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GOBankingRates

Heather Taylor

50 Safest and Richest Mid-Size Cities in 2026

Texas America GOBankingRates Utah Minnesota Massachusetts

Mid-size cities are getting their much-deserved moment in the spotlight. These locales offer Americans increased safety, a lower cost of living and a better opportunity to build wealth compared to larger cities.

These mid-size cities are evenly dispersed throughout the nation rather than being concentrated in any one region. Findings from a new GOBankingRates study analyzing America’s 50 safest and richest mid-size cities revealed these cities can be found along the East and West coasts, as well as throughout the Midwest and South.

Discover More: GOBankingRates Original Research Center

Check Out: How Middle-Class Earners Are Quietly Becoming Millionaires — and How You Can, Too

For this study, GOBankingRates first defined mid-sized cities as those with total populations between 75,000 and 500,000 people. Key factors analyzed include each location’s average household income, average home value and crime data (via the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Offenses Known to Law Enforcement). We scored those to determine the 50 mid-size cities that are safest and richest.

Key Findings

Cary, North Carolina, is the safest and richest mid-size city in America. It is the only North Carolina city to break into the top 50 and boasts an average household income of $170,942.
Mid-size cities in Minnesota, Arizona and Utah rounded out the top five. Rochester and Woodbury, Minnesota, were second and third, followed by Gilbert, Arizona, and Lehi, Utah.
Texas had a strong turnout, with eight mid-size cities mentioned in the top 50. The cities and their ranks are Cedar Park (#19), Plano (#25), Sugar Land (#29), Richardson (#33), Pearland (#35), New Braunfels (#36), Georgetown (#40) and Denton (#43).
Savannah, Georgia, and Worcester, Massachusetts, have the lowest violent crime rates out of the 50 ranking locations. Savannah ranked at #24 and Worcester came in at #32.
30 cities have median household incomes of $100,000 or greater. Newton, Massachusetts, has the highest average salary at $266,160.
No Florida cities appeared in the top 50.

See which 50 mid-size cities rank as the safest and richest in 2026. And don’t forget to review 2025’s 50 wealthiest suburbs in America.

1. Cary, North Carolina

Population: 179,306
Average household income: $170,942
Average home value: $626,396
Livability: 90
Property crime rate per 1,000: 13.17
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.71

Explore Next: The New 2026 Wealth Thresholds — Where Your Income Places You in America’s Economic Ladder

2. Rochester, Minnesota

Population: 122,330
Average household income: $124,737
Average home value: $339,455
Livability: 92
Property crime rate per 1,000: 13.68
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.54

3. Woodbury, Minnesota

Population: 78,305
Average household income: $159,434
Average home value: $457,355
Livability: 88
Property crime rate per 1,000: 11.80
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.99

4. Gilbert, Arizona

Population: 280,262
Average household income: $150,067
Average home value: $572,507
Livability: 89
Property crime rate per 1,000: 9.68
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.32

5. Lehi, Utah

Population: 85,173
Average household income: $154,527
Average home value: $568,596
Livability: 86
Property crime rate per 1,000: 5.41
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.88

6. Plymouth, Minnesota

Population: 79,220
Average household income: $176,362
Average home value: $508,713
Livability: 85
Property crime rate per 1,000: 10.24
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.51

7. Newton, Massachusetts

Population: 89,044
Average household income: $266,160
Average home value: $1,528,894
Livability: 84
Property crime rate per 1,000: 5.99
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.49

8. Carmel, Indiana

Population: 101,651
Average household income: $191,688
Average home value: $563,458
Livability: 83
Property crime rate per 1,000: 8.13
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.66

9. San Ramon, California

Population: 85,993
Average household income: $239,072
Average home value: $1,543,534
Livability: 87
Property crime rate per 1,000: 11.13
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.86

10. Naperville, Illinois

Population: 150,692
Average household income: $200,019
Average home value: $610,454
Livability: 83
Property crime rate per 1,000: 8.84
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.84

11. Orem, Utah

Population: 97,182
Average household income: $110,552
Average home value: $504,054
Livability: 89
Property crime rate per 1,000: 13.60
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.74

12. South Jordan, Utah

Population: 82,686
Average household income: $159,325
Average home value: $665,928
Livability: 85
Property crime rate per 1,000: 8.67
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.15

13. Fishers, Indiana

Population: 102,337
Average household income: $130,203
Average home value: $441,582
Livability: 82
Property crime rate per 1,000: 6.59
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.73

14. Appleton, Wisconsin

Population: 75,023
Average household income: $119,940
Average home value: $297,642
Livability: 86
Property crime rate per 1,000: 13.47
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 2.02

15. Layton, Utah

Population: 83,286
Average household income: $124,457
Average home value: $527,623
Livability: 86
Property crime rate per 1,000: 13.46
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.30

16. Lynchburg, Virginia

Population: 79,497
Average household income: $79,031
Average home value: $262,101
Livability: 91
Property crime rate per 1,000: 17.38
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 3.57

17. Cranston, Rhode Island

Population: 83,250
Average household income: $112,100
Average home value: $446,694
Livability: 85
Property crime rate per 1,000: 10.52
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.93

18. Ann Arbor, Michigan

Population: 122,036
Average household income: $123,028
Average home value: $523,391
Livability: 89
Property crime rate per 1,000: 17.16
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 3.02

19. Cedar Park, Texas

Population: 78,301
Average household income: $153,637
Average home value: $471,699
Livability: 83
Property crime rate per 1,000: 11.98
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.96

20. Hoover, Alabama

Population: 92,642
Average household income: $142,446
Average home value: $437,228
Livability: 83
Property crime rate per 1,000: 12.57
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.78

21. Meridian, Idaho

Population: 130,138
Average household income: $132,812
Average home value: $526,994
Livability: 83
Property crime rate per 1,000: 5.71
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.47

22. Redmond, Washington

Population: 77,353
Average household income: $213,179
Average home value: $1,402,276
Livability: 88
Property crime rate per 1,000: 27.40
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.31

23. Broomfield, Colorado

Population: 76,304
Average household income: $153,131
Average home value: $632,201
Livability: 85
Property crime rate per 1,000: 18.56
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.48

24. Savannah, Georgia

Population: 147,898
Average household income: $80,242
Average home value: $326,509
Livability: 81
Property crime rate per 1,000: NA
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.20

25. Plano, Texas

Population: 290,594
Average household income: $151,865
Average home value: $498,989
Livability: 83
Property crime rate per 1,000: 14.66
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.52

26. O’Fallon, Missouri

Population: 93,801
Average household income: $128,022
Average home value: $376,395
Livability: 80
Property crime rate per 1,000: 4.79
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.59

27. Castle Rock, Colorado

Population: 79,123
Average household income: $171,148
Average home value: $672,107
Livability: 80
Property crime rate per 1,000: 9.38
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.36

28. Arlington Heights, Illinois

Population: 76,005
Average household income: $151,283
Average home value: $470,945
Livability: 80
Property crime rate per 1,000: 8.80
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.50

29. Sugar Land, Texas

Population: 110,016
Average household income: $176,473
Average home value: $447,176
Livability: 80
Property crime rate per 1,000: 13.84
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.78

30. Kirkland, Washington

Population: 92,621
Average household income: $225,280
Average home value: $1,265,788
Livability: 83
Property crime rate per 1,000: 20.12
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.61

31. Pleasanton, California

Population: 76,960
Average household income: $241,093
Average home value: $1,601,646
Livability: 84
Property crime rate per 1,000: 16.77
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.15

32. Worcester, Massachusetts

Population: 207,055
Average household income: $94,360
Average home value: $430,112
Livability: 80
Property crime rate per 1,000: NA
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.16

33. Richardson, Texas

Population: 118,731
Average household income: $131,546
Average home value: $440,400
Livability: 84
Property crime rate per 1,000: 18.34
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.47

34. Hillsboro, Oregon

Population: 108,231
Average household income: $131,867
Average home value: $522,557
Livability: 88
Property crime rate per 1,000: 24.29
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 3.18

35. Pearland, Texas

Population: 127,514
Average household income: $146,302
Average home value: $382,157
Livability: 81
Property crime rate per 1,000: 14.40
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.96

36. New Braunfels, Texas

Population: 104,643
Average household income: $112,101
Average home value: $350,104
Livability: 83
Property crime rate per 1,000: 12.84
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.56

37. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Population: 456,349
Average household income: $120,766
Average home value: $427,032
Livability: 83
Property crime rate per 1,000: 16.40
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 0.92

38. Bend, Oregon

Population: 103,390
Average household income: $134,313
Average home value: $732,650
Livability: 84
Property crime rate per 1,000: 13.62
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.68

39. Farmington Hills, Michigan

Population: 83,515
Average household income: $132,229
Average home value: $387,308
Livability: 81
Property crime rate per 1,000: 6.81
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.98

40. Georgetown, Texas

Population: 85,999
Average household income: $121,048
Average home value: $426,799
Livability: 83
Property crime rate per 1,000: 11.70
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.91

41. Lexington, Kentucky

Population: 323,725
Average household income: $101,608
Average home value: $329,115
Livability: 87
Property crime rate per 1,000: 22.74
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 2.62

42. Bellevue, Washington

Population: 151,847
Average household income: $234,392
Average home value: $1,516,154
Livability: 87
Property crime rate per 1,000: 33.39
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.39

43. Denton, Texas

Population: 152,866
Average household income: $98,819
Average home value: $354,135
Livability: 85
Property crime rate per 1,000: 17.45
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 2.04

44. Evanston, Illinois

Population: 76,340
Average household income: $157,507
Average home value: $470,774
Livability: 84
Property crime rate per 1,000: 27.42
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.42

45. Provo, Utah

Population: 114,766
Average household income: $90,536
Average home value: $484,203
Livability: 85
Property crime rate per 1,000: 12.71
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 2.07

46. Beaverton, Oregon

Population: 97,812
Average household income: $123,149
Average home value: $530,795
Livability: 89
Property crime rate per 1,000: 26.61
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 3.65

47. Roswell, Georgia

Population: 92,621
Average household income: $175,419
Average home value: $658,156
Livability: 80
Property crime rate per 1,000: 10.21
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.60

48. Parma, Ohio

Population: 79,870
Average household income: $84,240
Average home value: $210,914
Livability: 81
Property crime rate per 1,000: 7.10
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 1.19

49. Boise, Idaho

Population: 237,242
Average household income: $114,774
Average home value: $499,492
Livability: 84
Property crime rate per 1,000: 11.10
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 2.94

50. Somerville, Massachusetts

Population: 81,036
Average household income: $167,361
Average home value: $940,239
Livability: 84
Property crime rate per 1,000: 16.99
Violent crime rate per 1,000: 2.21

Read more original studies and surveys in the GOBankingRates original research center.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed mid-sized cities to find the safest and richest places to live. Mid-sized cities are considered cities with a total population between 75,000 and 500,000 people. The total population and income were sourced from the U.S. Census 2024 ACS. The cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and national average expenditure costs for all households were sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. The average cost of expenditures were calculated for each city. The average house value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index. Assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage was calculated for each city. Using crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Offenses Known to Law Enforcement, GOBankingRates found the property crimes and violent crimes reported in each city. Using the total population and crimes reported, the crime rate per 1,000 residents was calculated. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes for each location and all locations with a livability below 80 were removed as they represent locations with a lower quality of life. The total cost of living, mean household income, livability index , property crime rate and violent crime rate were scored and weighted equally to find the safest and richest mid-sized cities in the U.S. All data is up to date as of April 23, 2026.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 50 Safest and Richest Mid-Size Cities in 2026

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