WalletHub’s latest ranking puts Lexington, Massachusetts, at the top of its list of America’s best small towns, with Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Carmel, Indiana, rounding out the top three. The analysis compared more than 1,300 communities using 45 measures of livability, including housing costs, education quality and access to restaurants.
Key takeaways
- Lexington, Massachusetts, ranked No. 1 overall.
- Brookfield, Wisconsin, placed second, followed by Carmel, Indiana.
- WalletHub assessed communities with populations from 25,000 to 100,000.
- The study weighed 45 factors, including affordability and local amenities.
How WalletHub evaluated the towns
The financial website examined more than 1,300 U.S. communities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000. Its 45 measures covered a range of considerations residents may weigh when choosing where to live, such as housing expenses, the quality of education and the number of restaurants relative to population.
The ranking offers a broad comparison rather than a guarantee that a town will suit every household. Priorities such as commute time, climate, employment and proximity to family can vary widely, and the summary of the study does not provide individual scores for each measure.
Lexington leads the list
Lexington, Massachusetts, took first place in WalletHub’s overall ranking. Brookfield, Wisconsin, came in second, while Carmel, Indiana, ranked third. The results highlight towns in three different states, though the available ranking summary does not explain how far apart the leading communities were in their final scores.
Affordability is one part of the appeal
Small-town living can offer lower costs than life in a major city, according to the report. As an illustration, it estimates that a household with two parents and two children would need $8,417 a month for living expenses in Hanford, California, compared with $19,275 for a similar family in San Francisco.
That comparison illustrates how expenses can differ between locations, but it is not a direct cost comparison between the three top-ranked towns. WalletHub’s ranking incorporates housing costs alongside other quality-of-life factors, so affordability is only one part of its assessment.