small but mighty
3 San Antonio suburbs ranked among best small cities the U.S.
Natural beauty and a booming economy combine to make New Braunfels a Texas hot spot.
Three San Antonio neighbors — with New Braunfels at the top of the pack — have been rated among the best small cities in America for 2026.
WalletHub's annual survey compared over 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents based on 45 livability metrics categorized into five key dimensions: affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Cities were then grouped by percentile, where the 99th percentile represents the very best.
Nineteen small U.S. cities were rated in the 99th percentile, with the top three spots occupied by Lexington, Massachusetts; Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Carmel, Indiana. No Texas city earned this rating.
New Braunfels has topped the list for three years in a row, and it was rated in the 78th percentile of all small cities in the country. Nearby Canyon Lake ranked in the 62nd percentile this year, making a remarkable rebound from its previous rating in the 46th percentile in 2025. Cibolo's rating has also improved since last year's rating in the 56th percentile, and it now ranks in the 61st percentile for 2026.
Recent buzzy restaurant and grocery store openings in Cibolo are helping the city progress as an up-and-coming San Antonio suburb. Meanwhile, New Braunfels is no stranger to earning praise for its livability. New Braunfels was named America's No. 2 boomtown earlier this year, and its 78130 ZIP code was dubbed the hottest ZIP code in America.
Canyon Lake is also making headway as one of San Antonio's top suburbs with new affordable neighborhood developments.
"Moving from a bustling metropolis to a small city could drastically cut down your cost of living," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "While small cities may lack some advantages of big cities, like robust public transportation systems, they make up for these shortcomings in other areas."
Cost-saving benefits aside, Lupo also said the best small cities have "strong job markets, high-quality education, good health care, safe living conditions, and plenty of local flair to help [residents] achieve a high quality of life."
The top 10 best small cities to live in Texas are:
- Cedar Park and Allen – 96th percentile (tied)
- Leander – 93rd percentile
- Flower Mound – 91st percentile
- Little Elm – 87th percentile
- The Colony and Rockwall – 86th percentile (tied)
- Colleyville – 85th percentile
- Georgetown – 84th percentile
- Southlake – 82nd percentile
All furniture and accessories were includes in the sale.Photo courtesy of Magnolia Realty
The dining room includes a stately fireplace.Photo courtesy of Magnolia Realty
