The Small Minnesota Cities Now Among America’s Greatest

There’s something about a really good small city that’s hard to explain… but you know it the second you’re there.

It’s the kind of place where your favorite coffee shop remembers your order, you can run errands without mentally preparing for battle, and somehow… life just feels easier. Shorter commutes, you can actually see the stars, and your dogs have a yard to run.

Related: The Most Moved to City in Minnesota 2026

Not boring. Not sleepy. Just easier.

And right now, a handful of Minnesota cities are getting some serious national attention for exactly that.

Did you know that nearly half of Americans prefer small city living over the big lights and sky scrapers? Are you in that group?

But not all small cities are the same. Some are just fine… and some are doing it really well. So someone actually went and ranked them.

A new study by WalletHub looked at more than 1,300 small cities with populations between 25k and 100,000 across the country, comparing everything from cost of living and jobs to schools and just overall day-to-day life.

The Small Minnesota Cities Now Among America’s Greatest:

And when it all shook out, a handful of Minnesota cities didn’t just show up… they ended up near the top.

A couple Wisconsin cities actually made a big splash in the top 10 - Appleton and Brookfield.

Minnesota didn’t quite break into that tier, but our cities still held their own in the upper echelon of small cities across the country. And honestly, pretty dang impressive.