You don’t need to settle down in a big city for a good education, job and things to do. There’s a list of about 250 cities around the country that are the best places to live, and two of those are small cities right here in Michigan.
The list of best places come from U.S. News and World Report, and from that list - 15 cities were ranked for best small cities to live. Troy ranked No. 5 and Rochester Hills ranked No. 4.
When determining the top 250 Best Places to Live, U.S. News’ annual analysis evaluated data related to desirability, quality of life, job market and value in 859 U.S. cities. This includes crime rates, cost of living, job market, net migration, climate, quality of education and more.
Here’s the list of 15 small cities – all with populations under 100,000:
15. Cedar Park, Texas
14. Edmond, Oklahoma
13. Bethesda, Maryland
12. West Hartford, Connecticut
11. Ankeny, Iowa
10. Plymouth, Minnesota
9. Pflugerville, Texas
8. Flower Mound, Texas
7. Ellicott City, Maryland
6. Sammamish, Washington
5. Troy, Michigan
4. Rochester Hills, Michigan
3. Leander, Texas
2. Apex, North Carolina
1. Johns Creek, Georgia
Troy has a population of around 87,000 and Rochester Hills has around 76,000 residents. Troy is the 12th most populated city in the state, while Rochester Hills is the 18th.