12 Friendliest Small Towns In The U.S.
As someone who lives in a small town, I know why folks tend to be so friendly. In a big city, you might flip someone off for cutting you off in traffic. In small towns, well for one, there’s not much traffic. Our car horns are used to say a quick hello, not to make the driver in front of us aware that the light has turned green. (There’s no rush when you can get across town in 5 minutes.) But the real reason we’re so nice is that everybody knows everybody! And if you don’t know someone, you know someone who knows them. Word travels fast in a small town, and if you want to keep those words nice, you better be friendly!
To find the friendliest small towns in the U.S., we reached out to our readers. You’ll find the results of our 2022 Best of Travel Awards for Friendliest Small Towns in the U.S. below. All of the towns have a population under 20,000. Population data was gathered from the 2020 Decennial Census. We included points of interest, such as attractions, places to eat, and where to stay in case you decide to visit. Now let’s see if your friendly small town made the list!
1. Abilene, Kansas (Winner)
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s hometown of Abilene is no stranger to our Best of Travel Awards. Last year, the charming Kansas town took home the gold for Best U.S. Small Town. Not only do the 6,460 citizens get to keep that title this year, but they also get to add one. TravelAwaits is proud to announce that our readers voted Abilene, Kansas, the Friendliest Small Town In The U.S. 2022.
Full of history and dotted with amazing architecture, this quaint Midwestern town offers plenty of things to do. Visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home then head over to the Seelye Mansion. One of the “Eight Wonders of Kansas,” the stately estate is decked out in poinsettias at Christmastime. Abilene also hosts one of the best small-town Fourth of July celebrations in the Midwest.