Best lake towns to live in
The state of Minnesota alone is home to more than 10,000 lakes, but each corner of the United States has nationally—and sometimes internationally—renowned lake towns.
A city's reputation as a "lake town" can be more important than its actual proximity to landlocked bodies of recreation-friendly water. Lakes were often the historical breeding grounds of the nation's first industries, as well as early transportation and shipping hubs. As lakeside communities grew into the 20th century, they became industrialized and modernized, sprouting lively downtowns, diverse shopping districts, big business, new digs for artists and architects, strong primary schools, and top-notch higher education and research facilities.
Stacker examined 2021 data from personal finance website WalletHub to determine the best U.S. lake towns to live in. WalletHub's data included 46 towns with a beach that is listed on TripAdvisor and a population of 10,000 to 150,000 people. The towns were evaluated across six areas: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life.
Whether your goal is to start a family, escape the city after years of living with COVID-19's pressures, or settle down at the start of a young professional life—or even in retirement—this list has something for everyone. Many of the included towns jump out at the casual observer as popular summer-rental spots, like the Ozarks' Branson, Missouri, or Arizona's Lake Havasu City. But it might surprise you to dive deeper into their quality of life beyond the beach and vacation homes.
You'll likely pick up some knowledge about a wide range of Americana: a Florida town that started as a Civil War veteran retirement area; an island boasting some of the country's top public schools and wealth-earners right in the middle of a lake between Seattle and Bellevue; and even a California town containing much more than Johnny Cash's prison blues.
#43. Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Total score: 39.65
- Affordability rank: #40
- Weather rank: #44
- Safety rank: #40
- Economy rank: #21
- Education & health rank: #28
- Quality of life rank: #32
The most populous city in southwest Iowa includes the large Lake Manawa State Park in its southern section. The heart-shaped lake itself is over 1 square mile and offers boating, fishing, and swimming, with a family beach feel during the summer months. During colder months, residents can take advantage of the trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. Above-average public schools and an easy 15-minute commute to Omaha make it a favorable town.
#22. Branson, Missouri
- Total score: 53.77
- Affordability rank: #26
- Weather rank: #43
- Safety rank: #42
- Economy rank: #19
- Education & health rank: #41
- Quality of life rank: #2
An Ozark Mountains community, Branson is next to Table Rock Lake and is home to several parks and beaches. A popular retirement destination due to the assortment of top-notch golf courses, Branson is also ideal for families because of its strong public school system, and the active social scene draws in young professionals.
#17. Loveland, Colorado
- Total score: 54.88
- Affordability rank: #21
- Weather rank: #35
- Safety rank: #8
- Economy rank: #14
- Education & health rank: #20
- Quality of life rank: #13
About 50 miles north of Denver, Loveland includes its eponymous lake and Boyd Lake State Park. Not to be confused with the ski area of the same name—which is 100 miles to its southwest—Loveland offers an array of breweries, museums, and the famed Devil's Backbone Open Space, perfect for hiking and geologic sightseeing.
#14. Eden Prairie, Minnesota
- Total score: 56.75
- Affordability rank: #10
- Weather rank: #9
- Safety rank: #7
- Economy rank: #8
- Education & health rank: #14
- Quality of life rank: #31
Eden Prairie's lakes are bountiful: Bryant to the northeast, Riley and Rice to the west, and Red Rock and Staring at its center. Just 12 miles from Minneapolis, the lake town is one of Niche's top suburbs in the state, grading highly in nearly every quality-of-life category from crime to education.
#9. Highland Park, Illinois
- Total score: 58.54
- Affordability rank: #19
- Weather rank: #30
- Safety rank: #10
- Economy rank: #7
- Education & health rank: #9
- Quality of life rank: #12
This suburb 25 miles north of Chicago is renowned for its public schools and family atmosphere, with 84% of residents owning their home. Besides all of Chicago's options, Highland Park's downtown hosts the Ravinia Festival, several historic homes like Frank Lloyd Wright's Ward W. Willits House are within town borders, and residents have access to public beaches.
#8. South Lake Tahoe, California
- Total score: 58.87
- Affordability rank: #34
- Weather rank: #21
- Safety rank: #18
- Economy rank: #18
- Education & health rank: #25
- Quality of life rank: #3
Pick your pleasure in the picturesque South Lake Tahoe—camping, skiing, golf, and boating, to name a few. Whether you want full-time living, bed-and-breakfast, or full-scale casino and resorts, the city is only an hour drive south from Reno, Nevada. Though known as a vacation getaway, above-average schools make it viable for settling down as well.
#4. Mercer Island, Washington
- Total score: 60.68
- Affordability rank: #18
- Weather rank: #24
- Safety rank: #12
- Economy rank: #4
- Education & health rank: #1
- Quality of life rank: #23
Mercer Island, a suburb of Seattle, lies on Lake Washington between Seattle to the west and Bellevue to the east. A wealthy city, with a median household income of $150,000, Mercer Island is known for its public school system, parks, and summer festivals. The city was only incorporated in 1960 and is just 5 miles long and 2 miles wide, but bills itself as a "true island community" with "its own sense of identity … widely recognized as one of the premier residential communities in the state of Washington."
The state of Minnesota alone is home to more than 10,000 lakes, but each corner of the United States has nationally—and sometimes internationally—renowned lake towns.
A city's reputation as a "lake town" can be more important than its actual proximity to landlocked bodies of recreation-friendly water. Lakes were often the historical breeding grounds of the nation's first industries, as well as early transportation and shipping hubs. As lakeside communities grew into the 20th century, they became industrialized and modernized, sprouting lively downtowns, diverse shopping districts, big business, new digs for artists and architects, strong primary schools, and top-notch higher education and research facilities.
Stacker examined 2021 data from personal finance website WalletHub to determine the best U.S. lake towns to live in. WalletHub's data included 46 towns with a beach that is listed on TripAdvisor and a population of 10,000 to 150,000 people. The towns were evaluated across six areas: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life.
Whether your goal is to start a family, escape the city after years of living with COVID-19's pressures, or settle down at the start of a young professional life—or even in retirement—this list has something for everyone. Many of the included towns jump out at the casual observer as popular summer-rental spots, like the Ozarks' Branson, Missouri, or Arizona's Lake Havasu City. But it might surprise you to dive deeper into their quality of life beyond the beach and vacation homes.
You'll likely pick up some knowledge about a wide range of Americana: a Florida town that started as a Civil War veteran retirement area; an island boasting some of the country's top public schools and wealth-earners right in the middle of a lake between Seattle and Bellevue; and even a California town containing much more than Johnny Cash's prison blues.
#43. Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Total score: 39.65
- Affordability rank: #40
- Weather rank: #44
- Safety rank: #40
- Economy rank: #21
- Education & health rank: #28
- Quality of life rank: #32
The most populous city in southwest Iowa includes the large Lake Manawa State Park in its southern section. The heart-shaped lake itself is over 1 square mile and offers boating, fishing, and swimming, with a family beach feel during the summer months. During colder months, residents can take advantage of the trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. Above-average public schools and an easy 15-minute commute to Omaha make it a favorable town.
#22. Branson, Missouri
- Total score: 53.77
- Affordability rank: #26
- Weather rank: #43
- Safety rank: #42
- Economy rank: #19
- Education & health rank: #41
- Quality of life rank: #2
An Ozark Mountains community, Branson is next to Table Rock Lake and is home to several parks and beaches. A popular retirement destination due to the assortment of top-notch golf courses, Branson is also ideal for families because of its strong public school system, and the active social scene draws in young professionals.
#17. Loveland, Colorado
- Total score: 54.88
- Affordability rank: #21
- Weather rank: #35
- Safety rank: #8
- Economy rank: #14
- Education & health rank: #20
- Quality of life rank: #13
About 50 miles north of Denver, Loveland includes its eponymous lake and Boyd Lake State Park. Not to be confused with the ski area of the same name—which is 100 miles to its southwest—Loveland offers an array of breweries, museums, and the famed Devil's Backbone Open Space, perfect for hiking and geologic sightseeing.
#14. Eden Prairie, Minnesota
- Total score: 56.75
- Affordability rank: #10
- Weather rank: #9
- Safety rank: #7
- Economy rank: #8
- Education & health rank: #14
- Quality of life rank: #31
Eden Prairie's lakes are bountiful: Bryant to the northeast, Riley and Rice to the west, and Red Rock and Staring at its center. Just 12 miles from Minneapolis, the lake town is one of Niche's top suburbs in the state, grading highly in nearly every quality-of-life category from crime to education.
#9. Highland Park, Illinois
- Total score: 58.54
- Affordability rank: #19
- Weather rank: #30
- Safety rank: #10
- Economy rank: #7
- Education & health rank: #9
- Quality of life rank: #12
This suburb 25 miles north of Chicago is renowned for its public schools and family atmosphere, with 84% of residents owning their home. Besides all of Chicago's options, Highland Park's downtown hosts the Ravinia Festival, several historic homes like Frank Lloyd Wright's Ward W. Willits House are within town borders, and residents have access to public beaches.
#8. South Lake Tahoe, California
- Total score: 58.87
- Affordability rank: #34
- Weather rank: #21
- Safety rank: #18
- Economy rank: #18
- Education & health rank: #25
- Quality of life rank: #3
Pick your pleasure in the picturesque South Lake Tahoe—camping, skiing, golf, and boating, to name a few. Whether you want full-time living, bed-and-breakfast, or full-scale casino and resorts, the city is only an hour drive south from Reno, Nevada. Though known as a vacation getaway, above-average schools make it viable for settling down as well.
#4. Mercer Island, Washington
- Total score: 60.68
- Affordability rank: #18
- Weather rank: #24
- Safety rank: #12
- Economy rank: #4
- Education & health rank: #1
- Quality of life rank: #23
Mercer Island, a suburb of Seattle, lies on Lake Washington between Seattle to the west and Bellevue to the east. A wealthy city, with a median household income of $150,000, Mercer Island is known for its public school system, parks, and summer festivals. The city was only incorporated in 1960 and is just 5 miles long and 2 miles wide, but bills itself as a "true island community" with "its own sense of identity … widely recognized as one of the premier residential communities in the state of Washington."
