Lancaster Named 17th Top Small City of 2025

Lancaster made the top 20 best small cities in America, coming in at no. 17, according to WalletHub. 

Many Americans (47%) prefer suburbs over urban areas (24%) and rural communities (23%). Small-city life offers benefits like lower living costs, shorter commutes, more flexibility and a stronger sense of community, to name a few.  

Lancaster exhibits all of these benefits and more, according to WalletHub. With an overall score of 68.63, the city ranks no. 17 out of the 1,318 small cities analyzed, and it falls in the 99th percentile. 

“Lancaster has held a long-standing position in the Northeast as a place to find the best of small town living combined with nationally ranked healthcare, a modest cost of living, easy access to metropolitan markets (such as Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and New York City) and vibrant arts and entertainment options,” says Mike Julian, president of the Lancaster County Association of Realtors®.  

Notably, WalletHub ranked Lancaster no. 10 in the quality of life category. This impressive high ranking highlights factors like the city’s: 

• Average commute time 
• Average weekly work hours 
• Number of attractions 
• Restaurants and bars per capita 
• Movie theaters per capita 
• Museums per capita 
• Fitness centers per capita 
• Parks per capita