What to Love About Your Small or Mid-Sized City

At Livability, our focus is promoting small and mid-sized cities, and we wholeheartedly believe they’re uniquely magical. Here, we’re outlining our favorite reasons why — talking points you can add to your toolbox for selling and promoting your community to talent. And if you need support getting the word out, we can help.

First off, smaller cities are where it’s at, literally. We did some rough math – people in the U.S. who live in a metro of more than 500,000 people (that’s 20-25 cities or so) make up less than 25% of the U.S. population compared to most people who live somewhere else – small towns, rural areas, small and mid-sized cities.

Big cities are fun to visit, but it’s clear that many people prefer actually living someplace smaller, for reasons ranging from costs to quality of life:

Affordability is certainly a touted benefit. Cost of living is often lower in smaller cities, and even with the craziness of housing costs all over the U.S., most people have a better shot at being able to afford a home in our nation’s smaller cities.

Look, every place has pockets of traffic — certain areas of town or times of day that elicit complaints. But often, the bigger the city, the more time-consuming and unpredictable it is to get around. It’s just true that small to mid-sized cities often have less traffic issues AND, to tie in our above affordability points, it’s also more likely you can afford to live closer to downtown or centrally located workplaces and activities, slashing time spent in the car.

It’s easier to get connected and establish a sense of community. When we ask people what they love about where they live, they often note a general warm vibe in smaller cities, as well as a slower pace of life that fosters connection. It’s also worth noting that in large metros, residents tend to be more transient and that can mean they’re less invested in that place, in terms of involvement and relationships. And it can feel like as soon as you make a friend, they move away!

You might climb your career ladder faster in a mid-sized city. Connecting with movers and shakers is more accessible, and there are advantages to being a big fish in a smaller pond. There’s less competition in some ways — whether it’s for small business resources or higher level jobs. Sometimes, you’ll even find an awareness in smaller and mid-sized communities that promoting the best and brightest is extra important to avoid losing folks to larger metros.

Smaller airports do not get enough love! Don’t underestimate the time savings and reduced stress, especially if you travel often. While there may be fewer direct flights, it’s possible you can arrive 45 minutes before takeoff, park for cheap and head straight for one out of 5-10 gates … easy peasy.

We hope you’ll take a moment today to appreciate what you personally love about where you live! And if you want to make sure your area is at the top of the list for talent and business decision-makers looking for their next great place, let us know – this is our specialty!

Livability highlights the nation's most vibrant small and mid-sized cities as a trusted voice for communities across America. Through Livability's custom content programs, relocating talent and business decision-makers discover your community and glean the insights they need to shortlist your area as one of the best places to live or to grow a business.