10 Great Towns You Can (Maybe) Afford

College towns have a ton going for them...but some of the great ones are actually pretty expensive. Today's video explores ten towns that give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to urban qualities.
----------
CityNerd is on Nebula, the creator-owned streaming service, ad-free! Using my custom link gets you 40% off an annual subscription, and really helps the channel! go.nebula.tv/c...
Also STILL available: the Lifetime offer! $300 for Nebula as long as both you and Nebula exist, and a full 1/3 of the price goes directly to support this channel. go.nebula.tv/l...
And! Gift cards -- get the same deals using my code, but gift a membership to someone who needs weekly (ad-free and promo-free) Nerd propaganda! gift.nebula.tv/...
----------
Patreon - a way to directly support my ability to talk about what I want to talk about every week, and get out to the cities I want to highlight. Much appreciation to all of you who are already patrons!
/ citynerd
----------
Previous CityNerd videos referenced:
College Towns: • College Towns Are Awes...
Small City Transit: • Smaller Cities With Gr...
CityVisit Tempe: • I Visited Culdesac Tem...
----------
Resources:
data.census.go...
www.zillow.com...
www.iowacityof...
www.walkscore....
www.cityofmadi...
----------
Images
Charlotesville downtown mall By m01229 from USA - Charlottesville Downtown Mall, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikime...
Charlottesville downtown mall By Bobak Ha'Eri - Own work, CC BY 3.0, commons.wikime...
----------
Instagram: @nerd4cities
BlueSky: @nerd4cities
Threads: @nerd4cities
----------
Music:
CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (KZbin music library)
----------
Business Inquiries: [e-mail]

[@CityNerd]

I always log on right when my videos publish so I can leave a pinned comment. Right now, the video has been up for 30 seconds, and there are already 2 comments! WHO LEAVES COMMENTS BEFORE THEY'VE EVEN WATCHED THE VIDEO?? I'm certainly not reading them! A better use of your time would be to sign up for Nebula, the ad-free creator-owned streaming service! Using my custom link gets you 40% off an annual subscription, and really helps the channel! go.nebula.tv/citynerd

[@ifknlovecoryinthehouse]

lol

[@jonathanstensberg]

Pretty half of comments are made before watching the video, and at least a quarter by those who will never watch the video.

[@patrickoshea4991]

I feel like Troy, NY should have been on this list

[@KevinFeeley_KHF]

I'm doing what I can to pressure Ames to convert the main street full of diagonal parking into a ped mall. So far the town folks I've spoken with are all for it, as well as some of the council members, but the biggest hurdle to these kinds of projects tends to be the local business owners afraid that removing parking means removing customers. This is quite the opposite as you've covered in other videos. It's a shame that these messages haven't penetrated local governments more than they have. Thanks for bringing awareness to these subjects.

[@aremmes]

I have a Nebula subscription and usually try to watch your videos there. Unfortunately, though, that platform lacks viewer comments, and those often provide opinions and/or insight specific to the viewers' locations. That lack of interaction makes it seem sterile. KZbin, for all its faults, at least still has some semblance of community.

[@XeniaStCharlesIrisLlyllyth]

I'm a bus driver in Ann Arbor and I just feel like you should know that I literally can't even take the bus to work because by the time my shifts end, the buses have stopped running for the night. In fact a lot of my coworkers live quite far away because of how expensive it is here, and pretty much all of us drive to work. Also so many of my coworkers have massive pickup trucks... I feel like I should also mention the sort of "us vs them" attitude that's really prevalent amongst bus drivers with regards to cyclists and cycling infrastructure? I've heard many of my colleagues express the belief that, with the proliferation of bike lanes here, the city is communicating that they don't want us here (a belief which makes no sense to me, given that we are funded by local taxes and got a tax millage to increase our service last year)

[@DRL1320]

Xenia, you raise really interesting issues about class, transportation choices, housing costs, identity. I hope CityNerd takes a look at your comment.

[@connorpeppermint8635]

I had a coworker straight up express no concern at all at the prospect of hitting and killing a cyclist because "they need to watch where they're going"

[@EBR846]

I'm curious if you've spoken to the A.A. bodies that make decisions. It can get tricky these days with work schedules, just like you are speaking about, another facet that drives me a bit crazy when a person does want to get involved. Do you not feel important enough to speak up? If you do have time, why not speak before the city council on those two very issues? You are important. You are not expecting to live in some large house I take it. People like you need to start speaking up and _demand_ change. It's not going to happen from one person. It's going to happen when more people start speaking up. A chief reason I believe is because of automobiles and how AA is indeed a college town, more educated and left-leaning. A lot of Ann Arbor residents, I think somewhat understandably so, oftentimes oppose new residential developments, because of how auto-centric the U.S. is not only in design but also in culture. More people is going to mean more cars proportionally speaking. Sure, some people take the bus and I'm sure you have a better idea than some but I'd be curious about the more detailed numbers. Maybe there are other reasons. Cars are awful in a lot of ways. I was in Ann Arbor for the first time in a while to visit a bike shop last year and the traffic is always on the moderate side and it's more sane there in that regard. I also again feel that,. not being a science person, I'm not the most well-versed to speak about this, but Dictator-Wannabe has been exploiting this part of human brains since he came on the scene in '15. The us against them mentality vs. the part of our brains that is inclined towards cooperating that has helped us survive throughout time, whether in small groups or larger groups. If people don't feel secure financially, I could see how it might activate the parts of people's brains that might feel threatened. Not saying AA bus drivers are that way politically, but I feel the economics, how some of these large U.S. companies are so big that they can set the prices on necessities like groceries or rent (there has been a class action against Realpage as an example who knows what else is going on in an important part of the economy) , it's not as easy to get by, people are not as secure financially. I don't even think people are as inclined to make decisions or form opinions based on reality often enough. Look at the '20 election. Lot of people still think the 2020 election was stolen, but when the clown group had to actually subject their selves to perjury by testifying about election fraud, they didn't have much to say and had no real case. Only Trumper I spoke to had to say was "They didn't look at certain evidence" I didn't press him on it but should have. He's not one to reason with though..big surprise there. Almost none of them are.

[@TheTransitNomad]

That just doesn't make any sense. 😢😢 A bus driver cannot use buses to get to work? And there is no shuttle service? Poor girl!

[@KRobinson-ko1ne]

That’s so absurd There’s not even two services that go 24 hours?

[@bz02]

3:53 - Blacksburg, Virginia 4:24 - Madison, Wisconsin 5:01 - Corvallis, Oregon 5:34 - Charlottesville, Virginia 6:05 - West Lafayette, Indiana 6:37 - East Lansing, Michigan 7:23 - Ames, Iowa 8:27 - Eugene, Oregon (Honorable Mention) 8:39 - Tempe, Arizona (Honorable Mention) 8:53 - Logan, Utah (Honorable Mention) 9:08 - New Haven, Connecticut 9:52 - Champaign, Illinois 10:22 - Iowa City, Iowa

[@JosiahKeller]

Spoilers!

[@twestgard2]

I was looking for this

[@phoenixjim0527]

Well done. Thank you.

[@jckkl4350]

MVP comment🎉

[@KevinKasp-v9u]

Thanks. I say Tempe, Arizona all the way. I can order from Amazon at 2AM and often the item will be delivered within four hours. I can go on hill hikes that are less than ten minutes from campus. I enjoy the sun and also go snow skiing just a two hour drive away. I can get up at 7 and be on the beach in Mexico by 10. I can go to NFL, MLB, NBA games locally. Tomorrow, in the dead of “Winter” it will be 75° in the afternoon. And the international airport is only ten minutes away and has among the most nonstop flights domestically and internationally among all airports in the country.

[@IndyGuy65]

I have lived in both Champaign IL and Iowa City IA and enjoyed each. When I moved to a large city on the east coast I realized how affordable midwest college towns were. I travel to West Lafayette for work once a month and it is now at the top of my retirement city list. Great list Ray.

[@jonathansykes4986]

Midwest college towns are affordable cause who the heck wants to live in the midwest.

[@Pensées_depuis_mon_balcon]

I lived in both also. They are great little cities with wonderful cultural activities.

[@notmichaelhuang]

Prices have been increasing after covid, though can be still quite the bargain comparatively I believe the gap has reduced.

[@davidsprenkle2641]

I grew up in Urbana, and biked, walked or (when cold) took the bus to my high school (Uni High) on the U of Illinois campus every day. What a joy. Then I went to college there, worked and lived there, right next to campus. Had no idea how privileged I was to be living a college town/urbanist lifestyle back in the 70s and 80s :)

[@smeetsnoud1]

Urbana and Uni High sound like names in some unlicensed movie

[@atg1999]

As a UIUC student, I think Champaign-Urbana deserves a lot more reputation than it gets, so thanks for including it in the top 3!

[@badgerlegion2]

Champaign-Urbana is a lovely place! Props to you for pointing out that it's Champaign-Urbana. (Shout out to the IMC, food co-op, farmers' market, and Urbana Free Library).

[@marcosmith2501]

@@badgerlegion2 Champaign-Urbana IS a lovely place; a lot of these towns have a lot of ugliness. No wonder they're affordable.

[@mouse_704]

Champaign also has the benefit of being a cheap 2 hour train ride away from Chicago (and I happen to live 100ft from the train station 🙂).

[@karthikmahesh2182]

Yaas I miss the old apartment two blocks from the Terminal

[@nicholasorr4230]

We used to be neighbors apparently

[@bogosbinted8826]

I am so thankful for this train station. I got to school in Chicago but live in town not far from Champaign and it’s saves my mom soooooo much time to not have to come all the way up to Chicago to pick me up.

[@jeffholloway7974]

Illinois is one of our best states, I just wish the taxes were not so outlandish.

[@jonathansykes4986]

@@jeffholloway7974 Illnois is trash outside of Chicago. Taxes is what makes a state great.

[@darbywatters2861]

i just moved to Tempe and it's changed my life after living in central Phoenix for over a decade. I walk and enjoy city life, more than I ever would have, anywhere in Phoenix

[@TheZetz]

Never imagined my hometown of Logan, Utah would ever make it into a video! Decent town if you're into the outdoors, it's nestled in a beautiful valley. Culturally might not be everyone's vibe, for sure (it's been improving lately), and the urbanism isn't great. Buses come around each stop only once every half an hour, which I hate, BUT buses have been completely free my entire life. I distinctly remember when it was getting too expensive to operate the service at no charge, and instead of starting to charge people, they opened up the buses to advertising for the first time. The service started around the time I was born (though I was in Mexico first), and didn't start advertising until I was in high school. As a young immigrant kid, I have fond memories of my mom taking us to what was then called Willow Park. She didn't have her driver's license when we first moved, and my dad was working 12 hour shifts from 4am-4pm (or 4pm to 4am depending on the time of year) and if it wasn't for the fare free bus service that my mom took advantage of, I probably would have been holed up at home as a kid since my parents tried to save every penny they could when we first came to the US.

[@maverator]

I feel like you should do a version of this with winter-only photos, and then we can really see what it's like to live in most of these places.

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

Right? Even the two in VA get A TON of snow every year (50+ inch average in the western portion of Virginia per year).

[@cannotgetstarted]

As someone who lived in A2 without a car for years (Go Blue!), there are tens of thousands of us that got around just fine by foot or bike or bus in the snow and ice without issue.

[@steelwolfwc36]

​@@ashleighelizabeth5916my first year in Blacksburg it snowed every day between Halloween and spring break.

[@bennri]

USC looks its best in winter! But I agree with you. I visited MIT in Winter on a business trip. Upon exiting the taxi, I slipped and fell on my butt. Walked like a sick old man for a week.

[@benthompson5538]

here we have the "of course we all hate winter" mentality...Ann abor resident and fan of snow and ice here

[@jaspinko]

Champaign-Urbana was my urbanist awakening-my sheltered suburban carbrain was overjoyed to learn how pleasant a car-free life can be when the built environment and transit network supports it. Champaign-Urbana also has a great restaurant scene-Maize, Black Dog, Farrens, Papa Dels, etc. 💙🐦

[@price.gaines]

Can we stop using the term “undervalued” and change it to “actually reasonable”? “Undervalued” sets a precedent that unaffordable places are “fairly valued”, which is not the case.

[@cromulentpotato]

accurate =/= fair

[@Izfrom6]

Great point

[@PolaNimuS]

It doesn't set that precedent. It just acknowledges that that's the current way things are. Recognition =/= endorsement

[@jbfsubadger]

State Street has suffered from several store closures/vacancies in recent years, but it is still pedestrian only (aside from the city buses). Additionally, housing on the Isthmus can be competitive (and pricey), especially for students--many students sign their lease agreements up to a year in advance. Despite these challenges, I believe the city is still a gem! Go Badgers.

[@MaybeMintz]

It's not just pedestrians and city buses as delivery vehicles can use it too, but, like, what are you going to do? I want all those stores and restaurants to have stock, so I don't mind having to share the road with a small amount of delivery vehicles

[@cjmassino]

I loved State Street 30 years ago. It was still fun when I lived a mile away 20 years ago. Today it's lackluster and doesn't have a hat store. But I'm guessing the Target enhances walkability for the neighborhood.

[@josephkatz2704]

new haven mentioned!!! we love you here, ray. lots of people here will argue with you on whether or not the city is still affordable, but if you compare it to boston and new york it's still a bargain. great place to live car-light, as well. this morning i rode my bike on nearly 100% protected bike lanes to get the train to bridgeport. tonight, i am taking a different train line up to hartford to watch the uconn huskies play. come visit sometime!

[@ecurewitz]

Good to know

[@RobotShlomo]

New Haven is no longer "affordable" thanks to DeStefano's Giuliani/Bloomberg style gentrification. Big city taxes, rents, and expenses, and it's not a "big city". It's only a matter of time before you grow to hate it. Everyone does.

[@RobotShlomo]

If you compare anywhere to New York and Boston it's "affordable". DeStefano brought Giuliani/Bloomberg gentrification to the city and pushed out the minorities and the elderly who could no longer afford to live here, so Spenser, Linus, and Caroline could come here and play big city make believe, and say "I feel so in touch with the diversity of the city". Meanwhile they were the ones responsible for pushing everyone out, and closing down more stuff to put up an artisanal mayonnaise place. New Haven has big city rents, taxes, trash, drugs, violence, poverty, unemployment, traffic, and pollution, and it's not a "big city".

[@TheoSchiminovich]

I'm moving from new haven and my apartment's on the market for 13.5% greater than last year sooooo....

[@mistafishy6612]

The rental market and landlords in New Haven are pretty brutal. But it has a lot going for it if you an stand the occasional Yale snobbery. The bikeability is really up and coming! I can't wait to take a spin up East Rock next time I'm in town with a bike.

[@Robbie1179]

Madison state street only allows busses and delivery vehicles. Pretty normal to walk on the street. Bottom half of state street doesn’t get busses so it’s where you’ll find the most people hanging out in the street itself. Last summer, the bottom half was completely closed off to delivery vehicles for most of the day so people were very comfortably sitting and hanging out at that time. Even after that ended, it still mostly functions that way. Delivery vehicles aren’t that disruptive. We also just got our first BRT line with brand new buses, stations, dedicated lanes, and signal priority. It goes all the way from one edge of town to the other. It’s pretty sick. Car people are malding about losing some lanes on the isthmus.

[@Badgerbrew]

As someone who previously "complained" that Madison is definitely a college town, I'd like to point out that Ray's comment re. New Haven very much applies to Madison. UW (much more than the state government) has a huge overall influence on the city.

[@PaulHenricksen]

Iowa grad and Iowa City resident here! Unfortunately a freight rail company just killed a pilot program for passenger rail service here. I also wish we had Amtrak for better access to Chicago and other Midwestern cities

[@colinburfeind6947]

Purdue senior here. This town has pleasantly surprised me in a lot of ways I didn’t expect coming from out-of-state. Campus has transformed from pretty extreme car centrism in the 70s to a (fairly beautiful) pedestrian and cyclist centered campus. Being an aviation heavy school, we’ve got plenty of images from above over the years. I’ll never forget the summer I did research here. Biking a couple miles to and from work every day was so pleasant, though it was hot! I’ve also grown to appreciate downtown Lafayette for its restaurants, shops, and bars. There’s also a very nice pedestrian bridge across the river, which lands directly next to the Amtrak station and citybus center in lafayette. Amtrak service appears to be only 3x/week to Chicago, and relatively slow. I see a ton of potential in that station though, it’s well-placed and could be a great option for students. State street is very college-centric, but is fairly mediocre in terms of bars and restaurants. Harry’s is great, but it’s the only compelling bar on this side of the Wabash. We’ve had a pretty severe housing crisis that seemed to enter its peak during my freshman year. Every year admin over admits students, and it’s become a vicious cycle. Housing prices have exploded and dorms are overloaded. More dorms are being built, and the area around state street has seen a handful of 4-16 story buildings pop up pretty quickly. Most are overpriced though, so we’ll see if class sizes can stabilize and drop housing prices in the future.

[@pikeangler56]

Lafayette and WL could benefit so much from increasing the Cardinal line frequency. its hard for a student to make it to indy or chicago for concerts or other events on the weekend. for chicago the only service gets in at 10am and leaves at 5:55pm. for indy you get in 11:50pm saturday and leave 6am Monday. also, faculty and employees in the surrounding area commute from indy/chicago. plus students can go back on break that way. also an alternative way to get to the airport with IndyGo's Blue line, CTA Orange line for MDW, and CTA Blue line for ORD.

[@emileoperalta121]

@@pikeangler56 Purdue students now have free shuttles to indy, serviced by Purdue running at least 5 times a day. I do agree that increasing line frequency would be beneficial, but non-car owning students now have a free option to get to indy in less than 1.5hr.

[@bennri]

Concerts, seminars, always interesting activities at the universities. That's why I promised myself to live near a college town. At age 40 after a layoff, I worked on campus as a research assistant, and met a visiting researcher who became an executive with a large overseas company which created a new office nearby and hired me to direct some new experimental projects. Now 65 and half-retired I enjoy attending weekly seminars and concerts. Those who have disappeared into suburbia are sadly disconnected with our next generation.

[@Baguettezzz]

Can confirm that Corvallis is bikeable. Lots of bike paths, with clearly demarcated lanes to avoid confusion. Main thoroughfares are car heavy, but there is always a bike friendly option on a nearby street.

[@will6206]

Corvallis has a pretty substantial fully separated network of bike paths that go a pretty good distance outside of the city that many people commute on

[@sihplak]

I was excited to see a streetview of Bloomington in the opening but sad to hear no information or mention of it later in the video. I personally prefer it over West Lafayette even though it might lag behind in terms of walk or bike score; Bloomington has been making great efforts to improve access to other forms of transportation, and has taken an initiative to turn Kirkwood into a car-free street area when it's warm outside. Plus, when I used to live in Bloomington just 2 years ago, I was paying only $370/month in rent for my share of a 2 bedroom apartment measuring a bit over 800 square feet in size, which is an amazing bargain in today's economy, and the apartment didn't even have maintenance or infrastructural issues!

[@timmmahhhh]

And I trust you mean Bloomington, Indiana versus the other Bloomington college town in Illinois, home of Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University.

[@sihplak]

@timmmahhhh Correct haha, even though I know there's multiple Bloomingtons in the US I can tend to forget to specify

[@timmmahhhh]

@@sihplak I figured you meant Indiana since you initially mentioned West Lafayette. I grew up in Indiana and knew nothing about the IL city until I relocated to the Chicago for work.

[@ohutchie]

As a Purdue student (looking forward to the game against IU this Friday) I think West Lafayette benefits from being split from Lafayette in the census and WalkScore data. Lafayette has a lot more outer sprawl and a much more car-heavy mode share. Bloomington is all one city and the scores are just averaged together. West Lafayette is also the densest city in Indiana, even higher than Indy!

[@michmash7888]

Lived in Bloomington without a car for 5 years in the 90s! I had friends with vehicles who would go grocery shopping with me, but other than that, it was all foot power. Loved it!

[@blu_s0l_0nline]

I think a lot of us were waiting for this one. Although given the... stuff... going on this week politically, maybe a video about good value in other parts of the world?

[@KeeganDent]

“Affordability for expats” would be super interesting as it should take into account having to continue paying US income taxes. So places that may seem more expensive but don’t add to American expat tax burden might just be more affordable.

[@wtfareperfectplaces]

Not to put words in his mouth but I think CityNerd is more of a stay and fight person. Especially considering he really only talks about North America on the channel

[@blu_s0l_0nline]

@@wtfareperfectplaces Pretty sure I remember him saying this in the video about NotJustBikes awhile ago. I'm really just losing all energy to "fight the good fight" when so many fellow citizens are reveling in the pain they're causing just because it doesn't *yet* affect them.

[@KeeganDent]

@ wtfareperfectplaces Totally agree with that mentality personally, but I also get a lot of people might need the distance right now. Maybe it will give them ideas and inspiration to push harder when the winds change. Living abroad can reinvigorate and broaden the people we bring to the fight.

[@NewYorkNevada]

​@@blu_s0l_0nlineI'm feeling that statement in my bones.

[@ilanrosenbaum626]

Madison resident here, state street is used by busses, bikes (we get the whole road, it's great), big delivery trucks for the shops, and cops. No standard civilian cars. Still means most don't walk on it unless the street is entirely closed for a farmers market or night market. I think the current state of the street is pretty much ideal

[@angellacanfora]

Charlottesville is adorable! I lived there for several years and worked in a gallery on the Downtown Mall. I absolutely loved the vibrant culture, restaurants, live music, pace of life, walkability, historical buildings, etc. If it wasn't for the crushing heat/humidity they get 5 months out of the year, I'd have stayed. PS: I'm surprised Citynerd didn't decamp to Spain to wait out the next 4 years!

[@mbk1487]

C’ville is likely the most expensive city on the list…but having grown up just over the mountains in the valley, it deserves to be listed for sure ✌️

[@Thisoldhiker]

The criticism that I've heard of Charlottesville is limited local transit.

[@mbk1487]

@ my sister and niece live there, in a burb-like neighborhood not near downtown, and both live car-free and can pick a bus up just about anywhere

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

If you don't mind the weather in the winter time it's a great town.

[@darthscholar4412]

As a MSU student living in East Lansing, I can definitely confirm that lots of people bike around campus and the city, and people spend time on campus quite a bit. It's a very green and spread out campus, so really it's more like spending time in a large park than in a busy college. The city of East Lansing has some great apartments and houses right next to the main shopping and living strip, and it's experienced a lot of growth the last few years, so there's only more to come. The one negative that EL has compared to similarly sized college towns is our bus network, which is definitely above average (compared to where I've lived before at least (Denver and Fort Worth)), but lacks the frequencies of towns like Ames or Iowa City. Go Green!

[@Marlin2231]

They tore down Arby's and built a large apartment block.

[@ThisIsNotARealHandle]

Go White!

[@megansuttonmercado8419]

Go white! I walked so much when I attended MSU, mostly booking it across the huge campus to get to class.

[@megansuttonmercado8419]

@@Marlin2231I didn’t know about that - hopefully the growth of available housing will help keep costs reasonable.

[@jasonspoons9098]

Hi CityGuy, I know this is CityNerd and not TownNerd, but I want to point out that WVU's Morgantown, West Virginia has a walkscore 14 higher than Iowa City, the most "unique" rail transit in the country (more than I can say for the railless Iowa City), and is considerably cheaper than Iowa city while having less than half of the population. I think it deserved an honorable mention :)

[@andrewtallin5329]

Thanks!

[@MassbyTrain]

state street in madison is still peds only! they also recently built a 2 line brt system that’s great

[@chrisjames8979]

Doesn't the BRT system only have one line open as of right now?

[@AlSelk]

@@chrisjames8979 The north/south lines are not yet running but the plan is to get that line going in 2026. It is not as bad as it sounds as the east/west line is the main line and runs through the isthmus while the north/south will be just extensions of the east/west. All of the lines run through the isthmus (for those that don't know Madison the isthmus covers all of downtown). I have been using the BRT and it works well.

[@chrisjames8979]

@@AlSelk Oh I'm well aware and didn't mean to make this seem like a "bad" thing, but wanted to double-check that only the one line was running so far.

[@enoshkazem2325]

West Lafayette! We made it ! ... the center of the universe

[@stringlarson1247]

Alumni here. I hear that the East Side, especially near the river, has improved since I was there in the late 1980s. I lived on the East Side for a while back then, and as someone from rough urban areas, I had no issues with it.

[@yomammasaurusrex9571]

Just moved here a month ago (partner attending purdue) and I love it so far.

[@kevinzaragoza9317]

Yeah but indiana. Gross

[@JingleBell12]

Hi hi hi hu hu hu ha ha ha

[@quality2256]

Hi Ray, can you make a video about inner ring suburbs, in many cities this type of suburbs although have low population density, mostly single family homes, but they are not very stretched out, inside the blocks you can find corner stores, and along the roads the development is dense and mixed use, examples of this are Lakewood (Cleveland), Dearborn (Detroit), Evanston, Cicero, Skokie (Chicago)

[@evandempsey7613]

This would be super interesting.

[@collin7080]

Great list! As an Iowa grad, super happy to see Iowa City on this list! Living in Iowa City for 4 years helped inspire my interest in walkable, transit-oriented communities because I got to see firsthand how vibrant they can be. (And shoutout to Ames for being great too - just not AS good 😉)

[@charlesrowlet7830]

ISU grad here. Good comment, and I have to agree with you on Iowa City having the edge!

[@garriganmorgan3170]

Iowa grad as well, Iowa City was really an awakening 😅

[@hagencarter8834]

Totally fair to give Iowa City the win here! Ames is a great community too and I’m proud to have been a part of it, but Campustown and Downtown could never be as great as the downtown and campus urbanity in Iowa City, what with the ped mall, new high rises, quality architecture, and wonderful event programming that keeps downtown vibrant. But Ames is a great community too with a hometown feel, and it would be awesome to see downtown develop further with projects like The Linc on the horizon. Just need to finally address that failed infill project on Lincoln Way in Campustown with the petty developer who refused to compromise with the city, leaving the site in ruin.

[@markkelley453]

Ames always has had good rep. Never been there, but past it on I-35 when driving a truck. Relative problem is that it's in no-man's land (unless your idea of a big time is Des Moines)

[@charlesrowlet7830]

@: In progress by IDOT is a widening of I-35 by adding a 3rd lane between Ames and Des Moines. That should make the "big city" more accessible to Ames.

[@paulwertzberger9694]

I was a student in Iowa City from 74-76, when the downtown area was an urban renewal mess. I just revisited in the summer of 2023, and hardly recognized the place. The downtown area is super walkable and attractive, and bike paths along the Iowa river are extensive. As an aside, the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City airport is maybe 30 minutes away and a breeze to access. As a current resident of the Pacific Northwest, I have to say that Corvallis is my favorite college town. The University itself is one of the most beautiful I have visited (perhaps next to U of Washington) and the downtown area along the Willamette River is walkable with plenty of restaurants and shops. I would also add that Corvallis is a great destination if outdoor activity is a priority, as it is close to forests, mountains, skiing, and ocean.

[@atg1999]

I agree about Corvallis. I just hope that the Oregon State Beavers recover from the Pac-12 fiasco. They didn't deserve what they got.

[@susanschmidt2252]

I grew up in college towns. I really want to retire in one.

[@ecurewitz]

I like college towns

[@smreason]

I grew up in faculty housing. So much to experience surrounded by a university.

[@m.cooper1854]

Like others, I was surprised not to see Chapel Hill on the list. I must assume it is the relatively high cost of housing because it scores very high on public transit, bike-ability and walkability, plus reasonable access to a major airport (RDU). On the contra side -- it is in NC. Can't count on Canada to hide when the Emperor wants a 51st state.

[@bagels3]

It may not clear the population threshold due to the extreme reduction in size during the summer. It would also be necessary to include Carrboro to get an accurate depiction of the area (which would be outside his methodology). Chapel Hill punches above its weight for amenities based on its size.

[@thehighcs]

I've moved from different places around the country about 7 times over the last 20 or so years and just recently landed in Iowa City. Absolutely love it. It breaks just about every stereotype you can make for what you think of when you think "Iowa." IC is really it's own little separate world from the farmland of the rest of the state.

[@thomasmorey1147]

Enjoyed this “10 Towns” video. Some feedback. 1) Healthcare - most universities have good healthcare/teaching hospital. 2) Weather - some of these towns are frozen 6 months of the year. ex: Madison. 3) Crime - ex: New Haven has higher than national average crime rates 4) Cost - 1B/1B is limiting, couples often want 2B. Thanks, Tom (new subscriber)

[@youruniquehandle2]

The only problems I have with Ames and Iowa City is that they are in Iowa. As a former Iowan, I would never move back there.

[@davecannon1523]

I was hoping to see Columbia, MO on this list. It reminds me of Champaign, IL. And most people overlook Kansas, but Lawrence is a great town. Cute, affordable, and has a nice downtown for its size. Unfortunately, they do have a lot of angled parking.

[@purplesprigs]

Lawrence is ten pounds of people in a five pound bag. It is "walk friendly" only in the sense that traffic is always at a standstill, so walking is faster.

[@AaronSmith-sx4ez]

La Crosse Wisconsin might have been deserving of an honorable mention (50k pop and home to UW-La Crosse). It can't sprawl too much because it is sandwiched between the Mississippi and Mississippi bluffs. It has a great vibe with a lot of nice outdoor things to do...kayaking (not just the Mississippi), great bike trails, and a local downhill ski resort. The Amtrak Borealis & Empire Builder pass though giving you travel options to the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, Chicago, and beyond. The river bluffs are gorgeous (kind of like the Hudson Valley) and there is an iconic overlook. It's also relatively affordable for real estate (way more so than UW-Madison which you mentioned). Most people that live in La Crosse love it.

[@bigdubya1745]

I loved living in La Crosse for literally all the reasons you mentioned! It was a dream place for college and my first job. But damn, had to move away due to the brutal winter temps and the MAGA-ocean that surrounds the city.

[@ccudmore]

La Crosse shows up way too often on Police body cam KZbin channels for my liking.

[@AaronSmith-sx4ez]

@@ccudmore Sadly bing drinking is a problem in the area

[@andrewklinke6202]

The State Street pedestrian mall experiment listed on Madisons website is referring to a project for West Half of State Street to further pedestrianize the half of the street that is no longer in use in as transit mall I.E. converting the road to be flush with the sidewalk and further limiting delivery vehicles.

[@collinwhitehead]

Really thought this might be the video Ray finally mentions my hometown Fayetteville, AR but alas we’re still waiting for that video

[@jonathanstensberg]

I, too, am interest in purchasing a town. Good to know there are affordable options out there!

[@frenchfreys]

Love to see the Blacksburg mention!! I’m a Virginia Tech student and work part time as a bus operator for Blacksburg Transit. So I can attest that BT ridership is huge! And it’s also such a cool job, I would recommend it to any college students who live in a town with a bus system

[@mbk1487]

My kid has almost definitely been on your bus ✌️

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

It's a beautiful area if you can live with the weather in the winter. Any mention of Va Tech instantly brings to mind the student body harassing Greg Paulus at the free throw line. LOL

[@RyanParker-ow3ez]

BT is the goat. Why drive when the bus is perfect.

[@frenchfreys]

@@ashleighelizabeth5916 yes it’s so pretty! But omg, the winter are harsh and windy

[@Junkmail007]

Thanks, Ray. I love viewing all your content while living abroad (Budapest) because this channel has been something I've been passionate about for such a long time. When I plan to return to the US in the near future, it will help me decide where to consider living. This particular episode was one of my favorites!

[@NovayaK]

As a last semester college student, I’m really happy to see both my current city (West Lafayette) and future city (Madison) on this list

[@johnbrownell1]

I live in and love Madison. Most of state street is only busses bikes and emergency vehicles so it is walkable and great in the summer

[@Civil_Maniac]

Glad to see Logan make the list!

[@WiscoNortherner]

State Street in Madison is still entirely closed to traffic except for emergency, transit & delivery vehicles. The “experiment” was to close about 3 blocks closest to the campus to anything besides emergency vehicle. But considering there’s no bus routes on those blocks and delivery was still allowed during the experiment, just restricted to specific times, I’m not sure how much will change. I can tell you no one on that street was second guessing jaywalking a decade ago, so I imagine it still belongs to pedestrians.

[@Wdr.27]

I was really expecting to see Bloomington, IN -- especially after the street view shot of Kirkwood Ave!

[@BenSussmanpro]

Zori score probably knocked it out of contention

[@evandempsey7613]

So awesome to finally see my hometown in a CityNerd video! I grew up in East Lansing, and my parents both worked for the city. My dad was actually the Director of Planning, Building, and Development for quite a few years. It was a great place to grow up, and yes, you will definitely spend a lot of time on campus if you live in EL. I ran cross country all through middle and high school, so I've probably traveled more miles of MSU trails than most students. Thanks Ray!

[@tod2450]

I know Lawrence Kansas isn't sniffing this list but it has a special place in my heart

[@elli6220]

Lawrence has some cute parts but is also pretty sprawly.

[@tod2450]

@@elli6220 I agree. As a Jayhawk I want better for my College town. There is no reason for there to be cars on Mass Street, and every time you propose decreasing the excessive amount of parking downtown someone has an hernia. The stroads are egregious, and sprawling is the only way people within a 200 mile radius of Kansas City think to solve their problems.

[@Weavileiscool]

@@tod2450in Springfield MO within that 200 mile range and I fully concur

[@judeseibel5909]

@@tod2450im from Lawrence and work on mass and I agree 1000%. I think the city would also greatly benefit from a better bus system, better separated bike lanes, daylighting, more housing/less slumlords, and a frequent rail connection to Topeka/KC area + the airport.

[@everestjarvik5502]

I moved to Eugene for college and I like it here so much I still havent left five years after graduating This town is so bike and pedestrian friendly among other things

[@JedBallif]

8:55 Logan Utah getting mentioned! Never thought I’d see the day!

[@jfrrodway8235]

Never heard of it. Now I must move there.....plus 10000.

[@Nic1700]

In Iowa City, you used to be able to ride a train to the football games. Out of towners would park at the various hotels, the mall, or vacant lots in Coralville and ride to Kinnick. The shortline operator and the athletic department stopped a few years back. A real shame.

[@ACH0812]

As someone who lives near and works in Iowa City, I’ve been waiting for this and love this result! I’ve also recommended you for a UI Lecture series! I think our public transport could use some improvement, but overall it’s relatively decent

[@ethanthorpe6127]

Please do an episode on Nashville! We just passed a $3.1B transit budget and need your input!

[@kevley26]

0:11 This is hilarious that you say this because since I started watching your channel, I started looking at street view A LOT. I don't think most people appreciate the value of being able to instantly check out the feel most cities from across the world.

[@giovannib1834]

Using a clip from Bloomington IN but not having it in the video is heartbreaking

[@sbromwhal]

Blacksburg Transit is seemingly always improving incrementally. I’m a senior at VT and the town planning office is intending to densify its downtown with mixed-use mid-rises pretty meaningfully over the coming decade. Campus is (slowly) becoming less car dependent, and the busses are always busy with students. Pretty lovely that we’re situated a stone’s throw from great hiking in the Appalachians as well.

[@WilliamSt.Clair1399]

I am now curious about towns under 50k that have great scores it’d be cool to see a video on small towns punching over their weight

[@jsho574]

Curious where Columbia Missouri fell. Probably low on the urban fabric but the rent is really cheap. It did really well on a previous video you did on zip codes

[@01benaris45]

I traveled across America and stayed a night in Columbia Missouri. Great place

[@vernonsheldon-witter1225]

Columbia is a yawn.

[@jsho574]

@@vernonsheldon-witter1225 can't help but think this take is coming with some bias... Can't seem to put my chalk on it

[@justingerald]

My wife's family is from the New Haven area so we go there a lot, and it's better than I thought it would be back when I was visiting Yale in HS. (Also, BOTH my kids are sick, so tomorrow is looking dicey, unfortunately.)

[@markkelley453]

Stopped in IA City for look-see on way from Cincy to Seattle. Was really impressed - great campus! Beautiful rolling hills in that part of IA, close to Amana colony, etc...

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I went to University in Aberystwyth in Wales, it is a University and tourist seaside town. It's brilliant, beautiful and so many people fall in love with the place and never leave. I can garentuee I would go back to live there in a heart beat and I know dozens of others. Also it is very affordable compared to England in general (although not the cheapest place in the country). The population is 14,000 and half of that population is students. I lived there for 3 years and never had a car. The town centre has lots of interesting architecture, quirky shops and a lot of pubs.

[@skezziee]

Have you considered Fort Collins, Colorado, home to Colorado State University? 170,000 population, ~40,000 students and employees, a bike score of 99, a nice and completely free bus system, and in my totally non-biased opinion, it is an gorgeous city (mainly in Old Town and around the campus).

[@gogreen7794]

And it's in a blue state.

[@George-nx4bp]

Gotta be expensive, but I'd love to live there

[@SuperLOLABC]

I think its just expensive to live there and falls out of his ZORI score cutoff

[@zenbonimusic7308]

Honestly hearing Iowa mentioned twice in your video is insane. Iowa gets little love from urbanists but we have some hidden gems. Cedar falls is a bit small for your list but also a lovely town.

[@DJGlander]

I miss B-Town and my time at IU. Bloomington is such a special city!! Go Hoosiers!

[@bedinskiboi]

3:56 I can confirm that blacksburg is an amazing place to be. Go Hokies!

[@vegancatmom]

As a person who has lived in seven cities in my life and four of them were college towns, I recommend Muncie, IN (Ball State University) and Oxford, OH (Miami University). Muncie has less to do, but is dirt freakin cheap, and has an incredible trail system in the region and on campus. My bestie has lived car-free in Muncie for almost 30 years. Oxford has a little more to do “Uptown” but is more expensive. Both cities have decent bus service, a great art museum, good coffee shops, and fun places to eat.

[@KellyClowers]

Corvallis has a lot of bike riders, which makes it surprising to me that the bike lane situation is as bad as it is (source: have lived there recently). Like it is better than many in the US, but still really bad. Needs more bike lanes, needs any of them to be fully protected, needs modern stuff like the green boxes at stoplights.

[@rickpasley6961]

Having lived in Eugene and Corvallis, and currently living in Champaign, I agree with your list entirely. BTW, Corvallis is crazy bike friendly. Eugene can just be crazy. And Champaign is the most affordable of those I have direct experience with. Love all three, no wrong choices there.

[@maxtonherst6055]

I also currently live in Ann Arbor! I love your content! (It's crazy expensive here. I currently live in an attic for more than my sister's really nice apt in Grand Rapids)

[@evandempsey7613]

Ann Arbor > Grand Rapids though, am I right or am I right?

[@gogreen7794]

​@evandempsey7613 It depends what you want. GR isn't considered a college town, per se, but that are several colleges in the area, even a major university campus downtown. Plus, as you mention, it has lower housing costs and much easier access to outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, etc., in the "north woods" and a 30-45 minute drive to the beaches of Lake Michigan.

[@LanceClark7]

As a Univ of Iowa alum - I completely agree! We loved our time there and miss it. I hardly ever used a car there too. Bus system there is used by a ton of students and families and very easy to use. The pedestrian mall was such a great feature in the city and I wish more cities had this! My only gripe about IC is… it’s cold for basically half the year 😅. Also just not big enough for folks to stay for job opportunities oftentimes. But I guess that’s what gives it some charm as a college town.

[@TroyRibao]

Wow, Logan even just mentioned, that's crazy.

[@pinkskyfall]

Madisonian here, State St does not allow through traffic (only service vehicles and delivery trucks) the experiment (which was conducted last summer) was for like the last 2-3 blocks (closest to the Library Mall) to be completely pedestrianized for certain times of the day (mainly during business hours). Idk if there are any studies or reports out on how well it did, I was personally a little disappointed with the lack of people using the street during the experiment and wish the city did more to promote it but we'll see what happens. More recently we got a huge upgrade in our bus system with BRT lines and articulated buses. We also have BCycle and zipcar as alternatives for owning cars. I think Madison is doing a pretty good job with public transportation and really trying to make more housing. PLUS there's a big project to upgrade the lakeway park (which will take like a decade but still). I've been enjoying living in Madison for the last 6 or so years now

[@trumansparks2338]

One thing I've noticed is that college towns have a terrible local labor market with rock-bottom pay. These towns are full of graduate students who can't leave, maybe waiting for a spouse to finish their degree, might be ABD, or waiting for one of the very rare tenure-track positions in their field to open up somewhere in the country. It's probably great if you're an employer, but it sucks to be a job seeker in these places.

[@hagencarter8834]

No way, one of my photos and two of my homes made it into this video! You can see my photo at 7:27, and Welch Ave in Ames and State St in Madison are two streets I’ve lived just off of. You can see my old dorm in Ames at one point, and the aerial view of Madison shows an apartment I’ve lived in! This video is so fun to watch from one of my favorite channels. Wait stop I had to edit this in, Iowa City also totally deserves to be on this list! It’s such a nice small city and they’ve done great work to urbanize and densify over the past 10 years. UI has amazing architecture, the downtown is very cute and pedestrian friendly, and Eastern Iowa is much more charming and green than the Iowa stereotype of i35 and western Iowa. Wow this video was awesome to watch lol.

[@rolfanderson3925]

Go cyclones

[@gggauch]

BLACKSBURG MENTIONED!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ The city has actually done a ton of work on Blacksburg Transit, building a multimodal transit facility on the north side of campus where students can take the bus to off campus apartments or to Roanoke, DC, etc. Amtrak is also set to open up train service to the neighboring town of Christiansburg as well. So exciting 🤗

[@josephfisher426]

That's neat. I wasn't aware that they had extended to Roanoke.

[@DivKay4]

Iowa City student here! I’m very impressed by our pedestrian mode share, and since the city buses became free in 2023, ridership has exploded. I wish it were more city wide, because the walkability doesn’t expand far past the downtown area

[@videotutu01]

I was waiting for #1 Iowa City and it was worth the wait! I was like..." there is no way Ames can be on this list and not have IC higher on the list".😂

[@steveramey8654]

I went to Auburn and it’s a great town, but it’s more car required if you’re not a student. It’s also getting expensive by Southern standards due to a lot of retirees moving there.

[@amtoastintolerant6509]

Pleasantly surprised to see New Haven underneath that $2,000 threshold. One of my favorite cities, period.

[@RobotShlomo]

That only tells me you haven't been anywhere else.

[@hockeydude69]

@@RobotShlomo Or maybe it's a beautiful mid-sized city with lots of nightlife and entertainment options?

[@bens_rights_activist]

One Saturday back in November I tailgated a football game in the afternoon and then saw the Berlin Philharmonic perform in the evening, all walking distance from my apartment. I love living in Ann Arbor.

[@jimwilson278]

I grew up in Ames (#4) and I rode CyRide to school and work for 20 years. I love the downtown area, and I have great memories from the campus. You'll love it there.

[@artboymoy]

Whoo. Madison made the list due to peer pressure! I've been living here for 25 years. I dig it. Great mix of people, but maybe a little segregated. The State Street is mainly for bikes and buses but they were experimenting with making a section of it pedestrian only for a short time. I don't know if it will shift to being fully pedestrian. The bus system has been overhauled with bus lanes and routes that run a bit more often. Bike trails are great. Stop on by for a visit.

[@HowardThompson-ux7kf]

Some gems on this list. When the subject of "college towns" come up, you often get the same old roster of big name places. I like this bunch though.

[@DCimpressions]

So glad Blacksburg made it! And as far as this list goes, its arguably the most "small town" feeling specifically (alongside Corvallis at least).

[@montycardman2535]

Awesome video! Iowa State alum here. The bus system is truly unmatched. Yet I am fairly surprised to see Ames mentioned here, as there is not much of a dense “downtown” area. Theres mainly two streets that feature only a couple of urban amenities: Welch (where all the student bars are, a couple of small restaurants) & Main St. I’ve only been to Madison, in addition to Ames, and I feel as if Madison is extremely different/more dense. So I am probably pretty biased as I have only seen the two extremes of dense/not dense college towns. This video has made me very curious to travel and see how Ames compares in composition to other college towns!

[@joelwatts6890]

You should try Hillsdale, Michigan, home of Hillsdale College. Beautiful town with a great college.

[@Tomapella]

:39 Bloomington in a CityNerd video, never thought I'd see the day!

[@Meditry93]

As someone that bikes to work in Ames, I’m glad to see some representation on this list!

[@ravibetzig7849]

I believe this list confirms that the Big Ten is the superior athletic conference in the country. Very happy to see my hometown of East Lansing on the list. Go Green!

[@gogreen7794]

You are referring to the traditional Big 10 schools. Remember, LA now has two Big 10 schools and so does Seattle, among others. Those are a bit different than Iowa City or West Lafayette.

[@dcnathanson]

Moved to Iowa City from the east 1 year ago and although I miss some aspects of living near NYC and Philadelphia, I have to agree with you that Iowa City is a great place to live. The most bicycle friendly place I have ever seen and amazing walking trails. So much culture and activities with the University.

[@coleciervo5454]

Lafayette - West Lafayette are absolutely phenomenal twin cities, I'm glad they made a list finally. The only thing that's missing is frequent train service at the Amtrak station downtown. I'm moving to Colorado for work soon and I'm going to miss it here

[@ArmHope]

New Haven is #1 it’s in the most dense part of the country. Not to mention by the coast and has access to 3 mountains

[@maxpowr90]

Quinnipiac University isn't far from New Haven either.

[@notmyname9625]

Not to mention hartford and springfield both should qualify as college towns too if new haven does. If we include these medium sized cities in our definition of college town than pretty much the whole connecticut river valley from new haven ct to amherst ma is all dominated by college towns and then boston/worcester/providence to the east is also very well represented for college towns. I highly recommend new england in general if you are looking for an enclave type of community like this. Even in cities aside from the college towns u will still find many of the same qualities that make our college towns so great

[@ecurewitz]

And it has a cool dinosaur museum

[@ArmHope]

@ and a mini MET

[@notmyname9625]

@@ecurewitz yeah the whole CT river valley has a lot of dinosaur themed stuff. Its one of the places where u can actually go see dinosaur footprints fossilized right into the ground and they have found tons of fossils in the area so they turned the footprint sites into almost a cross between nature reserve and tourist locations and the area has a selection of museums for dinosaur exhibits too so its a great area for dinosaur enthusiasts. Underrated area for tourism in general really but i would especially recommend to anyone who is a fan of dinosaurs

[@jdscottphd]

My dad got his MFA at Iowa where his committee chair was Kurt Vonnegut. Great list - wondering what kept Columbia, MO off?

[@barryrobbins7694]

That is really cool! That must have been a bit intimidating. I have relative whose professor has an element of the periodic table named after them.

[@Littlebrotherprod]

Came here for Champaign in the thumbnail, stayed for the snarky commentary.

[@philipshattuck4250]

Everything that you said about New Haven 👌🏼 checks out. The high transit score, though, captures the large population that economically cannot afford cars, on top of those who do as a choice

[@ccmarvmd8200]

An East Lansing mention woo!! Speaking from experience, our campus has an absolutely insane amount of bike parking, over 30K spots on campus alone, so a lot of students bike because there will always be parking there

[@gogreen7794]

It was like that 50 years ago.

[@JL1]

Let's go new haven mentioned! Hope you can visit