The North Carolina capital ranks higher overall than any other U.S. city in three measures: broadband penetration, broadband access and plentiful WiFi hot spots. The city’s populace readily uses broadband both inside and outside the home.

Forbes points out that with the National Broadband Plan on the horizon, Raleigh and other top-ranking wired cities could serve as models for change.

Though a surprise winner, Raleigh boasts plenty of technology assets, including a high concentration of info-tech companies, research universities and state government offices. The city’s downtown corridor is blanketed with a free WiFi network. Sprint Nextel also launched its new 4G WiMAX network in Raleigh.

20 cities made Forbes’ list. Atlanta came in second and Seattle took third place. The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, where NTCA’s headquarters are located, ranked fifth.

Forbes has the entire list on an interactive map.

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