A new list looks at a range of factors from housing costs to entertainment to commute times to rank the most attractive small cities in the U.S.
A new list from WalletHub ranks the nation’s small cities (those with a population between 25,000 and 100,000) based on criteria including affordability, economy, health, education, and quality of life. “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.”
As Kristine Villarroel explains in Business Insider, “Of the over 1,000 cities, 19 received scores that ranked in the top percentile across the various categories.”
Cities at the top of the list include Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Arlington, Massachusetts; Lexington, Massachusetts; and Saratoga Springs, New York. Many of the cities on the list are in the Midwest and Northeast. Four Indiana cities are on the list.
Cities in the Mountain West include Lehi, Utah and Castle Rock, Colorado. Notably, no West Coast states made the list.
Read the full story: The best small cities in the US to live in 2025
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