Living in the big city isn't for everyone, which is why many are flocking to the suburbs and less-populated cities around San Antonio. To demonstrate the popularity of suburban and rural communities, a new study by WalletHub has identified three San Antonio suburbs on their 2024 list of the "Best Small Cities in America."
The extensive report compared over 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents based on 45 livability metrics across five main categories: Affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and overall safety. Cities were grouped by percentile, where the 99th percentile encompasses the top one percent of small American cities.
A total 19 U.S. cities all qualified in the top 99th percentile of best small cities in America, but the top three that stood out above the rest were Carmel, Indiana; Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Lexington, Massachusetts.
Leading the pack as the best small city in the San Antonio area is New Braunfels, which is just 33 miles northeast of downtown San Antonio. The suburb ranked in the 87th percentile and had the No. 45 best "economic health" rank out of all U.S. cities in the report.
New Braunfels has a population of more than 102,000 residents, which is slightly higher than the study's range. The San Antonio suburb has enjoyed some time in the spotlight this year after being crowned one of the best Texas cities to move to in 2024. Its consistent growth has planted seeds for some new travel accommodations and family-friendly attractions.
Besides the cost-saving benefits of escaping a big city, there's a lot more to enjoy living in a smaller community like New Braunfels, according to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
"On top of that, the best small cities offer strong job markets, high-quality education, good health care, safe living conditions, and plenty of local flair to help you achieve a high quality of life," Lupo said. "While small cities may lack some advantages of big cities, like robust public transportation systems, they make up for these shortcomings in other areas."
The only other San Antonio-area cities to rank in the top 50-75th percentile range were Canyon Lake (73rd) and Cibolo (58th). Canyon Lake is situated 44 miles northeast of downtown San Antonio, and had a population estimate of over 32,000 residents in 2022. The city is a highly sought after destination for its abundance of affordable homes for under $500,000, according to a recent report by GoBakingRates.
The best small cities across the Lone Star State
The highest ranking Texas cities in the report are Rockwall, a suburb located less than 24 miles northeast of Dallas, and the north Austin suburb of Leander. Both cities appeared in the 97th percentile.
Three additional Texas cities appeared in the 90-99th percentile range: The Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs of Allen (96th) and Flower Mound (93rd), and Cedar Park (95th) outside Austin.
The top 10 best small cities in Texas, based on WalletHub's data, are:
- 97th percentile – Rockwall and Leander (tie)
- 96th – Allen
- 95th – Cedar Park
- 93rd – Flower Mound
- 89th – New Braunfels
- 87th – Southlake
- 86th – Pflugerville
- 85th – Little Elm
- 83rd – Georgetown
The full report and its methodology can be found on wallethub.com.
