Best Small Cities in America (2026)

Not everyone is drawn to the bright lights and crowds of big cities. In fact, almost half of Americans (47%) say they would prefer to live in the suburbs, compared with 24% who prefer urban areas and 23% who favor rural communities. For those who value more space, fewer degrees of separation and shorter commutes, small-city living can offer plenty of advantages. Of course, smaller cities come with some tradeoffs, too, including fewer restaurant choices and shorter business hours.

Affordability is another major perk of living in a city with a relatively small population. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a two-parent, two-child family in Hanford, California, would need $8,417 per month to cover the cost of living, compared with more than twice that amount $19,275 for the same family in San Francisco.

Of course, not all small cities offer the same quality of life. So, which ones stand out from the rest? To find out, WalletHub compared more than 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000, using 45 key indicators of livability. These factors range from housing costs and school-system quality to the number of restaurants per capita.

Main Findings

Given the large sample of cities ranked in this study, we grouped cities by percentile. The 99th percentile represents the top 1 percent of small cities in America.

Best Small Cities to Live in America

Notes: *99 = Best

With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

In-Depth Look at the Best Small Cities

Lexington, MA

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.

In addition, Lexington has one of the highest median annual household incomes in the country, at over $238,000. Residents also have the ninth-highest median credit score, at 783, showing that people in the city are doing very well financially.

To top things off, Lexington benefits from being in Massachusetts, the state with the best school systems in the country. And when it comes to health and fitness, Lexington has the fourth-highest percentage of people with health insurance, the 13th-lowest share of adults in poor or fair health, and the 24th-most fitness centers per capita.

Brookfield, WI

Brookfield, WI, is the second-best small city to live in, and it has a 3% unemployment rate, one of the lowest in the country. In addition, only 3.2% of the city’s population lives in poverty, the 10th-lowest percentage among the more than 1,300 cities in our study.

Brookfield residents also have the 106th-highest homeownership rate in the country, along with the seventh-best median credit score. At 785, the median credit score is far into the excellent credit range.

On top of good economic conditions, Brookfield residents enjoy good health. The city has the 12th-lowest share of residents in fair or poor health, and nearly 98% of the population has health insurance, the 15th-highest percentage in the nation. Brookfield also has the 56th-lowest percentage of adults with no leisure time. Having adequate leisure time is beneficial for one’s mental health.

Finally, Brookfield demonstrates safety with the 134th-lowest violent crime rate and 25th-lowest pedestrian fatality rate in the country.

Carmel, IN

Carmel, IN, is the third-best small city to live in, due in part to strong economic factors. Carmel has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, at 2.90%. It also has the 41st-lowest cost of rent as a share of median household income, at nearly 15%. On top of that, the median annual household income is nearly $142,000, 112th-highest out of the more than 1,300 cities in our study.

Low unemployment and high incomes have helped people in Carmel obtain high credit scores. The median credit score in the city is 774, which is the 18th-highest in the country and well into the excellent credit range.

Finally, Carmel is a good place for residents’ health and safety. It has the ninth-lowest share of adults in fair or poor health, along with the 21st-lowest premature death rate in the country. When it comes to safety, it has the 208th-lowest pedestrian fatality rate and the 84th-lowest violent crime rate.

The methodology can be found on the full version of the article on WalletHub.