People gather outside a wooden visitor center, waving flags, beside a general store in a rural setting. Text: "poke MY heart," "RD."

Nicest Places in America 2022

Map pin displays

Reader’s Digest and Poke My Heart searched for the Nicest Place in America, where people are kind, resilient and work to make their communities better. In 2022, the Nicest Place in America was Coulterville, California, where neighbors stepped up to help one another during a wildfire.

Read the inspiring story below, then scroll down to tell us about the nicest place you know.

Reader’s Digest’s Nicest Places Featured on TODAY

Meet Our Winners

Barn stands quietly among dry grass, beside tall green pine trees, under blue sky with scattered clouds, creating a rustic countryside scene.

2022 Winner: Coulterville, California

Person sits smiling on counter, wearing a black hoodie and cap, in a colorful convenience store filled with snacks and toiletries.

Lucky Candy Bodega, Bronx, New York

Carousel, featuring ornate animal figures, stands still in a brightly lit, colorful indoor space with decorated canopy and intricate details above.

Kingsport Carousel, Tennessee

A group of eight people smiling together, standing indoors near a window, wearing casual and work attire.

2021 Winner: The Quality Inn

Meet Our Past Winners

Smiling man stands confidently in a blue polo shirt, positioned in a brightly lit hallway with visible windows.

Meet the 2021 Winner: The Quality Inn in Kodak, Tennessee

Flag hangs above pedestrians crossing a small town street, bordered by historic buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

The Nicest Place in America 2020: Buchanan, Michigan

Theater displays show listings on its marquee, beneath a clear sky, with people gathered at the entrance and a nearby streetlamp with hanging plants.

The Nicest Place in America 2019: Columbiana, Ohio

Counter staff chatting, smiling, and taking an order in a falafel restaurant with a menu board and Coca-Cola dispenser.

The Nicest Place in America 2018: Yassin's Falafel House in Knoxville, Tennessee

Group in red robes singing enthusiastically outdoors, with a church-like building in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

The Nicest Place in America 2017: Gallatin, Tennessee

Meet Our Judges

Smiling person wearing a blue shirt against a plain white background.

A man with red hair and a beard is smiling while wearing glasses and a dark blazer, against a plain light gray background.

Jason Buhrmester

A woman smiles, wearing turquoise earrings with a nature-inspired pattern, against a blurred outdoor background with plants.

Mónica Guzmán

Smiling woman poses in a denim jacket, seated in front of wooden stairs. Necklace with

A person smiles warmly, wearing glasses and a white shirt, in front of a blurred blue background.

Smiling man wearing a blue polo shirt, standing in a bright, blurred-background setting.

Send Us Your Nicest Places