Four Houston neighbors — with Friendswood at the top of the pack — have been rated among the best small cities in America for 2026.

WalletHub's annual survey compared over 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents based on 45 livability metrics categorized into five key dimensions: affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Cities were then grouped by percentile, where the 99th percentile represents the very best.

Nineteen small U.S. cities were rated in the 99th percentile, with the top three spots occupied by Lexington, Massachusetts; Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Carmel, Indiana. No Texas city earned this rating.

Friendswood has been on top of the local list of best small cities in the Houston metro for the last three years, and it was rated in the 76th percentile of all small cities in the country in 2026.

North of Houston, Conroe's rating has remained consistent for the second year in a row and currently ranks in the 58th percentile nationally. Two more Houston suburbs, Deer Park and Missouri City, ranked in the 53rd and 52nd percentile, respectively.

A longstanding reputation as a family-friendly city and recent buzzy restaurant openings in Friendswood are helping this suburb's popularity soar in Houston. Meanwhile, Conroe is no stranger to earning praise for its livability. Conroe was named one of America's top-10 boomtowns earlier this year, and it has become a hotspot for millennial movers.

Affordable housing is a big draw for residents that want to move out from a busy city like Houston, and Friendswood and Deer Park are both among the 50 most affordable small U.S. cities to live in, the report's findings revealed.

"Moving from a bustling metropolis to a small city could drastically cut down your cost of living," said WalletHub analyst 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."

Cost-saving benefits aside, Lupo also said the best small cities have "strong job markets, high-quality education, good health care, safe living conditions, and plenty of local flair to help [residents] achieve a high quality of life."

The top 10 best small cities to live in Texas are:

• Cedar Park and Allen – 96th percentile (tied)
• Leander – 93rd percentile
• Flower Mound – 91st percentile
• Little Elm – 87th percentile
• The Colony and Rockwall – 86th percentile (tied)
• Colleyville – 85th percentile
• Georgetown – 84th percentile
• Southlake – 82nd percentile