Arlington Named One Of America's Best Small Cities By WalletHub

ARLINGTON, MA — WalletHub, a website offering credit scores and credit reports, has announced its 2023 list of the Best Small Cities in America, and Massachusetts is well-represented at the top of the list.

In the study, 1,300 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 were evaluated based on 45 key indicators of livability, which were grouped into five categories: affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life and safety.

The municipalities were given a final score and grouped by percentile, with the 99th percentile representing the top 1 percent of small cities in America.

Massachusetts cities included in the 99th percentile were: Lexington, (which scored 70.63, ranking 2nd overall), Milton (69.29, 7th), Melrose (69.21, 8th) and Needham (68.62, 14th).

Arlington found itself in the 98th percentile, and its score of 68.08 was 20th on the list. Not far behind were Newton (67.74, 23rd), Reading (67.59, 25th) and Burlington (67.36, 30th).

Topping the list was Carmel, Indiana (71.16), which was followed by Lexington, Brentwood, Tennessee (69.58), Westfield, Indiana (69.39) and Fishers, Indiana (69.35).

"Not everyone craves the bright lights and crowded spaces of big cities. In fact, almost one-third of Americans (31 percent) say they would prefer to live in the suburbs, compared to 16 percent for urban areas and 24 percent for rural communities," wrote WalletHub's financial writer Adam McCann.

McCann continued: "Small-city life can be best for those who appreciate more wiggle room, fewer degrees of separation and shorter commutes, to name just a few of its advantages. Granted, these little urban areas demand some tradeoffs, too, such as fewer restaurant options or shorter business hours.