It’s no surprise that small cities offer significant lower
costs of living than larger cities.
But these smaller
towns and burgs also provide a stronger sense of community, greater
connection to local businesses, a more manageable pace of life, less traffic
and congestion and a family-friendly atmosphere.
“Moving from a bustling metropolis to a small city could
drastically cut down your cost of living. On top of that, the best small cities
offer strong job markets, high-quality education, good
health care, safe living conditions and plenty of local flair to help you
achieve a high quality of life. While small cities may lack some advantages of
big cities, like robust public transportation systems, they make up for these
shortcomings in other areas,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo.
After comparing more than 13,000 cities with populations
between 25,000 and 100,000 across 45 key indicators of livability, personal
finance company WalletHub released
its report on the Best Small Cities in America. The markers ranged from
housing costs and school-system quality to the number of restaurants per capita
and the crime rate.
Lupo added, “Lexington, MA, is the best small city to live
in, boasting the fourth-lowest property crime rate and 21st-lowest violent
crime rate among the more than 1,300 cities in our study. It also has safe
drivers, with the 12th-fewest car crash deaths and 17th-fewest drunk driving
fatalities per capita. To top things off, Lexington benefits from being in
Massachusetts, the state with the best school systems in the country.”
Top 20 Cities in America to Live
1. Lexington, MA
2. Brookfield, WI
3. Carmel, IN
4. Apex, NC
5. Saratoga Springs, NY
6. Westfield, IN
7. Milton, MA
8. Arlington, MA
9. Franklin, TN
10. Fishers, IN
11. Stratford, CT
12. Appleton, WI
13. Leesburg, VA
14. Brentwood, TN
15. Castle Rock, CO
16. Lancaster, PA
17. Zionsville,
IN
18. Lehi, UT
19. Glen Ellyn, IL
20. Fair Lawn, NJ
Other Key Report Findings
Los Altos, California and McLean Virginia are among cities
with the highest median household income, which is 9.6 times higher than in Isla
Vista, California, the city with the lowest.
Southlake Texas, and New Lenox, Illinois, have the lowest
share of the population living in poverty, 46.9 times lower than Isla,
California, the city with the highest.
Isla Vista, California, also has the fewest average hours
worked per week which is 1.8 times fewer than in Fort Hood, Texas, the city with
the most.
Middleton, Connecticut, has the lowest share of adults in
fair or poor health, 3.4 times lower than in Eagle Pass, Texas, the city with
the highest.
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