This is a very interesting look at HDI from an article in Nature, one of the most respected scientific journals in the country. I can see how Boulder is #1 tbh, it's an extremely idyllic and well rounded place as far as education, income, quality of life.
Top 10 Metros Ranked by Human Development, 2023:
1 Boulder, CO
2 Corvallis, OR
3 Ann Arbor, MI
4 Iowa City, IA
5 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
6 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
7 Ames, IA
8 Lawrence, KS
9 Boston-Cambridge-Newtown, MA-HN
10 San Francisco-Oakland-CA
From the article:
Mapping the HDI of different metropolitan areas (left), allows us to observe which places lead solutions that promote greater human capabilities, and which lag...This pattern is clearer at the city level where “college towns” and urban areas with higher concentrations of education and research top HDI rankings, regardless of geography even in lower performing states. The top HDI micropolitan area is Los Alamos, NM.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-023-00088-y