Best US college towns to live in

Home·Best of·Best US college towns

Classic American college towns ranked by housing momentum and livability.

A 'college town' here means a city whose identity, economy, and demographics are dominated by a flagship university (or several).

These places offer year-round culture (lectures, sports, music venues), lower cost of living than tier-1 metros, and walkable downtowns. Trade-off: cyclical population (summers can feel empty).

1Auburn, ALAuburn-Opelika · pop 83,75778HotALstate

2Oxford, MSOxford · pop 26,80177RisingMSstate

3South Bend, INSouth Bend-Mishawaka · pop 103,71376RisingINstate

4Greenville, NCGreenville · pop 95,13876RisingNCstate

5Champaign, ILChampaign-Urbana · pop 91,96176RisingILstate

6Urbana, ILChampaign-Urbana · pop 39,83175RisingILstate

7Syracuse, NYSyracuse · pop 146,09774RisingNYstate

8Northampton, MASpringfield · pop 31,31574RisingMAstate

9Clemson, SCGreenville-Anderson · pop 18,61074RisingSCstate

10New Haven, CTNew Haven-Milford · pop 137,56273RisingCTstate

11Columbia, MOColumbia · pop 130,90073RisingMOstate

12Lawrence, KSLawrence · pop 97,27173RisingKSstate

13Logan, UTLogan · pop 56,77073RisingUTstate

14Stillwater, OKStillwater · pop 50,13873RisingOKstate

15East Lansing, MILansing-East Lansing · pop 48,96473RisingMIstate

16Iowa City, IAIowa City · pop 76,71072RisingIAstate

17Madison, WIMadison · pop 285,30071RisingWIstate

18Knoxville, TNKnoxville · pop 198,72271RisingTNstate

19Moscow, IDMoscow · pop 26,89471RisingIDstate

20Starkville, MSStarkville · pop 25,84471RisingMSstate

21Mount Pleasant, MIMount Pleasant · pop 21,09071RisingMIstate

22Lincoln, NELincoln · pop 300,61970RisingNEstate

23Buffalo, NYBuffalo-Cheektowaga · pop 276,61770RisingNYstate

24Columbia, SCColumbia · pop 144,78870RisingSCstate

25Tuscaloosa, ALTuscaloosa · pop 114,28870RisingALstate

26Manhattan, KSManhattan · pop 54,70070RisingKSstate

27Kent, OHAkron · pop 27,72070RisingOHstate

28West Lafayette, INLafayette-West Lafayette · pop 46,33869RisingINstate

29Hays, KSHays · pop 21,21369RisingKSstate

30Norman, OKOklahoma City · pop 131,01068RisingOKstate

31Wilmington, NCWilmington · pop 125,28468RisingNCstate

32Kalamazoo, MIKalamazoo-Portage · pop 73,29068RisingMIstate

33Boone, NCBoone · pop 20,08068RisingNCstate

34College Station, TXCollege Station-Bryan · pop 128,02367RisingTXstate

35Evanston, ILChicago-Naperville-Elgin · pop 76,00667RisingILstate

36Princeton, NJTrenton-Princeton · pop 31,44567RisingNJstate

37Tallahassee, FLTallahassee · pop 205,08966RisingFLstate

38Las Cruces, NMLas Cruces · pop 116,99866RisingNMstate

39Bloomington, INBloomington · pop 79,98666RisingINstate

40State College, PAState College · pop 41,22866RisingPAstate

41Provo, UTProvo-Orem · pop 115,47965RisingUTstate

42Flagstaff, AZFlagstaff · pop 77,53965RisingAZstate

43Corvallis, ORCorvallis · pop 61,99365RisingORstate

44Blacksburg, VABlacksburg-Christiansburg · pop 45,45265RisingVAstate

45Oxford, OHCincinnati · pop 22,58565RisingOHstate

46Ann Arbor, MIAnn Arbor · pop 122,92564RisingMIstate

47Chapel Hill, NCDurham-Chapel Hill · pop 64,02864RisingNCstate

48Lubbock, TXLubbock · pop 272,08663RisingTXstate

49Bowling Green, OHToledo · pop 30,46363RisingOHstate

50Durham, NCDurham-Chapel Hill · pop 301,87062RisingNCstate