Best Small Cities In U.S. 2019: Walnut Creek Makes The List

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Walnut Creek might not be the biggest in the state, but we recently received recognition as one of the best small cities in the nation.

Personal finance site WalletHub released its 2019 Best Small Cities in America, which only included metros with populations between 25,000 and 100,000.

Our city finished in the 71st percentile overall for best small cities in the United States.

• Total Score: 62.19
• Affordability: 1150
• Economic Health: 146
• Education & Health: 237
• Quality of Life: 119
• Safety: 628

Walnut Creek began taking shape in the 1850s around what is now Mt. Diablo Boulevard and North Main Street. The city's name was chosen in 1862 when the first post office was established. The town grew with the arrival of the railroad in the 1890s, culminating with incorporation in 1914.

The WalletHub list compared more than 1,200 cities across the nation based on 42 key indicators of liveability, including home ownership rate, the number of performing arts centers in the area, job growth and more.

Each relevant metric was listed with its corresponding weight and the cities were subsequently graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the maximum small city experience.

Leawood, Kansas ranked as the best small city in the nation, according to WalletHub, followed by Brentwood, Tennessee and Sammamish, Washington.

Bessemer, Alabama finished as the worst small city in the United States.

“Small-city life can be best for those who appreciate more wiggle room, fewer degrees of separation and shorter commutes, to name just a few advantages,” authors of the WalletHub study said.

Here are the top 10 overall small cities in the country:

1. Leawood, Kansas: 71.98
2. Brentwood, Tennessee: 71.53
3. Sammamish, Washington: 71.34
4. Melrose, Massachusetts: 70.7
5. Carmel, Indiana: 70.59
6. Lexington, Massachusetts: 70.55
7. Milton, Massachusetts: 70.46
8. Brookfield, Wisconsin: 70.38
9. Fair Lawn, New Jersey: 70.25
10. Cedar Park, Texas: 69.98

Patch editor Gus Saltonstall contributed to this article.