Community Corner
These 2 MI Small Towns Among 15 Best Places To Live In U.S.
Two small Oakland County communities are among the 15 best small places to live in the nation.
MICHIGAN — Two small Oakland County communities are among the 15 best small places to live in the nation.
U.S. News and World Report ranked Troy No. 5 and Rochester Hills No. 4 in its list for the top 15 Best Small Cities to Live at in 2025-2026.
Troy has a population of around 87,000, making it the 12th most populated city in the state. The outlet said Troy performed best in quality of life, earning the No. 34 spot for college readiness. The outlet also noted Troy is home to some of the highest-rated public schools in the state and country, including Troy High School.
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The suburb also falls within the top 15 percent of desirable small cities for its low crime rate and within the top 20 percent of cities for job market strength, the outlet said.
Rochester Hills has around 76,000 residents, making it the 18th most populated city in the state. The outlet noted the city is known for its hiking trails, picnic areas and other outdoor activities, including the 8.5-mile Paint Creek Trail, which is a linear park that connects several communities.
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Similar to Troy, the outlet said Rochester Hills stands out for its quality of life, and earned the No. 22 spot for college readiness. Rochester Hills also came in as the second-safest city in the Best Small Cities to Live list and ranked in the top 2 percent for environmental risk for its low chance of extreme weather events.
U.S. News and World Report says it came up with this top 15 after first determining its 250 Best Places to Live in the U.S. list.
In that list, the cities were determined based on a methodology that takes into account the city’s job market, value, quality of life and desirability.
U.S. News said measures were weighted in part based on a public survey of thousands of individuals throughout the country to find what qualities they consider important in a place to live. The news outlet also used its own internal research data, as well as data from U.S. agencies, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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