Sammamish Named America's Best Small City

SAMMAMISH, WA — Sammamish earned the distinction of being named the best small city in America this week, leading a pack of more than 1,300 cities across the nation. WalletHub released its 2021 Best Small Cities in America rankings on Tuesday, with two Eastside towns cracking the top 15.

The study compared cities with between 25,000 and 100,000 residents and assembled rankings weighted across 43 livability factors, including housing costs, quality of school districts, median household incomes, unemployment rates and various quality of life measures.

With all factors considered, WalletHub crowned Sammamish as the cream of the crop, landing in the top 1 percent of small cities with a total score of 72.55, nearly a full point ahead of second place. The city earned especially high marks in economic health and safety.

Here are WalletHub's top 10 Best Small Cities In America:

1. Sammamish, Wash. (Total score: 72.55)
2. Carmel, Ind. (Total score: 71.79)
3. Brentwood, Tenn. (Total score: 71.57)
4. Lexington, Mass. (Total score: 71.54)
5. Reading, Mass. (Total score: 71.13)
6. Zionsville, Ind. (Total score: 70.92)
7. Portland, Maine (Total score: 70.66)
8. Milton, Mass. (Total score: 70.66)
9. Melrose, Mass. (Total score: 70.65)
10. Dublin, Ohio (Total score: 70.44)

Nearby Redmond also claimed a spot among the top 1 percent, coming in at 12th place with an overall score of 70.12.

See the complete rankings and read more about the study's methodology via WalletHub.