Small Cities

Small City Rankings

Discover charming communities with strong local character (populations 10,000-24,999)

1.7

Best Ratio

Borger, TX

10K-25K

Population Range

Small cities

59.6

Highest Ratio

Isla Vista, CA

Small Cities, Big Value

Small cities (populations 10,000-24,999) offer a compelling alternative to both metro sprawl and rural isolation. These communities typically feature walkable downtowns, strong local identities, engaged civic life, and—often—significantly better housing affordability than their larger neighbors.

Many small cities serve as regional hubs for commerce, healthcare, and education, providing essential services and employment within a close-knit community setting. For families, retirees, and remote workers, these locations can deliver quality of life that rivals much larger (and more expensive) areas.

Our rankings showcase the top 100 most and least affordable small cities nationwide. The affordability ratio (median home value ÷ median household income) highlights communities where homes remain accessible relative to local earnings. Ratios below 4.0 signal exceptional value, while those above 6.0 indicate potential cost pressures.

Interested in other sizes? Explore our large cities, mid-size cities, or town rankings for different community scales.

Top 100 Most & Least Affordable Small Cities

✓ Most Affordable

Cities with the best value ratios

Rank	City	State	Population	Ratio	Home Value
#1	Borger	TX	12,398	1.7	$101,215
#2	Big Spring	TX	24,769	1.9	$133,516
#3	Pampa	TX	16,735	1.9	$103,114
#4	Bogalusa	LA	10,539	2.2	$81,869
#5	Sharon	PA	13,019	1.5	$68,305
#6	Lovington	NM	11,444	2.6	$173,582
#7	Fort Madison	IA	10,221	2.1	$105,933
#8	Sweetwater	TX	10,484	2.2	$102,448
#9	Clarksburg	WV	15,829	2.4	$113,109
#10	Portales	NM	12,023	2.6	$131,916
#11	South Euclid	OH	21,606	2.2	$176,311
#12	Portsmouth	OH	17,919	2.5	$86,679
#13	Forrest City	AR	12,826	2.0	$66,744
#14	Massena	NY	10,234	2.4	$117,999
#15	Blytheville	AR	13,026	1.8	$91,873
#16	Pine Bluff	AR	40,436	1.7	$71,801
#17	Camden	AR	10,427	1.9	$99,810
#18	Maple Heights	OH	23,350	2.5	$129,972
#19	Altus	OK	18,670	1.9	$107,813
#20	Fort Dodge	IA	24,788	2.1	$127,569
#21	Raymondville	TX	10,243	2.5	$104,223
#22	Niles	OH	18,301	2.5	$127,401
#23	Youngsville	LA	16,664	2.4	$273,309
#24	Snyder	TX	11,310	2.5	$134,841
#25	Wickliffe	OH	12,639	2.4	$191,055
#26	Burlington	IA	23,800	2.2	$123,020
#27	Jennings	MO	12,900	1.9	$69,407
#28	Kennett	MO	10,236	2.0	$104,057
#29	Clinton	IA	24,425	2.2	$124,721
#30	Ottumwa	IA	25,352	2.1	$120,807
#31	Morgan City	LA	11,208	2.2	$126,199
#32	Lake Station	IN	13,109	2.7	$151,014
#33	Bellefontaine Neighbors	MO	10,562	2.1	$101,552
#34	Fostoria	OH	12,671	2.6	$137,784
#35	Woodward	OK	11,976	2.2	$130,875
#36	Clovis	NM	38,153	2.9	$156,282
#37	Plainview	TX	19,893	2.6	$118,501
#38	West Mifflin	PA	19,338	2.2	$157,496
#39	Duncan	OK	22,872	2.3	$132,527
#40	McComb	MS	12,202	2.1	$83,356
#41	Austin	MN	26,167	2.7	$182,220
#42	Garfield Heights	OH	29,369	2.5	$131,759
#43	Selma	AL	17,442	2.2	$70,937
#44	Willowick	OH	14,182	2.5	$188,812
#45	Yazoo City	MS	10,270	2.3	$65,791
#46	Kingsville	TX	25,061	2.6	$144,649
#47	Ridgecrest	CA	28,138	3.0	$265,674
#48	Lumberton	TX	13,803	2.6	$272,342
#49	Ironton	OH	10,585	2.6	$117,107
#50	Dyersburg	TN	16,075	3.1	$159,016
#51	Jasper	AL	14,480	2.4	$158,394
#52	Ashland	KY	21,405	2.3	$120,890
#53	Carlsbad	NM	31,813	3.0	$234,300
#54	Alexandria	LA	44,566	3.0	$141,851
#55	Ferguson	MO	18,350	2.5	$113,107
#56	Huber Heights	OH	43,266	2.7	$203,717
#57	Ponca City	OK	24,377	2.4	$132,314
#58	Lower Burrell	PA	11,659	2.5	$201,617
#59	Greenwood	MS	13,983	2.5	$87,685
#60	Artesia	NM	12,555	2.9	$228,623
#61	Overland	MO	15,762	2.5	$146,425
#62	Iowa Colony	TX	11,028	2.7	$335,611
#63	Lyndhurst	OH	13,854	2.6	$227,945
#64	Mason City	IA	27,135	2.5	$153,832
#65	Prairieville	LA	35,010	2.9	$332,929
#66	Conneaut	OH	12,378	2.7	$137,875
#67	Wheeling	WV	26,670	3.0	$147,062
#68	Destrehan	LA	11,786	2.9	$290,079
#69	Charleston	WV	47,918	2.5	$161,905
#70	Broussard	LA	13,791	2.4	$276,105
#71	Bedford	OH	12,960	2.7	$151,562
#72	Washington	IN	12,192	2.9	$144,847
#73	Weirton	WV	18,785	2.5	$143,353
#74	Oxford	AL	22,063	2.7	$190,154
#75	Baker	LA	12,322	2.9	$174,531
#76	East Cleveland	OH	13,666	2.8	$63,794
#77	Royse City	TX	17,357	2.7	$315,159
#78	Zachary	LA	19,637	2.9	$262,949
#79	Saks	AL	10,727	2.7	$138,910
#80	Highland City	FL	12,732	3.0	$264,948
#81	Sherwood	AR	32,915	2.9	$230,568
#82	Chickasha	OK	16,349	2.7	$150,154
#83	Burkburnett	TX	11,012	2.7	$178,820
#84	Groves	TX	17,021	2.5	$175,983
#85	Trotwood	OH	23,041	2.7	$130,155
#86	Cleveland Heights	OH	44,694	2.8	$201,090
#87	Greenville	MS	28,833	1.2	$44,979
#88	New Iberia	LA	27,926	2.8	$140,159
#89	New Albany	OH	10,524	2.6	$603,763
#90	Marshalltown	IA	27,491	2.5	$169,711
#91	Hibbing	MN	16,100	2.8	$154,055
#92	Altoona	PA	43,508	2.7	$132,978
#93	Dunkirk	NY	12,597	2.6	$129,462
#94	Clayton	OH	13,269	2.7	$247,091
#95	Miami	OK	12,960	2.6	$121,490
#96	Freeport	TX	10,639	2.6	$138,870
#97	Del City	OK	21,561	2.8	$137,439
#98	El Dorado	AR	17,382	3.0	$134,473
#99	Levelland	TX	12,565	2.7	$139,472
#100	Okmulgee	OK	11,370	2.7	$107,363

! Least Affordable

Cities with the highest cost burden

Rank	City	State	Population	Ratio	Home Value
#1	Isla Vista	CA	13,717	59.6	$1,456,816
#2	Monsey	NY	27,787	24.3	$1,193,971
#3	Nantucket	MA	10,837	26.8	$2,945,796
#4	Spring Valley	NY	32,995	15.0	$844,058
#5	Jackson	WY	10,746	17.0	$1,912,923
#6	Opa-locka	FL	16,097	14.5	$460,499
#7	Greenwich	CT	14,528	15.4	$2,101,666
#8	Hillsborough	CA	11,122	19.8	$4,943,493
#9	Key Largo	FL	12,069	13.2	$1,042,080
#10	San Luis Obispo	CA	48,039	15.9	$1,060,945
#11	Edwards	CO	10,415	18.8	$1,707,625
#12	Boone	NC	19,534	16.6	$475,288
#13	Key West	FL	25,824	12.7	$996,763
#14	Larkspur	CA	12,856	14.9	$2,008,981
#15	Long Branch	NJ	32,184	10.6	$777,326
#16	Burlingame	CA	30,526	15.3	$2,588,273
#17	Asbury Park	NJ	15,239	9.4	$664,760
#18	Carpinteria	CA	13,100	13.7	$1,430,973
#19	Brownsville	FL	16,391	10.9	$418,652
#20	Ocean City	NJ	11,260	10.3	$1,044,957
#21	Westmont	CA	34,291	14.2	$678,025
#22	Stanford	CA	17,958	43.9	$3,102,096
#23	Pacific Grove	CA	15,003	12.7	$1,342,328
#24	Menlo Park	CA	32,775	12.9	$2,665,522
#25	Paradise Valley	AZ	12,621	13.7	$3,240,501
#26	Millbrae	CA	22,589	12.3	$1,932,848
#27	Port Townsend	WA	10,290	10.5	$632,154
#28	Cudahy	CA	22,325	12.5	$658,868
#29	Arcata	CA	18,578	9.9	$482,293
#30	Palisades Park	NJ	20,192	9.2	$929,926
#31	Steamboat Springs	CO	13,341	12.6	$1,263,792
#32	Newport	RI	25,029	10.6	$889,366
#33	Fredericksburg	TX	11,254	8.9	$514,008
#34	Airmont	NY	10,082	9.2	$934,199
#35	Goleta	CA	32,693	11.1	$1,309,582
#36	Belmont	CA	27,505	10.5	$2,174,399
#37	Soquel	CA	10,691	11.1	$1,277,579
#38	Short Hills	NJ	14,398	8.9	$2,214,748
#39	Monterey	CA	29,772	11.0	$1,141,726
#40	Willowbrook	CA	21,642	10.6	$637,408
#41	West Lafayette	IN	44,802	10.7	$359,433
#42	Freehold	NJ	12,504	7.2	$589,993
#43	Healdsburg	CA	11,274	10.8	$1,076,903
#44	Morro Bay	CA	10,717	10.1	$930,392
#45	Grass Valley	CA	14,126	10.2	$495,905
#46	Wallington	NJ	11,825	7.8	$642,744
#47	Lahaina	HI	11,423	11.5	$988,235
#48	Bell Gardens	CA	38,661	12.2	$674,017
#49	Pullman	WA	31,939	9.3	$418,934
#50	Gladeview	FL	14,657	9.0	$400,675
#51	Little Ferry	NJ	10,942	7.2	$568,911
#52	Garfield	NJ	32,502	7.4	$562,499
#53	San Carlos	CA	29,797	9.8	$2,286,863
#54	Kihei	HI	22,564	11.7	$1,021,369
#55	Kalispell	MT	26,830	8.8	$543,784
#56	Harrison	NJ	19,599	6.9	$565,346
#57	Marina	CA	22,324	9.5	$845,249
#58	Bell	CA	32,830	11.0	$666,572
#59	Portsmouth	NH	22,332	7.2	$757,927
#60	Inwood	NY	11,964	10.1	$800,583
#61	Seaside	CA	31,964	9.5	$781,212
#62	Ellensburg	WA	18,913	9.0	$447,271
#63	Santa Paula	CA	31,202	9.0	$695,879
#64	Half Moon Bay	CA	11,454	9.7	$1,484,741
#65	Arroyo Grande	CA	18,412	9.8	$1,010,752
#66	Newburgh	NY	28,649	7.6	$386,323
#67	Kahului	HI	27,068	11.0	$1,016,478
#68	East Palo Alto	CA	29,143	9.6	$1,002,847
#69	South Lake Tahoe	CA	21,319	8.6	$635,406
#70	Dover	NJ	18,420	7.1	$498,728
#71	Lodi	NJ	25,946	7.0	$592,165
#72	Sonoma	CA	10,726	9.2	$927,049
#73	Cheney	WA	12,830	8.8	$412,200
#74	Pinewood	FL	17,427	8.9	$423,352
#75	Red Bank	NJ	12,864	6.6	$672,587
#76	Grover Beach	CA	12,687	9.2	$758,816
#77	Morristown	NJ	20,256	7.4	$851,924
#78	State College	PA	40,669	8.4	$396,892
#79	Exeter	NH	10,138	7.0	$583,790
#80	Nipomo	CA	17,266	8.9	$916,074
#81	Woodland Park	NJ	13,284	7.2	$620,605
#82	Durham	NH	10,577	6.2	$678,621
#83	Maywood	CA	24,593	10.2	$626,503
#84	Alamo	CA	14,441	9.6	$2,391,965
#85	Golden Glades	FL	35,042	9.2	$460,771
#86	Palm Springs	CA	44,998	8.5	$613,558
#87	San Anselmo	CA	12,711	9.2	$1,563,459
#88	West Chester	PA	19,235	7.8	$633,276
#89	Glenwood Springs	CO	10,171	9.8	$849,539
#90	Kapaa	HI	10,886	10.5	$936,598
#91	Greenwood Village	CO	15,485	9.2	$1,346,467
#92	Durango	CO	19,257	9.3	$736,424
#93	Belle Glade	FL	16,818	5.7	$271,260
#94	Mill Valley	CA	14,064	9.4	$1,949,449
#95	Franklin Lakes	NJ	11,011	6.5	$1,492,640
#96	Central Falls	RI	22,481	8.0	$367,087
#97	Paramus	NJ	26,500	7.0	$982,675
#98	Summit	NJ	22,512	6.4	$1,283,914
#99	Foster City	CA	32,964	9.2	$1,777,844
#100	San Bruno	CA	42,612	9.1	$1,243,334

How Rankings Are Calculated

Rankings are based on the affordability ratio (median home value ÷ median household income). Lower ratios indicate more affordable cities where homes cost less relative to what residents earn.

Small Cities: Population between 10,000 and 24,999
Very Affordable: Ratio below 4.0 (homes cost less than 4× annual income)
Moderate: Ratio between 4.0-6.0
Expensive: Ratio above 6.0 (homes cost more than 6× annual income)

See our methodology page for complete details on data sources and calculations.

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