COLUMBUS, Indiana
Population: 45,775
Unemployment: 4.9 percent
Median home price: $223,134
Louisville and Indianapolis are each about an hour away, but why would you leave a city boasting 700 acres of parks, more than 20 miles of walkable trails and urban landscape ranked sixth by the American Institute of Architects for architectural innovation? Columbus’ economy continues to diversify from industrial manufacturing—Fortune 500 engine manufacturer Cummins is headquartered there—into other sectors such as healthcare and advanced manufacturing, and taxes have remained stable for more than a decade.