgh, both ranking 26th in the World.

Vancouver, Canada
Melbourne, Australia
Vienna, Austria
Toronto, Canada
Calgary, Canada
Safest Places to Live

With the recent natural disasters that have devastated so many communities throughout the world, when you are considering your next move, you may be wondering if there is anywhere left that is safe to live.
The answer is, no. Every area in the world has either suffered from, or will suffer from, a natural disaster. Whether it is a drought and tornadoes in the Midwest, flooding and ice storms in the Northeast or earthquakes and mudslides along the west coast, Mother Nature has the upper hand. Forbes recently partnered with Sperling’s Best Places to uncover the 10 safest places to live. Here are the top 5:

Honolulu, Hawaii
Bosie, Idaho
Sante Fe, New Mexico
Yakima, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Best Places for Singles

So you’re tired of combing the streets and bars of your city in an attempt to find that special someone, or maybe you’ve had enough bad first dates to keep you in on a Saturday night. Don’t despair. Sperling’s Best Places has done it again. They have compile stats on percentage of singles, single venues and population density to come up with a list of the top ten dating cities.

Austin, Texas
Colorado Springs, Colorado
San Diego, California
Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina
Seattle, Washington
Best Places for Families

Child magazine conducted an extensive search of 100 cities throughout the US to find the best place to raise a family. Factors ranged from pediatric healthcare, schools, housing costs and air quality. Their research also points to highlights in each city, special qualities that exist no where else.

Denver, Colorado
Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Newport News, Virginia
Minneapolis/St.Paul, Minnesota
Miami, Florida
Orlando, Florida

Best Places to Reinvent Yourself

For those of you who are beginning the next stage in life, whether you’ve retired or if you simply want to start over now that the kids are grown and the nest is empty, AARP magazine conducted a survey to find the best places in the US to reinvent yourself.
Considering many baby boomers will work past their 65th birthday, AARP took job availability into account when ranking a locale. Other factors included cost of living, affordable housing, culture and entertainment, access to outdoor recreation, universities and colleges, personal safety, sense of community, health care facilities and transportation.

Loveland/Fort Collins, Colorado
Bellingham, Washington
Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Sarasota, Florida
Fayetteville, Arkansas