According to the financial news and commentary web site 24/7 Wall Street, the City of Falls Church ranks as the No. 1 county (independent city) jurisdiction to live in in the entire United States, it was reported by USA Today this week. Eight of the 25 best counties to live in are in the D.C. area, and the City of Fall Church ranks No. 1. on the list.

To rank the best counties to live in, 24/7 Wall Street developed an index based on the United Nations’ Human Development Index (the index ranks the U.S. as the 10th most liveable country behind Norway, Australia and Switzerland, etc.), measuring educational attainment, poverty rate and life expectancy to determine the counties’ well-being. The D.C. region did well on the list, “where a large share of residents have access to advanced, high-paying jobs in government and defense,” according to 24/7 Wall Street. The City of Falls Church, a separate jurisdiction, was included with counties for 24/7 Wall Street’s ranking purposes, it was reported. Some facts noted in the report that made Falls Church rise to the top included: Falls Church City has grown more than 14.8 percent in five years (national growth rate is 3.9 percent); Its unemployment rate is 2.8 percent (national rate is 4.1 percent); Poverty rate is 2.7 percent; The life expectancy in the city is 81.8 percent; Typical household income is over $115,000, more than double the national median income.

Arlington County rated No. 3, Fairfax County rates No. 6, Loudoun County rated No. 8, the City of Fairfax rated No. 10 and the City of Alexandria rated No. 16.