25 Most Popular Small Towns to Live in the US

Published on October 3, 2023 at 7:23 pm by Zarah Hamid in Business, Lists, News

In this article, we will be analyzing suburbs in America and companies contributing to the quality of life in these areas while covering the 25 most popular small towns to live in the US. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can move directly to the 5 Most Popular Small Towns to Live in the US.

The Ideal Small Town

The tightly knit community life in a small town in America has a lot to offer. These American small towns typically have a lower population than metropolitan areas. Being in close proximity to major cities, these towns offer an urban-suburban feel. A small town that is deemed a popular place to live is one that offers all basic amenities to its residents such as housing, education, healthcare, and safety. A good standard of living implies that the residents can afford to own or rent out their own living space, feel safe to walk around the town, and have access to medical care and sufficient employment opportunities to sustain a livelihood. You can also take a look at the best American suburbs for retirees.

According to the most recent census reported by the US Census Bureau in 2020, there were 3,143 counties in the country that were rural. Almost 60% of the counties were considered either totally or partially rural by this census survey. Approximately 13.4 million children under the age of 18 resided in a rural space in 2020, thereby representing a potential future generation. Considering these statistics, it is evident that a major portion of the country lies outside big urban centers. Thus, the scope of small towns even when they contain a smaller population is extensive.

Companies Promoting Quality Life in Small Towns

There are a diverse set of companies in the United States that improve the standard of life in small towns. They serve the residents of these small towns by fulfilling their needs. Since these companies operate in different industries, we have focused on some of them. These include Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) from retail, Princeton Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:BPRN) from banking and Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) from healthcare.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is a popular retail chain in the United States. The company pursues a strategy of positioning itself in small towns in the US, even where the population is relatively less. The company’s strategy focuses on placing discount stores in small towns. These stores bring employment opportunities and the ease of shopping from nearby for the town’s residents. On April 4, the company reported its growth strategy for 2023. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is striving to improve its supply chain by integrating automation and innovation into it. The company also demonstrated this supply chain innovation at its regional distribution center in Brooksville, which is a small American town, and how the distribution center could engage in increased item storage by inculcating data, software, and robotics in its supply chain system thereby delivering to the company’s stores efficiently. By 2026, Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) expects to have 65% of its stores serviced automatically.

Another popular company operating in Princeton town is The Bank of Princeton, a wholly owned subsidiary of Princeton Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:BPRN). The bank offers financial services across Central New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. The bank also holds three branches in Princeton thereby helping the residents with their banking needs. On May 19, the company reported that it has acquired Noah Bank. The company is currently also operating in other small towns such as Browns Mills, Chesterfield, Cream Ridge, and Hamilton.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) tends to transform suburban life in America by providing pharmaceutical products. Its US headquarters is in Plainsboro township in New Jersey, which also shares a border with Princeton. The company continues to make healthcare accessible in the country. On June 20, the company reported that it has been taking actions against retailers of non-FDA approved semaglutide medicines with the use of its trademark. Legal actions have been initiated by Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) against local pharmacies, medical spas, and other retailers to protect US consumers from buying medicines that are neither authentic nor safe for their health.

Thus, Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), Princeton Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:BPRN), and Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) add to the local amenities that can be accessed easily by the residents of small American towns.

Methodology

In order to compile a list of the most popular small towns in the US, we referred to the Niche Best Places to Live ranking. We chose ‘towns’ as our filter to find all the American towns. From the results, we screened towns with a population under 50,000, thereby representing small towns. Since the population requirements as stated by the US Census Bureau for towns within different US states vary and large cities typically have populations greater than 50,000, we have considered all those towns which have populations under 50,000. Thus, we shortlisted the top 50 small towns from Niche.

Moving on, we decided to select the metrics that could best define a popular town to live in the US. Based on our hypothesis, a popular small town in America for a living should have a good quality of life. Thus, the town should offer affordable housing costs, reasonable income, and educational institutes since housing affordability, employment, and education are the basic concerns of residents in any place.

To denote house affordability, we selected mean house price as our primary metric. For our secondary metric representing employment, we chose mean household income. For the number of schools as our tertiary metric, we compiled all public and private schools in the town. This data was sourced from town profiles on Niche.

Finally, we ranked the small towns in the US according to their mean house prices, mean household income, and number of schools, on a priority basis as stated above.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular small towns for living in America.

25 Most Popular Small Towns to Live in the US:

25. Chevy Chase

Mean House Price: $999,200

Median Household Income: $207,971

Total Number of Schools: 283

Chevy Chase is a popular town to live in the US. The town has highly rated schools and is connected to Washington DC and Bethesda which makes its location ideal.

24. Great Neck Gardens

Mean House Price: $941,500

Median Household Income: $218,603

Total Number of Schools: 51

Great Neck Gardens is another American town with a quality standard of living. The town has softball fields, parks, playgrounds, and a safe space to offer.

23. Ho-Ho-Kus

Mean House Price: $815,200

Median Household Income: $244,493

Total Number of Schools: 204

Ho-Ho Kus offers a vibrant community with a low crime rate. Residents can also socialize in the town with ease, making it one of the most popular towns to live in the US.

22. South Kensington

Mean House Price: $806,700

Median Household Income: $197,500

Total Number of Schools: 266

South Kensington is a suburb of Washington that offers many recreational options in the form of picnic spots, parks, and courts. The town is a popular place to live in the US.

21. Wayland

Mean House Price: $762,400

Median Household Income: $203,789

Total Number of Schools: 195

Wayland has one of the most established school systems in Massachusetts. It is a good place to live in the US with natural fields and forests to witness.

20. Herricks

Mean House Price: $699,500

Median Household Income: $170,078

Total Number of Schools: 120

Herricks is a small suburban community in New York that offers affordable homes, quality schools, and an easy commute. Thus, the town is a popular place to live in the US.

19. Syosset

Mean House Price: $690,800

Median Household Income: $165,727

Total Number of Schools: 134

A reasonable small town to reside in the US is Syosset. It is a suburb of New York that offers diverse housing options as well as good schools. The town is popular for living in the US.

18. North Potomac

Mean House Price: $686,800

Median Household Income: $174,591

Total Number of Schools: 157

Another popular small town in the US is North Potomac which has great schools and a safe place to offer to its residents. The town also provides places for recreation.

17. Clayton

Mean House Price: $683,400

Median Household Income: $117,593

Total Number of Schools: 261

Clayton is another small town in America that has maintained its standard of living. The town provides well-developed academic programs and growing job opportunities to its residents.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), Princeton Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:BPRN), and Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) offer their services to elevate the quality of life in US towns.

16. Devon

Mean House Price: $663,300

Median Household Income: $197,820

Total Number of Schools: 130

Devon is a famous small town in the US. The town offers many amenities in the form of medical services, good education, and an easily accessible public transit system.

15. Princeton Junction

Mean House Price: $574,100

Median Household Income: $196,364

Total Number of Schools: 135

Princeton Junction in New Jersey is another American town that is a good place to live in the country. The town has parks, trails, and waterways to offer for outdoor enthusiasts. The schools in the town are also good.

14. Stone Ridge

Mean House Price: $544,400

Median Household Income: $173,102

Total Number of Schools: 103

Stone Ridge is a popular American town for living. It is based in Virginia and has some of the top-rated schools in addition to great outdoor spaces.

13. Holly Hills

Mean House Price: $533,000

Median Household Income: $134,722

Total Number of Schools: 214

Another small town good for living in the US is Holly Hills which is also deemed to be family friendly. The town supports a good transport and education system to serve its residents.

12. Swarthmore

Mean House Price: $443,000

Median Household Income: $128,995

Total Number of Schools: 116

Swarthmore has many parks, restaurants, public schools and a safe community feel to offer to its residents. This makes the town a popular place to live in the US.

11. Great Neck Plaza

Mean House Price: $399,800

Median Household Income: $95,676

Total Number of Schools: 73

Great Neck Plaza is home to many offices and shops. It also provides a commute to New York City which makes it a favorable small town to live in America.

10. Penn Wyne

Mean House Price: $395,300

Median Household Income: $143,520

Total Number of Schools: 262

Penn Wyne is a small American town that provides reasonable living in the US. The cost of living is affordable and the community is friendly for those who wish to reside in the town.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), Princeton Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:BPRN), and Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) are well positioned in their respective industries in the United States.

9. Cinco Ranch

Mean House Price: $381,500

Median Household Income: $152,662

Total Number of Schools: 179

Based in Texas, Cinco Ranch is another popular small town to reside in America. A significant portion of residents own their homes. The town also offers outdoor activities.

8. Innsbrook

Mean House Price: $370,100

Median Household Income: $96,849

Total Number of Schools: 104

The homeownership rate is high in Innsbrook which is a popular town in the United States. The town is also closely linked to Richmond and hence, residents can access facilities in a big city while experiencing a town feel.

7. Ardmore

Mean House Price: $353,900

Median Household Income: $107,087

Total Number of Schools: 194

Ardmore also makes it to our list of the 25 most popular small towns to live in the US. There are many local shops and other attractions such as the Suburban Square located in the town.

6. Chesterbrook

Mean House Price: $350,200

Median Household Income: $126,687

Total Number of Schools: 164

Chesterbrook is a famous small town to reside in America as it provides ample outdoor activities and a good nightlife. The town also has a well established education system.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Most Popular Small Towns to Live in the US.