10 best small cities for health, affordability

Carmel, Ind., is the best small city to live in the U.S., largely due to economic and health factors, according to a Sept. 30 list from WalletHub.

The Indiana city has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, a median credit score of 775 and the 11th-lowest share of adults in fair or poor health.

WalletHub evaluated 1,318 cities based on education and health, affordability, economic health, quality of life and safety. The personal finance website graded 45 metrics on a 100-point scale and calculated each city’s weighted average across all metrics. Cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 were included.

Health metrics factored in the share of insured residents, premature death rate and access to healthy foods.

Five of the top 10 cities are located in the Midwest.

Here are the top 10 cities on WalletHub’s 2025 list of the “Best Small Cities in America”:

1. Carmel, Ind.

2. Brookfield, Wis.

3. Apex, N.C.

4. Lexington, Mass.

5. Westfield, Ind.

6. Fishers, Ind.

7. Brentwood, Tenn.

8. Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

9. Appleton, Wis.

10. Lehi, Utah

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