What phrase did ABC use for the original show's nonspecific setting?

ABC used the phrase “Anytown, USA” for the original show's deliberately nonspecific setting. The Wonder Years follows Kevin Arnold in a typical American suburb, but the series avoids naming one definitive hometown.

The creators drew from real places: Neal Marlens had wanted to use Huntington, Long Island, while Carol Black contributed memories of Silver Spring, Maryland. ABC preferred a broader, more universal setting, allowing viewers to recognize their own suburban experience in the Arnold family’s world.

The show nevertheless contains clues that can suggest Southern California, including California license plates, mild weather, and Wayne's driver's license listing Culver City. Exterior scenes were also filmed in Burbank. Those clues are evidence about production and implied geography, not a formal statement that the fictional town has a confirmed name.