While some live for the city hustle, others find the best place to be somewhere quiet, calm, and away from urban chaos.
As more Americans turn to rural towns and suburbs to settle down in, local charm is regaining its luster.
A recent WalletHub study surveyed 1,318 small cities across the US — defined as cities with populations sized between 25,000 and 100,000 people — and compared them across categories including affordability, economy, health, education, and quality of life.
The affordability rank of each city was determined by looking at its average housing cost, homeownership rate, household income, and cost of living, among other metrics, according to the study’s methodology section.
Economic health was measured using metrics such as population, income, and job growth rates, as well as unemployment rates, average debt and bankruptcy rates, and median credit scores.
For the education and health rankings, WalletHub examined metrics such as graduation rates, rates of obese and physically inactive adults, insured population, and other health indicators. They also used a school-system quality metric based on previous WalletHub research.
The quality of life ranking took into account factors such as average commute time and work hours, as well as the number of restaurants, bars, clubs, and other attractions per capita. Each city’s safety ranking was determined using rates like violent and property crime, car crashes, pedestrian deaths, and drug poisoning deaths.
The study utilized data from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as well as data from companies such as Areavibes, TransUnion, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and WalletHub.
Of the over 1,000 cities, 19 received scores that ranked in the top percentile across the various categories.
See the places that WalletHub ranked as being the top small cities in the US in 2025.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, had the highest quality of life ranking among the top cities, placing within the top 10 nationwide.
Arlington, Massachusetts
Although Arlington, Massachusetts — located six miles outside Boston — is among the top five most unaffordable cities in the top-performing cities, it ranked second-best in education and health out of all 1,318 cities in the study.
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington, Massachusetts, was ranked as having the best education and health in the nation in the study. The city, located 10 miles from Boston, was also ranked among the highest performers in the safety category among top-percentile cities.
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs was ranked as having the second-highest quality of life ranking among the top-performing cities, ranking as 40th highest nationwide
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin’s Economic Health Rank of 134 is stronger than that of more than half of the top-19 cities.
Its Safety Rank of 71 is mid-group.
Affordability (410) and Education & Health (104) place it roughly in the middle.
Holland, Michigan
Holland has the third-best Quality of Life Rank (47) in the top 19 group.
Economic Health Rank 135 is also middle-strong.
Its Education & Health Rank of 556 and Affordability Rank of 296 place it in the lower half of this cohort.
Holland’s profile is defined by strong livability and weaker school metrics.
Milton, Massachusetts
Milton’s Education & Health Rank of 24 is the fourth-best in the group.
Safety Rank 50 is upper-middle.
Its Quality of Life Rank of 751 is the second-worst in the entire top-19.
High academic strength paired with weak livability sets its profile.
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton’s Quality of Life Rank of 60 ranks fourth-best among the 19 cities.
Its Economic Health Rank of 210 places it in the middle group.
Safety (263) is the fourth-weakest safety score among the top-19.
Appleton mixes strong livability with weaker safety.
Brentwood, Tennessee
Brentwood’s Economic Health Rank of 99 is the sixth-best among the top 19.
Safety Rank 49 also places it in the top half.
Its Quality of Life Rank of 377 is near the median of the group.
Brentwood performs above average across categories without hitting extremes.
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg’s Education & Health Rank of 15 is the third-best among the top 19 cities.
Its Safety Rank of 86 is mid-tier.
Affordability Rank 125 places it in the top half of the cost spectrum.
Leesburg is one of the strongest education-focused cities in the dataset.
Brookfield, Wisconsin
Brookfield’s Economic Health Rank of 40 is the third-best among the top 19, behind Apex and Lehi.
Its Education & Health Rank of 39 is also top-tier.
Affordability Rank 93 is mid-high for the group.
Brookfield is one of the most consistently strong cities across categories.
Castle Rock, Colorado
Castle Rock’s Economic Health Rank of 97 is the seventh-best in the group.
Its Safety Rank of 44 places it in the top third.
Quality of Life Rank 436 sits near the group midpoint.
A generally strong, balanced performer.
Lehi, Utah
Lehi’s Economic Health Rank of 5 is the second-best in the top 19 and nationally.
Its Safety Rank of 10 makes it the second-safest city in this cohort.
Quality of Life Rank 890 is the third-worst in the group.
Lehi is an economic powerhouse with lifestyle trade-offs.
Noblesville, Indiana
Noblesville’s Education & Health Rank of 47 is the sixth-best in the group.
Its Safety Rank of 38 places it within the top five safest cities here.
Quality of Life Rank 595 sits in the lower half.
Affordability Rank 89 is mid-pack.
Carmel, Indiana
Carmel’s Education & Health Rank of 32 places it fifth-best in the group.
Safety Rank 37 places it fourth-best.
Its Affordability Rank of 32 is the third-best among the 19 cities.
Carmel is one of the most consistently strong performers in the dataset.
Kaysville, Utah
Kaysville’s Safety Rank of 9 is the best in the group.
Its Economic Health Rank of 44 is the fifth-best.
Quality of Life Rank 1086 is the worst among the top 19.
Kaysville tops the group in safety, but ranks last in livability.
Fishers, Indiana
Fishers’ Affordability Rank of 26 is the third-best, behind Apex and Westfield.
Its Education & Health Rank of 33 ranks seventh-best among the 19.
Quality of Life Rank 609 sits near the lower-middle of the group.
Safety is also a strength at Rank 36.
Westfield, Indiana
Westfield’s Affordability Rank of 25 is the second-best among the top 19.
Its Economic Health Rank of 29 is the third-best, trailing only Apex and Lehi.
Quality of Life Rank 1048 is the second-worst.
Westfield excels economically while lagging in livability.
Apex, North Carolina
Apex’s Economic Health Rank of 1 is the best in the national study and the highest among the top 19.
Its Affordability Rank of 20 is also the best in the group.
Safety Rank 146 and Education & Health Rank 244 position it in the lower-middle tier.
Apex wins on the basis of pure economic strength and cost advantages.
