SAN FRANCISCO ( KRON ) — Americans who desire less crowded spaces, a greater sense of community and sometimes, a lower cost of living, may choose to live in a small city that’s a comfortable distance away from the constant buzz of major metros. In California, the San Francisco Bay Area holds several small cities that are a rank above the rest.

Nine cities within the Bay Area are ranked within the 90th percentile of best small cities in America, according to the study by WalletHub . On the other hand, only one California city outside of the Bay Area, Yorba Linda in Orange County, also made an appearance in the 90th percentile.

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U.S. cities with population sizes between 25,000 and 100,000 were examined in the study. The small cities were ranked based on 45 key indicators of livability, which were sorted into five overall categories including affordability, economic health, safety, quality of life and education and health. The dozens of key indicators ranged from cost of living to crime rates to school system quality to the number of restaurants per capita.

The best small city in California is Los Altos, according to the study. Compared to small cities nationwide, it ranked 66 in education and health, 84 in economic health, 100 in safety, 403 in quality of life and 737 in affordability. Overall, the South Bay city in the heart of Silicon Valley is in the 97th percentile of best small cities in America based on the study’s criteria.

Several more small cities in the Bay Area also ranked highly, including San Ramon (88th percentile), Los Gatos (88), Pleasanton (86), Milpitas (86), Walnut Creek (85), Danville (84), San Carlos (82), Napa (81) and Lafayette (81).

So what are California’s small cities up against? According to the study, the best small city across all of America is Carmel, Indiana, which falls into the 99th percentile. It ranked 4 in safety, 26 in affordability, 44 is education and health, 169 in economic health and 280 in quality of life.

The study’s full list of best small cities across the United States and its methodology behind the rankings can be found on the WalletHub website .