Small town rankings

Lists for the questions people ask most, built from the same public data as our town pages. Each one spells out how it was picked, so you can judge it for yourself.

• Small towns with the lowest home prices

  The 50 U.S. small towns with the lowest typical home values that still have the basics: an emergency room nearby and a population that is holding steady.

• Small towns where homes cost the least compared with local pay

  The 50 U.S. small towns where a typical home costs the fewest years of the typical household income.

• Fastest-growing small towns

  The 50 U.S. small towns that have added people fastest since 2020, from Census Bureau estimates.

• Affordable small towns within an hour of a big city

  Small towns within about 60 miles of a big metro area, with typical home values below the U.S. typical value.

• Small towns for retiring on a budget

  Small towns with a hospital emergency room in town, plenty of neighbors 65 and older, and homes below the U.S. typical value.

• Small towns for working from home

  U.S. small towns where the most people already work from home and most homes have cable, fiber or DSL internet.

• Small towns with mild weather all year

  U.S. small towns where January nights average 35 degrees or warmer and July days average 88 or cooler.

• College towns

  U.S. small towns where at least 15% of residents are college students and a four-year college is in town.

• Tourist towns

  U.S. small towns where at least 1 in 5 homes is a vacation or seasonal home.

• Small towns with the most history

  U.S. small towns with the most listings on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Small towns next to national parks

  Gateway small towns within 15 miles of a national park, up to three per park.

We don't rank towns on crime: the FBI asks people not to, because reporting differs from place to place. Each town page shows its own crime figures.