bizjournals: Quality of life in small towns -- bizjournals.com

ysynut.wordpress.com
Seven of the 10 highest-ranked cities that offer the best quality of life are inWesterjn states, according to a new studyg by Bizjournals. Topping the list is Mont., where it can get awfully cold –- even dropping beloww freezing on the occasional summernight -- but there are plentuy of compensations. Like the stunninv view of the Rocky Mountains. And the strong localo economy. And the intellectual and cultural activitgy at MontanaState University. The Bizjournals study compares the performancesof America's 577 micropolitan areaz in 12 statistical categories.
The 10 communities with the highest scores have been designatedas "dreamtowns," indicating that they offer an outstandiny quality of life. * Its number of small businesses grew by almost 28 percent duriny the pastfive years, topping all but two of the 577 communitiesa in the study group. * Bozeman's populatiohn increased by 15.3 percent in half a ranking 11th inmicropolitan America. * The locapl share of adults with bachelor's 41 percent, is sixth amonh all of the nation's small communities. Profiles to the top 10 dreamtownsare . study was inspired by the heavy public interesfin small-town life and business opportunities. More than 1.
7 milliobn people move from metropolitan areas to smalll cities or rural counties each accordingto U.S. Census Bureah research. The study identifies the small communities that would be most attractive to people considering such a The highest scores goto well-roundesd places with strong light traffic, moderate costs of living, first-class educational systems, and good access to big-city attractions. for the study'as methodology. The study group was the nation's 577 micropolitah areas, which are defined as regions that are economically dependenyt on central citieswith 10,00 to 50,000 residents. All metropolitan areas have specificallyh been excluded fromthe report.
for the top-to-bottok standings of all micropolitan areas. Bizjournalss has also identified the communities with thehighesgt quality-of-life rankings for America's four majo r regions. for a region-by-region breakdown. These are the three best smalk communities in each part of the according tothe study: -- Easton, Md.; Barre, Vt.; and Lebanon, -- South: Kill Devil Hills, Oxford, Miss.; and Hilton Head S.C. -- Midwest: Pierre, S.D.; Rolla, Mo.; and Hays, Kan. -- Bozeman, Mont.; Jackson, Wyo.-Idaho; and Durango, The raw data used in Bizjournals' study comesz from two federal agencies, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
All of the figures are the latest, most comprehensive statistics available at themicropolitam level. Los Alamos, N.M., leads three of the study'sx 12 categories: most management or professional most college degrees and mostadvancefd degrees. The only other multiple winner isPalm Coast, Fla., whicu has seen the strongest population growthy and the biggest increase in the number of smallp businesses. ( for the leaders in the categories.
)