HOW YOU PICKED THE NICEST PLACES

✦ In April, we asked for nominations, and readers sent in 448 entries.

✦ A team of editors narrowed the field to 70. Then our reporters collected their stories, which we shared on rd.com.

✦ We chose 40 places to present to our panel of judges: Robin Roberts, Good Morning America; Randy Taran, Project Happiness; Emilie Starr, Random Acts TV; Geri Weis-corbley, Good News Network; and Paige Brown, mayor of Gallatin, Tennessee, the 2017 Nicest Place in America.

✦ With advice from the judges, RD editors selected the ten finalists.

✦ You cast ballots on USA Today’s 10best.com. Total votes received: 62,795.

✦ The judges made their top pick, which, along with your votes, led us to our 2018 Nicest Place in America winner.