Americans Continue to Move to Smaller Cities

Cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 continue to see an influx of migrants lured by lower costs of living and high quality-of-life metrics.

2 minute read

November 9, 2021, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Carmel, Indiana street

Tysto / Carmel, Indiana

According to an article by Zoe Manzanetti, a new report quantifies the factors behind the urban exodus that began before 2020 and was accelerated by the pandemic. The report compared key social and economic factors in small cities—those with populations between 25,000 and 100,000—around the country and measured how they score on a variety of metrics that include cost of living, commute time, crime rates, and urban amenities.

Manzanetti quotes Jerry Anthony, an associate professor at the University of Iowa, on the benefits of small cities:

"Usually lower-cost housing, a better sense of community and connectedness to events and activities in the community, more opportunities to make a tangible difference through civic engagement, a greater sense of fulfillment and life satisfaction [and…] much less time spent commuting or traveling within the city."

The article details the scores of the cities in the top and bottom percentiles of the study on measures such as affordability, economic health, and safety.

Small cities have experienced steady growth as new flexibility offered by remote work, coupled with a desire to escape the confines of crowded urban areas during the pandemic and the spike in housing costs in major cities, have pushed many Americans to move out of metropolitan areas altogether and embrace the opportunities presented by smaller towns. This, in turn, has led to a rise in home prices and a phenomenon known as rural gentrification that, like its urban counterpart, threatens to displace long-term residents by pricing them out of the local housing market.

Monday, October 25, 2021 in Governing

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Street with parking protected bike lane and parked cars in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance

The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

July 8 - Willamette Week

Aerial view of Spokane, Washington with river in foreground.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package

Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

July 8 - The Spokesman-Review

Close-up on black and white "Bike Lane Ends" sign with bike logo.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane

The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.

July 8 - Houston Public Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA