How Does St. Cloud Measure Up Among Small Towns

A recent study seeking to rank the 'Best Small Cities in America" crunched the numbers of over 1,300 small towns to find the very best. Our own small town, St. Cloud, ranked right in the middle of the pack.

“Moving from a bustling metropolis to a small city could drastically cut down your cost of living. On top of that, the best small cities offer strong job markets, high-quality education, good health care, safe living conditions and plenty of local flair to help you achieve a high quality of life," said WalletHub's Chip Lupo. "While small cities may lack some advantages of big cities, like robust public transportation systems, they make up for these shortcomings in other areas.”

St. Cloud finished in the 41st percentile and is tied with Council Bluffs, Iowa and Pekin, Illinois.

READ MORE: MINNESOTA IS A TOP STATE FOR TEACHERS 

St. Cloud ranked 751st for Affordability, 853rd for Economic Health, 536th in Education/Health, 724th in Quality of Life and 695th in safety. So, almost every category is right smack-dab in the middle of the pack.

Lakeville, Minnesota ranked highest in the state with a finish in the 97th percentile. Prior Lake also finished in the 97th percentile along with Cottage Grove. Shakopee and Woodbury were close behind in the 96th percentile.

The 'Best Small City in America,' according to WalletHub, is Carmel, Indiana, followed by Brookfield, Wisconsin.