Nearly half of Americans say they prefer to live in a suburban area.
Personal finance website WalletHub released its 2022’s Best Small Cities in America in response to help Americans put down roots in places that offer a good quality of life and affordability.
By comparing 1,300 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 across 43 key indicators of livability, WalletHub determined the best smallest cities in America.
Data includes housing costs, school system quality, restaurants per capita and the crime rate in each city.
Best and worst small cities
The best small city in America is Lancaster, Penn.
Rounding out the top five are:
- Carmel, Indiana
- Fair Lawn, N.J.
- Lexington, Mass.
- Brentwood, Tenn.
At the bottom of the list are:
- Princeton, N.J.
- Newton, Mass.
- Burlington, Mass.
- Arlington, Mass.
- Apex, N.C.
Fun facts from WalletHub’s report
- The highest median annual household income is in Los Altos, Calif., with $240,094, which is 11.1 times higher than the lowest of $21,018 in Isla Vista, Calif.
- The lowest share of population living in poverty is 1 percent in Crofton, Md., which is 70.9 times lower than 70.90 percent living in Isla Vista, Calif.
- Isla Vista also has the fewest average hours worked per week: 23.70, two times fewer than 47.30 hours worked in Fort Hood, Texas.
- The lowest share of adults in fair or poor health is found in Castle Rock and Parker, Colorado at 8.90 percent, which is 4.1 times lower than in Eagle Pass, Texas which has the highest at 36.90 percent.
Small city living vs. large city living
Experts offered comments on the benefits and disadvantages of living in a small city versus a large city.
“Smaller cities often have more affordable housing prices and shorter, cheaper commutes (if one owns a car). A drawback of smaller cities is that they have fewer job opportunities than large cities,” Dr. Nick Finio, Associate Director & Assistant Research Professor at National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, University of Maryland, College Park, said in a press release.
According to Dean and Professor at University of Georgia Sonia Hirt, residents have more cash when they live in a small city, “but have access to fewer cultural opportunities. Less car traffic but also no mass transit.”
WalletHub asked experts if small cities will gain popularity after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They already have been and there is evidence of this. It is unclear if this trend will continue now that the country is moving past the pandemic,” Finio said.
Hirt said we do not know the long-term effects of the pandemic on mass psychology.
“Initially, evidence suggests that small towns are perceived as more attractive. But whether this is long-term, I do not know,” Hirt said.
Is there anything local policymakers can do to make small cities more attractive and retain new residents?
“Continue to allow for ample construction of new, more affordable housing. This will continue to pull people away from large metros,” Finio said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
