Gavião Peixoto, a small municipality in São Paulo state, was ranked the best city to live in Brazil by the Social Progress Index [2].
The ranking highlights how small-scale urban development and strategic infrastructure can drive quality of life in rural regions. While Brazil is known for its massive metropolitan hubs, this interior town has become a national reference for social progress.
Located between 300 [2] and 318 [1] kilometers from the city of São Paulo, Gavião Peixoto has a population ranging from approximately 4,000 [1] to 4,700 [2] inhabitants, though other reports place the number just under 5,000 [3]. The town achieved first place among 5,570 Brazilian municipalities [2].
This success is reflected in its Social Progress Index (IPS) score of 73.6 out of 100 [2]. The municipality has seen accelerated growth in quality of life since its emancipation in 1995 [1]. This development is paired with unique infrastructure that distinguishes the small town from its peers, most notably its aviation capabilities.
Gavião Peixoto is home to the world's second-longest airport runway, measuring 4,966 meters [4]. This massive piece of infrastructure allows the town to host advanced technology tests, including the testing of flying cars [2].
The town has maintained its lead in the IPS ranking for the second consecutive year through 2025 and 2026 [2, 3, 5]. The combination of low population density and targeted economic development has allowed the municipality to outpace larger cities in social metrics [3, 5].
“Gavião Peixoto was ranked the best city to live in Brazil by the Social Progress Index.”
The rise of Gavião Peixoto suggests a shift in Brazilian urban success metrics, where the 'small-town model'—combining high-tech infrastructure like a world-class runway with a manageable population size—can produce higher social outcomes than densely populated urban centers. Its consecutive rankings indicate that its growth is systemic rather than a temporary spike.
