DECATUR — City council members signed off Monday night on a combined $323,000 project to draft a plan and overhaul local guidelines to steer Decatur through whatever challenges the future can throw at it.
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Friendly neighbors, safe streets, excellent schools, and quieter regions near bustling cities are all qualities some of the best small towns in America share in common. To find the best small towns to live in across America, Stacker referenced Niche's Best Places to Live study, released in August 2021, which ranked American towns by overall quality of life. The variables used by Niche include cost of living, health and fitness, and weather. Any town with more than 40,000 people was excluded.
The top cities on this list run the gamut from long-established villages in the suburbs of New York City to planned communities in Virginia and Texas. They feature stops on the Underground Railroad, buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, and community traditions—apple festivals, communal gardens, ice cream socials, and harvest markets—reflecting their roots as farming towns.
- Andrew F. Kazmierski // Shutterstock
- Population: 13,786
- Homeowners: 74% of the population
- Eric Glenn // Shutterstock
- Population: 25,179
- Homeowners: 78% of the population
- quiggyt4 // Shutterstock
- Population: 5,815
- Homeowners: 79% of the population
- Kenneth Sponsler // Shutterstock
- Population: 3,615
- Homeowners: 96% of the population
- Peter Kniez // Shutterstock
- Population: 25,592
- Homeowners: 93% of the population
- Colloidial // Shutterstock
- Population: 13,802
- Homeowners: 91% of the population
- John Phelan // Wikimedia Commons
- Population: 2,724
- Homeowners: 67% of the population
- Margaret Luzier/USACE // Wikimedia Commons
- Population: 3,513
- Homeowners: 96% of the population
- Canva
- Population: 25,534
- Homeowners: 63% of the population
- Wileydoc // Shutterstock
- Population: 31,000
- Homeowners: 60% of the population
- EQRoy // Shutterstock
- Population: 19,453
- Homeowners: 91% of the population
- James Kirkikis // Shutterstock
- Population: 30,252
- Homeowners: 83% of the population
- Canva
- Population: 13,972
- Homeowners: 81% of the population
- James Meyer // Shutterstock
- Population: 28,328
- Homeowners: 57% of the population
- BeeRu // Shutterstock
- Population: 32,303
- Homeowners: 72% of the population
- woodsnorthphoto // Shutterstock
- Population: 2,336
- Homeowners: 82% of the population
- EQRoy // Shutterstock
- Population: 9,147
- Homeowners: 88% of the population
- Daderot // Wikimedia Commons
- Population: 16,437
- Homeowners: 83% of the population
- SoleilC // Shutterstock
- Population: 4,345
- Homeowners: 63% of the population
- Canva
- Population: 8,888
- Homeowners: 57% of the population
- njaj // Shutterstock
- Population: 24,002
- Homeowners: 66% of the population
- Darryl Brooks // Shutterstock
- Population: 4,642
- Homeowners: 82% of the population
- Doug Kerr // Wikimedia Commons
- Population: 3,689
- Homeowners: 52% of the population
- Lewis Liu // Shutterstock
- Population: 36,272
- Homeowners: 55% of the population
- Gerald Zaffuts // Shutterstock
- Population: 11,389
- Homeowners: 77% of the population
- Kristina Bessolova // Shutterstock
- Population: 8,763
- Homeowners: 89% of the population
- Nicole Glass Photography // Shutterstock
- Population: 1,150
- Homeowners: 91% of the population
- John Penney // Shutterstock
- Population: 27,387
- Homeowners: 63% of the population
- Canva
- Population: 22,170
- Homeowners: 77% of the population
- Jon Kraft // Shutterstock
- Population: 13,889
- Homeowners: 87% of the population
- James Kirkikis // Shutterstock
- Population: 7,849
- Homeowners: 71% of the population
- BAZA Production // Shutterstock
- Population: 6,318
- Homeowners: 77% of the population
- Spiroview Inc // Shutterstock
- Population: 7,963
- Homeowners: 98% of the population
- Nejdet Duzen // Shutterstock
- Population: 8,716
- Homeowners: 84% of the population
- Christopher Aquino // Shutterstock
- Population: 14,220
- Homeowners: 87% of the population
- LanaG // Shutterstock
- Population: 26,280
- Homeowners: 48% of the population
- Wileydoc // Shutterstock
- Population: 23,914
- Homeowners: 84% of the population
- Nicole Glass Photography // Shutterstock
- Population: 8,005
- Homeowners: 64% of the population
- thka // Shutterstock
- Population: 6,957
- Homeowners: 59% of the population
- Jose F. Donneys // Shutterstock
- Population: 4,450
- Homeowners: 86% of the population
- Goff Designs // Shutterstock
- Population: 8,982
- Homeowners: 80% of the population
- JaySi // Shutterstock
- Population: 1,972
- Homeowners: 82% of the population
- John M. Chase // Shutterstock
- Population: 12,808
- Homeowners: 59% of the population
- Canva
- Population: 16,588
- Homeowners: 59% of the population
- Tales.org // Shutterstock
- Population: 2,835
- Homeowners: 97% of the population
- Arina P Habich // Shutterstock
- Population: 12,666
- Homeowners: 67% of the population
- Abigale Snortland // Shutterstock
- Population: 8,500
- Homeowners: 56% of the population
- Paul Sableman // Wikimedia Commons
- Population: 24,141
- Homeowners: 61% of the population
- T-I // Shutterstock
- Population: 5,932
- Homeowners: 87% of the population
- Osadchaya Olga // Shutterstock
- Population: 4,800
- Homeowners: 77% of the population
- Andrew F. Kazmierski // Shutterstock
Best small towns to live in across America 2025
Best small towns to live in across America
While it may not always feel like it, America is, at its core, "a nation of small towns." According to data from the U.S Census Bureau, over 200 million Americans live in incorporated places instead of cities. Of those incorporated places, 76% have fewer than 5,000 people, and 42% have fewer than 500.
Friendly neighbors, safe streets, excellent schools, and quieter regions near bustling cities are all qualities some of the best small towns in America share in common. To find the best small towns to live in across America, Stacker referenced Niche's Best Places to Live study, released in August 2021, which ranked American towns by overall quality of life. The variables used by Niche include cost of living, health and fitness, and weather. Any town with more than 40,000 people was excluded.
The top cities on this list run the gamut from long-established villages in the suburbs of New York City to planned communities in Virginia and Texas. They feature stops on the Underground Railroad, buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, and community traditions—apple festivals, communal gardens, ice cream socials, and harvest markets—reflecting their roots as farming towns.
- Andrew F. Kazmierski // Shutterstock
- Population: 13,786
- Homeowners: 74% of the population
- Eric Glenn // Shutterstock
- Population: 25,179
- Homeowners: 78% of the population
- quiggyt4 // Shutterstock
- Population: 5,815
- Homeowners: 79% of the population
- Kenneth Sponsler // Shutterstock
- Population: 3,615
- Homeowners: 96% of the population
- Peter Kniez // Shutterstock
- Population: 25,592
- Homeowners: 93% of the population
- Colloidial // Shutterstock
- Population: 13,802
- Homeowners: 91% of the population
- John Phelan // Wikimedia Commons
- Population: 2,724
- Homeowners: 67% of the population
- Margaret Luzier/USACE // Wikimedia Commons
- Population: 3,513
- Homeowners: 96% of the population
- Canva
- Population: 25,534
- Homeowners: 63% of the population
- Wileydoc // Shutterstock
- Population: 31,000
- Homeowners: 60% of the population
- EQRoy // Shutterstock
- Population: 19,453
- Homeowners: 91% of the population
- James Kirkikis // Shutterstock
- Population: 30,252
- Homeowners: 83% of the population
- Canva
- Population: 13,972
- Homeowners: 81% of the population
- James Meyer // Shutterstock
- Population: 28,328
- Homeowners: 57% of the population
- BeeRu // Shutterstock
- Population: 32,303
- Homeowners: 72% of the population
- woodsnorthphoto // Shutterstock
- Population: 2,336
- Homeowners: 82% of the population
- EQRoy // Shutterstock
- Population: 9,147
- Homeowners: 88% of the population
- Daderot // Wikimedia Commons
- Population: 16,437
- Homeowners: 83% of the population
- SoleilC // Shutterstock
- Population: 4,345
- Homeowners: 63% of the population
- Canva
- Population: 8,888
- Homeowners: 57% of the population
- njaj // Shutterstock
- Population: 24,002
- Homeowners: 66% of the population
- Darryl Brooks // Shutterstock
- Population: 4,642
- Homeowners: 82% of the population
- Doug Kerr // Wikimedia Commons
- Population: 3,689
- Homeowners: 52% of the population
- Lewis Liu // Shutterstock
- Population: 36,272
- Homeowners: 55% of the population
- Gerald Zaffuts // Shutterstock
- Population: 11,389
- Homeowners: 77% of the population
- Kristina Bessolova // Shutterstock
- Population: 8,763
- Homeowners: 89% of the population
- Nicole Glass Photography // Shutterstock
- Population: 1,150
- Homeowners: 91% of the population
- John Penney // Shutterstock
- Population: 27,387
- Homeowners: 63% of the population
- Canva
- Population: 22,170
- Homeowners: 77% of the population
- Jon Kraft // Shutterstock
- Population: 13,889
- Homeowners: 87% of the population
- James Kirkikis // Shutterstock
- Population: 7,849
- Homeowners: 71% of the population
- BAZA Production // Shutterstock
- Population: 6,318
- Homeowners: 77% of the population
- Spiroview Inc // Shutterstock
- Population: 7,963
- Homeowners: 98% of the population
- Nejdet Duzen // Shutterstock
- Population: 8,716
- Homeowners: 84% of the population
- Christopher Aquino // Shutterstock
- Population: 14,220
- Homeowners: 87% of the population
- LanaG // Shutterstock
- Population: 26,280
- Homeowners: 48% of the population
- Wileydoc // Shutterstock
- Population: 23,914
- Homeowners: 84% of the population
- Nicole Glass Photography // Shutterstock
- Population: 8,005
- Homeowners: 64% of the population
- thka // Shutterstock
- Population: 6,957
- Homeowners: 59% of the population
- Jose F. Donneys // Shutterstock
- Population: 4,450
- Homeowners: 86% of the population
- Goff Designs // Shutterstock
- Population: 8,982
- Homeowners: 80% of the population
- JaySi // Shutterstock
- Population: 1,972
- Homeowners: 82% of the population
- John M. Chase // Shutterstock
- Population: 12,808
- Homeowners: 59% of the population
- Canva
- Population: 16,588
- Homeowners: 59% of the population
- Tales.org // Shutterstock
- Population: 2,835
- Homeowners: 97% of the population
- Arina P Habich // Shutterstock
- Population: 12,666
- Homeowners: 67% of the population
- Abigale Snortland // Shutterstock
- Population: 8,500
- Homeowners: 56% of the population
- Paul Sableman // Wikimedia Commons
- Population: 24,141
- Homeowners: 61% of the population
- T-I // Shutterstock
- Population: 5,932
- Homeowners: 87% of the population
- Osadchaya Olga // Shutterstock
- Population: 4,800
- Homeowners: 77% of the population
- Andrew F. Kazmierski // Shutterstock
Horn
Hon
JOSEPH RESSLER, HERALD & REVIEW
Moore Wolfe
Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid
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