Where Are the Best Small Towns in America?

Big city living isn’t for everyone — the noise, crowds and crime are a lot to deal with. So if you’ve got your heart set on something a bit less chaotic, you may want to check out this year’s list of America’s best small cities.

Using statistics from data services company Onboard Informatics, CNN Money looked at US towns with a population of between 50,000 and 300,000 residents, and then factored in things like median income, unemployment rates, housing and health care.

The overall winner was the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel, IN. With just over 80,000 people, its unemployment rate is low and it has excellent schools, a major sports center, good housing options and wide bike lanes.

McKinney, TX, which took runner-up honors, was lauded for its housing and low taxes. Microsoft’s hometown of Redmond, WA came in fifth thanks to its great schools and and low crime rate.

Top 10 Best Small Cities

1. Carmel, IN
2. McKinney, TX
3. Eden Prairie, MN
4. Newton, MA
5. Redmond, WA
6. Irvine, CA
7. Reston, VA
8. Columbia/Ellicott City, MD
9. Overland Park, KS
10. Chapel Hill, NC

[CNN Money]