The 30 ‘Coolest’ Small Cities

The 30 coolest small cities in the U.S., according to travelers, offer something different.

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Editor’s Note: For the month of January 2018, Efficientgov ran a photo contest. Travelers said these 30 small cities are the coolest, but we wanted to hear from locals. How do local governments in the top ten make these cities great places to live, work and play?

Since 2015, WalletHub has ranked Princeton, New Jersey, the Best Small City in America overall. The accolade is due in large part to its vibrant economic health, which followed on from a township and borough merger that realized $2.3 million in savings in 2015 alone. And while Princeton attracts some travelers to its battlegrounds and museums, it doesn’t make the Internet’s most recent list of the coolest small cities in the U.S.

What gives a small city that cool factor?

Alot Travel does not provide a methodology for this list, but its Twitter indicates that insights are cultivated by travel professionals and wanderlust enthusiasts. According to the website, the 30 Best Small Cities in the United States offer travelers cultural opportunities or not-to-miss, unusual offerings:

Big, crowded cities don’t have a monopoly on cultural offerings. If you’re looking to visit (or move to) a place that flows to a slower pace and has a lower cost of living, these towns under 100,000 residents still have plenty to cool things to do.”

The coolest small cities are:

  1. Aspen, Colorado
  2. Bentonville, Arkansas
  3. Greenville, South Carolina
  4. Ellensburg, Washington
  5. Santa Fe, New Mexico
  6. Spring Hill, Tennessee
  7. Telluride, Colorado
  8. St. George, Utah
  9. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
  10. Dubuque, Iowa
  11. Park City, Utah
  12. Portland, Maine
  13. Sedona, Arizona
  14. Monterey, California
  15. Bend, Oregon
  16. Asheville, North Carolina
  17. Newport, Rhode Island
  18. Saratoga Springs, New York
  19. Marfa, Texas
  20. Appleton, Wisconsin
  21. San Ramon, California
  22. Oviedo, Florida
  23. West Bend, Wisconsin
  24. Manhattan, Kansas
  25. Cedar Falls, Iowa
  26. Bismarck, North Dakota
  27. Beverly, Massachusetts
  28. Bozeman, Montana
  29. Charlottesville, Virginia
  30. Nashua, New Hampshire