Madison ranks among the Best Small Cities in America

While this may come as no surprise to residents of Madison, the city has not only been named on Livability.com’s 50 Best Small Cities in America list, but it was listed No. 2 in the nation. In fact, Alabama grabbed the top three spots!

Livability ranked 50 communities that offer “the highest quality of life at an attainable cost.” In doing so, Livability evaluated more than 2,000 cities with populations between 15,000 and 75,000 across nearly 100 data points. The inaugural list includes cities from 25 states.

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Where does Madison rank among the Best Small Cities in America?

Madison was ranked No. 2 on the 50 Best Small Cities in America list, and was joined in the top 3 by two other Alabama cities. In total, seven Alabama cities made the list.

“The community is a top choice for tech professionals and growing families seeking great schools, safe neighborhoods and a close-knit community. Tech professionals and those working in defense and aerospace love living in Madison because they can build a future without giving up direct access to the area’s thriving job market.”

_{Livability.com}

The list spans every region of the country. The top 20 are:

1. Daphne, Alabama
2. Madison, Alabama
3. Homewood, Alabama
4. Dublin, Ohio
5. Chesterfield, Missouri
6. Bethel Park, Pennsylvania
7. Mason, Ohio
8. Westfield, Indiana
9. Pflugerville, Texas
10. Friendswood, Texas
11. Enterprise, Alabama
12. Mequon, Wisconsin
13. Edwardsville, Illinois
14. Florence, Alabama
15. Bergenfield, New Jersey
16. Opelika, Alabama
17. Downers Grove, Illinois
18. Rockwall, Texas
19. Wylie, Texas
20. Fort Lee, New Jersey

Dothan also made the list of 50, placing 25th.

How the list was compiled

To compile this first-ever ranking, Livability partnered with Applied Geographic Solutions (AGS) to analyze quality of life in U.S. cities. Like Livability’s annual Top 100 Best Places to Live ranking (where Huntsville ranked No. 1 earlier this year), the Top 50 Best Small Cities list draws on data points across eight categories:

• Economy
• Housing + Cost of Living
• Amenities
• Transportation
• Environment
• Safety
• Education
• Health

“We wanted to celebrate the small cities that offer so much to residents but are often overlooked because of their size. If you want quality of life, affordability and a sense of community, this list points you to 50 outstanding options nationwide.”

_{Amanda Ellis, Livability.com editor-in-chief}

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