Town rankings

Pick a theme and a state. Each list ranks towns with 1,000 or more people on one of our scores. How the scores work.

Most affordable towns to live in

Ranked on cost of living: everyday prices compared with the rest of the US, and typical rent.

Towns with the most affordable housing

Ranked on housing affordability: home prices compared with income, rent as a share of income, and the typical home price.

Towns with the best schools

Ranked on schools: how many high-school students take AP, IB or college classes, how many students miss a lot of school, the graduation rate and class size, for the public schools in the town.

Fastest-growing towns

Ranked on a place that is growing: how much the number of people and the typical income grew over five years.

Towns with the best jobs and income

Ranked on jobs and income: typical household income, how many people are out of work, and how many live in poverty.

Most walkable towns

Ranked on walkability: how easy it is to get around on foot near the town center, and how many people walk or bike to work.

Towns with the lowest property taxes

Ranked on property taxes: the typical property tax paid and that tax as a share of the home price.