Minnesota Suburbs Land High In Best U.S. Small Cities Rankings

LAKEVILLE, MN — Several Minnesota suburbs are among the best small cities in America to live in, according to a new WalletHub study.

The finance site compared 1,318 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000, scoring them on affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety.

Minnesota cities in the top percentiles include:

1. Lakeville — 97th percentile overall, with a No. 3 national ranking for affordability and No. 13 for safety.
2. Prior Lake — 97th percentile, strong in affordability (No. 12) and safety (No. 19).
3. Cottage Grove — 97th percentile, ranked No. 16 nationally for affordability.
4. Shakopee — 96th percentile, with a safety ranking of No. 24 in the nation.
5. Woodbury — 96th percentile, scoring well across all categories.
6. Savage — 95th percentile, with one of the best safety rankings in the country (No. 8).
7. Minnetonka — 95th percentile, boosted by a strong economic health score.
8. Chaska — 94th percentile, one of the safest cities in the U.S. (No. 4 overall).
9. Eagan — 92nd percentile, noted for quality of life and safety.
10. Plymouth — 90th percentile, with strong education and health scores.

WalletHub said small cities often offer many of the same amenities as larger metros while maintaining lower crime rates and housing costs.

You can view the full WalletHub report here.