A new study named Lexington 2026’s best small U.S. city. With low crime rates, positive health outcomes and financial security, the hidden gem offers residents quality of life in a quieter setting.

The personal-finance company WalletHub ranked 1,300 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 based on criteria like safety and affordability using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other sources. Lexington ranked No. 1, just ahead of Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Carmel, Indiana. Other Massachusetts cities, including Milton (No. 7), Arlington (No. 8) and Needham (No. 21) also ranked.

Lexington’s low crime rates boosted its score. The city claimed the fourth-lowest property crime rate and 21st lowest violent crime rate. Plus, an abundance of safe drivers meant residents enjoyed safety on the road. Lexington saw the 12th-fewest car crash deaths and 17th-fewest drunk driving fatalities per capita.

The city excelled in health and wellness, with the fourth-highest percentage of people with health insurance and the 13th-lowest share of adults in poor or fair health. These trends may be thanks in part to the fact that the Lexington ranked No. 24 for most fitness centers per capita.

Lexington’s residents brought home one of the nation’s highest annual household incomes at $238,000 and claimed the ninth-highest median credit score at 783.

“In the United States there has long been a preference to live in small verses large cities,” commented Susan Bradbury, interim chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Development, College of Design at Iowa State University. “The benefits associated with smaller cities compared to large cities include: typically lower housing costs (whether you consider buying or renting); lower crime rates, especially a lower violent crime rate; less traffic congestion [and] shorter commute times. [A]lso people tend to rate that they feel more of a sense of community in smaller towns, that they know their neighbors, and lastly small towns are considered to be suitable places to raise a family and provide more opportunities for their children.”