With recently released U.S. Census Bureau data showing that suburban population growth outpaced city growth in 2017, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Best Small Cities in America as well as accompanying videos.
To help Americans put down roots in places offering good quality of life and affordability, WalletHub compared more than 1,200 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 across 40 key indicators of livability. They range from housing costs to school-system quality to restaurants per capita.
| Top 20 Small Cities in America | ||||
| 1 | Leawood, KS | 11 | Arlington, MA | |
| 2 | Carmel, IN | 12 | Melrose, MA | |
| 3 | Princeton, NJ | 13 | Fishers, IN | |
| 4 | Brentwood, TN | 14 | Wellesley, MA | |
| 5 | Milton, MA | 15 | Mason, OH | |
| 6 | Needham, MA | 16 | Franklin, TN | |
| 7 | Los Altos, CA | 17 | Southlake, TX | |
| 8 | Littleton, CO | 18 | Highland Park, IL | |
| 9 | Newton, MA | 19 | Westport, CT | |
| 10 | West Fargo, ND | 20 | Kirkland, WA | |
Best vs. Worst
- McLean, Virginia has the highest median annual household income, $190,258, which is 9.7 times higher than in Carbondale, Illinois, the city with the lowest at $19,515.
- Plainfield, Illinois, has the lowest share of the population living in poverty, 1.90 percent, which is 27.1 times lower than in Statesboro, Georgia, the city with the highest at 51.50 percent.
- East Lansing, Michigan, has the fewest average hours worked per week, 28.4, which is 1.7 times fewer than in Fort Hood, Texas, the city with the most at 49.3.
- Castle Rock and Parker, Colorado, have the lowest share of adults in fair or poor health, 8.29 percent each, which is 4.2 times lower than in Eagle Pass, Texas, the city with the highest at 34.91 percent.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/