The 20 Best Small Towns in America
From the Berkshires to the Cascades, we've crunched the numbers and pulled a list some of the most interesting spots around the country
- By Susan Spano and Aviva Shen
- Smithsonian magazine, May 2012
(Brian Tietz)
There are lists of the best places to get a job, retire, ski, golf and fall in love, best places lists for almost everything. We think any best place worth traveling to should have one quality above others: culture.
To help create our list, we asked the geographic information systems company Esri to search its data bases for high concentrations of museums, historic sites, botanic gardens, resident orchestras, art galleries and other cultural assets common to big cities. But we focused on towns with populations less than 25,000, so travelers could experience what might be called enlightened good times in an unhurried, charming setting. We also tried to select towns ranging across the lower 48.
There is, we think, something encouraging about finding culture in small-town America. Fabled overseas locales, world-class metropolises—you expect to be inspired when you go there. But to have your horizon shifted in a town of 6,000 by an unheralded gem of a painting or a song belted out from a band shell on a starry summer night, that’s special. It reinforces the truth that big cities and grand institutions per se don’t produce creative works; individuals do. And being reminded of that is fun.
Comments (804)
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Wow, really. I live in Brattleboro. What do you think makes it a best small town: the low wages, lack of affordable housing, high taxes, lack of job opportunities, few restaurants, hidden homelessness, or its pretentiousness? Although it pretends to be progressive, the town is actually pretty socially conservative and judgemental. It absolutely merited this title in the 90s, but now is only glorious for the affluent. A tough place for the working class.
Posted by Sad but True on December 5,2012 | 11:47 AM
Key West? No way Jose. I lived there for 11 years and when I left it was like being released from jail. It's good for a wild weekend as long as you avoid the city income producer of DUI, but as far as living there, forget it. Everything is way overpriced (125 miles to the mainland, most of it at 35mph) and playing highway tag whenever a hurricane comes by gets real old fast. Low murder rate but up there with larger cities with theft.
Posted by David on December 1,2012 | 08:12 PM
First of all a place with population of 5,000 or more is not a town but a city. How can a place with high humidity even be considered? I dont even like visiting those places let alone live there. The more crowded a place is the quality of life goes down. I like to go outside more than 30 times a year. Give me a small town in Montana, Idaho, or Wyoming. But my favorite place of all is Prairie City, Oregon. It is in a spectacular valley that has no equal. I have been to the Eastern US and you can have it all!
Posted by Clyde Abraham on December 1,2012 | 04:39 PM
Average, typical run-of-the-mill USA workers need "not apply" for residing in Mill Valley or similar towns where those higher up the socio-economic hierarchy dwell with even the ill-defined "middle class" often unable to reside in these high-falutin' locales.
Posted by Obbop on December 1,2012 | 02:47 PM
It seems to me that using big city culture as the standard of judgment appeals only to a well-heeled and well-educated segment of the population,of a certain age. Re-name the list as the best small towns for the traditional cultural elite. There's nothing wrong with the concept of the list--just provide truth in advertising.
Posted by Carol on December 1,2012 | 09:55 AM
Beckley, WV? You've got to be kidding. That is a serious trash hole any way you slice it. Warning, this list is way off.
Posted by Beck lee on November 30,2012 | 06:04 PM
Smithsonian, you did a great job on describing Naples on the Gulf, but you did omit that Naples is the golf capital of the world with more golf courses per capita of any place in the world. Tennis is also a very active sport. Fishing and water sports year round. How can you beat that? John W. Vaughn
Posted by John W. Vaughn on November 29,2012 | 04:37 PM
I grew up in Brattleboro,VT. I got smart and moved away. I can't imagine any reason to tell anyone to visit this place.
Posted by Dude on November 29,2012 | 09:56 AM
There's no way any town with lots of hipsters can be considered a good place to live. Hipsters are shallow and boring.
Posted by Boboe on November 25,2012 | 01:16 PM
Losoya, Texas is the place to live. Everyone keeps to themselves and there are no nosy neighbors threatening to take you to court because you painted your home a color they don't care to look at. Your children are bused to school, so you can do your farm work and not have to stop milking your cow to take them.
Posted by Anonymous on November 25,2012 | 09:40 AM
If I win the lottery I would like to live in a simple town and away from the Rat Race, so I may choose one of those towns, but only if I win. No one has to know you won because there are ways of keeping your winnings a secret by hiring a good Financial Adviser that will make sure you name is not brought out in the open. Now, if I can only be lucky to win a few millions and live off the interest.
Posted by John Boy on November 25,2012 | 09:32 AM
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho never makes such lists and yet is one of the most beautiful and historic places in the northwest. If you are looking for a place to vacation where you can walk up and down mainstreet and find all kinds of great shops and restaurants this is it. Beautiful lakes, they are all over the place here. Fresh clean air, yes, mountains and forests, beautiful colors, wild moose, deer, elk. Or if you want to fly around in a float plane, stay at a 5 star resort, golf at some of the most spectacular courses around with beautiful views, this is the place. Laid back is the culture here, no attitudes, no stress, no hurry. I moved here from Silicon Valley and will die here, its perfect. Oh, by the way, don't tell anyone.
Posted by Mitt Romney on November 24,2012 | 11:27 AM
This article really sucked
Posted by John on November 22,2012 | 09:06 AM
First off, how much did they pay you?Second thing,most of your picks are not small towns! For some odd reason,you keep sending me your magazine, and I did use it up until last year when my bird died, so go green save the planet you can stop sending me you magazine with all it's useless information . Geprge
Posted by George A. Brudnak on November 18,2012 | 11:29 PM
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