(CultureMap Austin) Living in the big city isn't for everyone, which is why many are flocking to the suburbs and less-populated cities around Austin. To demonstrate the popularity of suburban and rural communities, a new study by WalletHub has identified five Austin suburbs on their 2024 list of the "Best Small Cities in America."
The extensive report compared over 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents based on 45 livability metrics across five main categories: Affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and overall safety. Cities were grouped by percentile, where the 99th percentile encompasses the top one percent of small American cities.
A total 19 U.S. cities all qualified in the top 99th percentile of best small cities in America, but the top three that stood out above the rest were Carmel, Indiana; Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Lexington, Massachusetts.
Leading the pack as the best small city in the Austin area is Leander, which is just 25 miles northwest of downtown Austin. The suburb ranked in the 97th percentile and had the No. 2 best "economic health" rank out of all U.S. cities in the report. Leander also earned a No. 49 rank in the national "affordability" category.
According to the city's website, Leander has a population of more than 72,000 residents. The North Austin suburb has enjoyed some time in the spotlight this year after being crowned one of the most livable small cities earlier in 2024. Plus, Leander's 78641 ZIP code was revealed as one of the hottest housing markets in 2023.
Besides the cost-saving benefits of escaping a big city, there's a lot more to enjoy living in a smaller community like Leander, according to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
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