Muscatine, IA, United States

Capital City

With a population of just 23,797, Muscatine is a small Midwestern town clinging to the banks of the Mississippi River. While the sunsets may be as striking as Mark Twain once described, the bureaucratic headaches are no literary fiction. Muscatine's industrial history has left a lingering pollution problem, with one plant emitting more lead than anywhere else in Iowa. Still, the city's strategic location as a transport hub could appeal to those seeking a quieter, more affordable alternative to the Quad Cities.