How McLean Ranks Among Best Small Cities In America

MCLEAN, VA — A new study from graded the best small cities in America, and McLean made the cut. Personal finance website WalletHub looked at over 1,200 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000.

Due to the sample size, cities are grouped into percentiles rather than given a ranking number. The top cities are placed in the 99th percentile. WalletHub graded cities based on 42 key indicators of livability. The five key areas look at affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life and safety. Data came from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Areavibes, TransUnion, TripAdvisor, RealtyTrac, County Health Rankings, Yelp and WalletHub research.

McLean fared well in a few categories, earning it a place in the 70th percentile. It was ranked 2nd for education and health and 18th for safety.

Despite McLean's high cost of living, the study ranked McLean 286th for affordability. Cost of living is one factor, but WalletHub also accounts for median household income and the homeownership rate.

McLean fell in the middle for economic health and quality of life. With factors such as population growth, job growth and income growth, McLean ranked 821st for economic health. The ranking of 586 for quality of life was based on factors like average commute time, average weekly work hours, restaurants per capita and number of attractions.

The top cities in the 99th percentile included Northern Virginia's own Leesburg. See the full study and methodology on WalletHub's website.