Bethesda Named One of America's Best Small Cities

BETHESDA, MD — Two Montgomery County communities are idyllic places to call home, with Bethesda leading the pack. The city was included on WalletHub’s ranking of the 2016 Best Small Cities in America.

Living in big cities has its advantages — an abundance of nightlife and pro sports teams — but it also some drawbacks, such as big crowds, long commutes, higher crime rates and a higher cost of living. That is why some, such as Bethesda residents, prefer the slower pace of small-city life.

The city was highly ranked in a study released Monday by WalletHub, a personal finance advice site, as one of the best small cities in the United States.

"Small city living gives you more and easier access to your local leaders," said Benjamin Y. Clark, assistant professor of public administration at the University of Oregon. "Small city living frequently means more personalized services from your local government."

People in small cities typically, the study notes, enjoy tighter networks, shorter commutes and an abundance of land. Bethesda scored well across the board on the website’s criteria for the good life, ranking No. 24 for education and health.

What makes Bethesda a great place to call home? Tell us in comments.

Bethesda is ranked 536th in affordability, 577th in economic health, and 148th for quality of life, according to the study. WalletHub’s analysts compared 1,268 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 based on 30 key indicators of livability. They range from “housing costs” to “school-system quality” to “number of restaurants per capita.”

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Several other Maryland cities noted on the website are:

• Olney, tied for fifth for the lowest percentage of residents living below the poverty level
• Annapolis, ninth for quality of life
• College Park, fifth for the lowest mean weekly work hours

Methodology

To determine the best small cities in America, WalletHub’s analysts compared 1,268 cities across five key dimensions: 1) Affordability, 2) Economic Health, 3) Education & Health, 4) Quality of Life and 5) Safety. For its sample, the website selected cities with population sizes between 25,000 and 100,000 and considered only the “city proper” in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.

WalletHub then evaluated the dimensions using 30 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most favorable conditions for small-city residents.

Finally, the website calculated overall scores for each city based on the weighted average across all metrics and used the results to construct our ranking.

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