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

KENNESAW, GA — Kennesaw 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 80 percentile overall for best small cities in the United States.

• Total Score: 63.74
• Affordability Rank: 501
• Economic Health Rank: 425
• Education & Health Rank: 829
• Quality of Life Rank: 116
• Safety Rank: 287

Kennesaw’s history begins when the Georgia Legislature authorized the construction of a rail line through Cobb County, the city said on its website. Known as the Western and Atlantic Railroad, its 20 miles of track stretched from Terminus (Atlanta) to Cartersville by 1846. Several small towns were founded along the railroad including Vinings, Smyrna, Acworth and Big Shanty.

"The city’s approximately 32,000 residents enjoy Kennesaw as a great place to live, learn, work and play," the city said. "The city’s combination of small town charm and big city amenities provides access to:

• excellent educational resources
• first-rate parks, greenspaces, public buildings, and athletic facilities
• high quality and affordable recreation programs
• safe, well-maintained neighborhoods and central business district"

The 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

Other Georgia cities on the list that finished above the 50th percentile include Alpharetta (97), Peachtree City (86), Johns Creek (83), Milton (79), Roswell (76), Duluth (76), Marietta (69), Smyrna (63).

Patch editor Gus Saltonstall contributed to this article.