America’s most livable small towns have been revealed, with residents praising their affordable housing, abundant jobs and spacious lifestyles.
The rankings were compiled taking into account additional factors such as travel times, healthcare coverage and amenities.
Troy, Michigan was crowned best overall, according to SmartAsset’s research of 281 small cities.
The city of 87,000 residents offers the most affordable housing relative to income, with housing costs averaging 15.0% of the median household income of $109,444.
In second place is Rochester Hills, also in Michigan, where only 3.6 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, compared to the national average of 11.3 percent.
Troy, Michigan, was crowned the most livable city in the United States thanks to its affordable housing
It also enjoys low unemployment rates and almost all residents have health insurance.
Franklin, Tennessee, and Redmond, Washington rounded out the top five, with Franklin boasting a relatively high proportion of arts, entertainment and leisure businesses.
Meanwhile, Redmond offers low commute times and reasonable housing costs that account for less than 20 percent of income.
“Small towns can offer cost benefits for residents looking to stretch their income while enjoying a comfortable, more spacious lifestyle,” said certified financial planner and managing editor of Smart Asset.
‘While livability is a subjective concept that may take on different definitions for different people, some elements of a community can be universally beneficial.
In second place is Rochester Hills, where only 3.6 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, compared to the national average of 11.3 percent.
Eau Claire, Wisconsin took third place, thanks in part to its low commute time of just under 16 minutes.
To determine the results, researchers compared 281 cities with populations between 65,000 and 100,000 across several metrics.
These were housing costs as a percentage of household income, poverty and unemployment rates, percentage of residents with health insurance, average commute times, and commercial offerings.
According to the research, three Midwestern states dominate the top ten.
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota have the most livable cities.
Appleton, Wisconsin, Plymouth, Minnesota, Livonia, Michigan, and Oshkosh, Wisconsin also made the top 10.
Lakeville, Minnesota, which ranks 15th in terms of overall livability, has the fewest residents below the poverty line, at 2.3 percent.
Franklin, Tennessee, at number four, has a relatively high proportion of arts, entertainment and leisure businesses.
Residents of Redmond, Washington, enjoy short commute times and reasonable housing costs that amount to less than 20 percent of income.
Palo Alto, California, is known as the birthplace of Silicon Valley and has one of the highest median household incomes on the list.
Meanwhile, residents of Champaign, Illinois, enjoy the shortest commute, just 13 minutes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, for the birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, California, has one of the highest median household incomes, at $179,707.
This, combined with a wide variety of accommodation, gastronomy, arts and recreation companies, make this city in the Golden State one of the most livable in the country.
Immediately after Palo Alto was West Des Moines, Iowa, a city with a population of just over 70,000.
Housing costs are around $1,277 per month, which is equivalent to 17.9 percent of income.
