Year In Review: #6 7 New York Hometowns Among Worst ‘Small Cities In America’

As we continue to look back at our top stories of 2022, here is our sixth most-read story of 2022. 7 New York Hometowns Among Worst 'Small Cities In America'

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A number of the worst small cities in America can be found in the Hudson Valley and New York State.

WalletHub reached out to Hudson Valley Post to share its recent findings of the best and worst "Small Cities in America."

“Smaller cities often have more affordable housing prices and shorter, cheaper commutes (if one owns a car). A drawback of smaller cities is that they have fewer job opportunities than large cities," Associate Director & Assistant Research Professor, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, University of Maryland Nick Finio said.

Worst Small Cities in New York State

As you might expect a number of hometowns in New York State and the Hudson Valley made the list.

Spring Valley, New York

Rockland County's Spring Valley was ranked as one of the worst places to live in America. It was the lowest-ranked small city in New York State. Spring Valley placed in the bottom 30 of WalletHub's list. Spring Valley finished in the 2nd percentile of the study with a score of 45.14.

Spring Valley scored very low for "affordability" "economic health" and "quality of life."

It's a big jump before another "small city" from New York State appears on the list.

Coram, Long Island, New York

Coram, New York was ranked as the second worst small city in New York State.

The hamlet in the town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York, placed in the 12th percentile with a 50.72 score.

Hempstead, New York

Another city from Long Island wasn't far behind Coram. Hempstead in Nassau County also ranked in the 12th percentile. Finishing with a 50.56 score.

Central Islip, New York

Central Islip, NY finished in the 14th percentile. The Long Island hamlet from Suffolk County had a 51.25 score.

Watertown, New York

We leave Long Island to find New York's 5th worst small city. Watertown, New York in Jefferson County, about 25 miles from the Thousand Islands, finished in the 17th percentile.

Newburgh, New York

The list takes us back to the Hudson Valley the sixth worst small city in New York State. As a Newburgh resident, I know Newburgh often pops up on these lists, unfortunately, despite having a lot to offer.

Newburgh finished in the 18th percentile with a 52.19 score. Newburgh scored low when it came to "affordability" and "safety."

Shirley, New York

Shirley was another Long Island city ranked as one of the worst small cities in America. The Suffolk County city was the last New York small city to rank in the bottom 20 percent, finishing in the 19th percentile.

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If you are wondering Gary, Indiana was named the worst small city in America.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania was named the best small city in the United States.

Methodology

WalletHub decided to research the best and worst small cities in America about 50 percent of people living in the United States say they would "prefer to live in a suburban area," according to WalletHub.

WalletHub looked into over 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000. The personal finance website compared 43 key indicators of livability including crime rate, housing costs, school systems and quality of life to craft its list.