The 20 best small cities in the US

• Personal-finance company Wallethub has identified the best small cities in America.
• It compared 1,321 cities across five key metrics, including affordability and quality of life.

Tucked away from major metropolises, small towns offer residents an escape from the frenetic pace of urban life. Though they may lack the cosmopolitan flair of larger cities, like an abundance of restaurants and entertainment, they compensate with other crucial factors, including lower housing costs.

Wallethub has released an annual report that ranks the best small cities in America. The personal-finance company compared 1,321 small US cities — those with population sizes between 25,000 and 100,000 — across five key metrics: affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety.

These are the 20 best small cities in the US, according to Wallethub. Insider included the median home sale price for each city as of August, utilizing data from Redfin, and population figures derived from the latest Census data, unless noted otherwise.

20. Arlington, Massachusetts

Arlington, Massachusetts.      Demetri2K/Getty Images

• Median housing cost: $976,000
• Population: 45,522

19. Franklin, Tennessee

Franklin, Tennessee.      Dan Reynolds Photography/Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $767,500
• Population: 86,895

18. Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine.      Walter Bibikow/Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $550,000
• Population: 68,424
  

17. Appleton, Wisconsin

Green Bay, Wisconsin, pictured here, is a 38-minute drive from Appleton.      James Brey/Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $279, 250
• Population: 74,511

16. Zionsville, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana, pictured here, is a 27-minute drive from Zionsville.      Shutterstock.com

• Median home sale price: $653,000
• Population: 31,982

15. Kaysville, Utah

Kaysville, Utah.      raclro/Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $629,525
• Population: 32,761

14. Needham, Massachusetts

Wellesley, Massachusetts, pictured here, borders Needham.      Denis Tangney Jr./Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $1,691,000
• Population: 32,091* (Pulled from 2020 census data, the most recently available)
  

13. Redmond, Washington

Redmond, Washington.      Kyle_Graff/Shutterstock

• Median home sale price: $1,281,000
• Population: 76,732

12. Apex, North Carolina

Apex, North Carolina.      Malcolm MacGregor/Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $587,000
• Population: 71,065

11. Bozeman, Montana

Bozeman, Montana.      Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images

• Median home sale price $715,000
• Population: 56,123
  

10. Brookfield, Wisconsin

Brookfield, Wisconsin.      Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $435,000
• Population: 41,958
  
  

9. Saratoga Springs, New York

Saratoga Springs, New York.      DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $712,500
• Population: 28,593
  

8. Melrose, Massachusetts

Melrose, Massachusetts.      Google Maps

• Median home sale price: $890,000
• Population: 29,155

7. Milton, Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts, pictured here, is a 20-minute drive from Milton.      Shutterstock

• Median home sale price: $956,000
• Population: 28,364

6. Fair Lawn, New Jersey

Paterson, New Jersey, pictured here, borders Fair Lawn and is a 20-minute drive from New York City.      iShootPhotosLLC/Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $687,500
• Population: 35,279

5. Fishers, Indiana

Fishers, Indiana.      WikiCommons

• Median home sale price: $396,000
• Population: 101,966

4. Westfield, Indiana

Westfield, Indiana.      Michael Sinclair/The City of Westfield

• Median home sale price: $450,238
• Population: 54,605

3. Brentwood, Tennessee

Brentwood, Tennessee.      Facebook/City of Brentwood, Tennessee Local Government

• Median home sale price: $1,251,200
• Population: 45,136

2. Lexington, Massachusetts

Lexington, Massachusetts.      bpperry/Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $1,718,500
• Population: 34,074

1. Carmel, Indiana

Carmel, Indiana.      Michael Godek/Getty Images

• Median home sale price: $502,000
• Population: 101,964