What are the Four “Best Small Cities in America” located near Austin?
On Friday, while driving (or should I write, “stopping and starting”) through downtown Austin, I counted eleven major cranes working in concert to recast the city’s skyline. My enthusiasm and stress level arced simultaneously. My enthusiasm? Austin’s dynamic vibrancy. My stress? Austin’s chronic congestion.
Later, while walking along South Congress, the animated shoppers and diners reinforced the exuberant atmosphere. “You know Ivy, if we were recent college grads, we would want to live here,” said my husband. He’s right.
But urban living is not for everyone. Many like less gridlock and more open spaces – specifically 31% of Americans prefer to live in the suburbs, 24% favor rural communities compared to 16% selecting urban areas. The other 29% were non-specific.
To find out the best small cities outshining the rest, WalletHub analyzed more than 1,300 municipalities.
What is WalletHub?
Formerly known as“CardHub,” the company has served the public since 2013. It specializes in providing a wide range of research reports focusing on personal finances and comparing cities and states in financially relevant categories.
What Makes a Small City Attractive?
First, WalletHub defined a small city as one having a population base between 25,000 and 100,000. The researchers identified 45 metrics such as affordability, cost of living, housing costs, homeownership rates, school-system quality, strength of job markets, state of health care, quality of life, safety, violent crime rate, the number of restaurants per capita etc.
The Findings are In
Of the 13,000 studied, four small cities outside Austin fell within the top 10%. They include:
Leander
The suburb ranked in the 97th percentile and had the No.2 best “economic health” rank out of all U.S. cities. Leander also earned a No. 49 rank in the national “affordability” category. Leander seems to be on a roll. Earlier this year, it achieved the No. 60 most livable small city in 2024 according to SmartAsset (to see more, click here), Plus, Leander’s 78641 ZIP code was revealed as one of the hottest housing markets in 2023.
Cedar Park
Named the No.4 best Texas city to move to in 2024 by USA Today Homefront, Cedar Park also ranked in the top 90 – 99th percentile by WalletHub. Ranked as the safest Austin suburb by SmartAsset, the city boasts a low unemployment rate (3 percent) and a high-median income level of $114,737. The Austin Spurs, a minor league NBA team, and the Texas Stars, a minor league NHL team, call Cedar Park home. In addition, the HEB Center consistently adds to the quality of life in the city.
Georgetown
Recognized as one of the finest places to retire, Georgetown serves as the county seat for Williamson County. For the last three years, it has grown faster than any other U.S. city. The tree-lined historic district, along with the famous Georgetown Square, makes the city a constant attraction to visitors and nearby residents alike.
Pflugerville
Rounding out the top four Austin small cities is Pflugerville. Affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety contributed to the city’s higher rankings. Due to its premier location straddling TX-130, Pflugerville is an ideal location for those employed by Tesla, Samsung, or Amazon.
Why is this important? As WalletHub stated, "Small cities may offer cost benefits for residents looking to stretch their income while enjoying a comfortable – and more spacious – lifestyle," the report's author wrote. "While livability is a subjective concept that may take on different definitions for different people, some elements of a community can come close to being universally beneficial." Like Leander, Cedar Park, Georgetown, and Pflugerville.