This idyllic seaside California community was just ranked the worst small city in America

Cities in the Midwest made up the top five cities on Wallethub’s list

Coastline viewed from University of California, Santa Barbara in Isla Vista, California (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A small seaside city in California has been ranked the worst one in the US, according to a new list released by Personal finance website Wallethub.

The company’s analysts ranked 1,318 US cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000, measuring the cost of living, population growth, public safety, and school quality to draw its conclusions.

The worst small city is — according to Wallethub — Isla Vista, California, the home of UC Santa Barbara. According to the analysts, the city's affordability and overall economic health were the worst in the nation. Job growth, income growth, and the city's population were taken into account when determining its ranking.

But things aren't all bad for Isla Vista — it ranked relatively high at spot 195 for quality of life. It is, after all, a seaside city in California.

Another small city in California's Central Valley was named the third worst city on the list. Agricultural hub Wasco was ranked low for overall economic health, education, safety, and quality of life. Its neighboring city, Delano, did not fare much better.

While California was taking hits on the list, there were some bright spots for the state; Los Altos, in Silicon Valley, was rated highly at spot number 66 for education and health, 84th for economic health, and 100th for safety. Palo Alto, the home of the tech billionaires, did similarly well on Wallethub's list.

The best small cities on the list were located in the Midwest. Carmel, Indiana — just outside Indianapolis — took Wallethub's top spot, followed by Brookfield, Wisconsin. After that was Lexington, Massachusetts, Fishers, Indiana, and Appleton, Wisconsin.