Three of the Top 5 Best Small Cities in America are Located in Indiana

Living in a "big" city certainly has its advantages - lots of things to see and do, lots of shopping and dining choices, and lots of people - but big city life isn't for everybody. The same things that make a big city attractive to some, also drive others away to live in a smaller city. In fact, some studies show that nearly half of Americans prefer to live in the suburbs, as opposed to urban or rural areas. A couple of reasons for this include smaller populations and a lower cost of living.

How to Determine the Best Small Cities in America

The personal-finance website WalletHub released a report showing 2023’s Best Small Cities in America, and I was pleasantly surprised to see three Indiana cities in the top ten, with several other Hoosier cities making the list. I think that's something to be proud of. To get these results, WalletHub compared more than 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 based on these five categories:

1. Affordability
2. Economic Health
3. Education & Health
4. Quality of Life
5. Safety

Which Indiana Cities Scored the Best?

• At the very top of the list, the #1 small city in America, is Carmel, IN. This is a slight improvement for Carmel, which was #2 on the list last year.
• Moving up six spots from last year to #4 on the list is Westfield, IN.
• And rounding out the top five at #5 is Fishers, IN.
• All three cities are in the 99th percentile, meaning they are in the top one percent of small cities in America.
• Several other Indiana towns made the list, including Zionsville, Noblesville, Brownsburg, Greenwood, Plainfield, Valparaiso, Granger, Crown Point, and Columbus

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You can scroll over this interactive map to see the rest of the results, but your eyes might go crossed looking at all those dots.

The results are a little bit easier to see HERE, along with any other information you might want about the study.