9 MD Cities Among Best Small Towns In America: Ranking
Community Corner
A new ranking by WalletHub determined the best small cities in the U.S. by looking at affordability, education and quality of life.MARYLAND — If you're looking to get away from the bright lights and crowded spaces of big cities, look no further. These nine Maryland communities are among the best small towns in America, according to a new ranking.
For its 2024 list of the Best Small Cities In America , WalletHub analyzed more than 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 based on 45 key metrics of livability. The metrics ranged from housing costs to school-system quality to the number of restaurants per capita.
Each metric was then graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the best conditions for small-city residents.
Given the large number of cities included in the ranking, towns were grouped by percentile. The 99th percentile represents the top 1 percent of small cities in America, according to WalletHub.
Out of all Maryland cities that made the list, Rockville in Montgomery County and Annapolis scored highest by making it to the 95th percentile. The cities earned overall scores of 66.13 and 66.02, respectively.
Other Virginia cities that made the list were Frederick and Bethesda, which ranked in the 94th percentile with scores of 65.92 and 65.79, respectively.
Maryland cities that ranked at the 70th percentile or above were:
The following cities ranked below the 70th percentile:
Nationally, Carmel, Indiana, is the best small city to live in, due in part to strong economic factors. Carmel has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and also has the 33rd-lowest cost of rent as a share of median household income, researchers said.
Following Carmel was Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Lexington, Massachusetts.
See the full ranking online .
