An excerpt from BizJournals.com article... Where to find the best quality of life , ...The Bizjournals study compares the performances of America's 577 micropolitan areas in 12 statistical categories. The 10 communities with the highest scores have been designated as "dreamtowns," indicating that they offer an outstanding quality of life.... Bizjournals' study was inspired by the heavy public interest in small-town life and business opportunities. More than 1.7 million people move from metropolitan areas to small cities or rural counties each year, according to U.S. Census Bureau research. The study identifies the small communities that would be most attractive to people considering such a move. The highest scores go to well-rounded places with strong economies, light traffic, moderate costs of living, first-class educational systems, and good access to big-city attractions. Click here for the study's methodology. The study group was the nation's 577 micropolitan areas, which are defined as regions that are economically dependent on central cities with 10,000 to 50,000 residents. All metropolitan areas have specifically been excluded from the report. Click here for the top-to-bottom standings of all micropolitan areas. Bizjournals has also identified the communities with the highest quality-of-life rankings for America's four major regions. Click here for a region-by-region breakdown. These are the three best small communities in each part of the country, according to the study: -- East: Easton, Md.; Barre, Vt.; and Lebanon, N.H.-Vt. -- South: Kill Devil Hills, N.C.; Oxford, Miss.; and Hilton Head Island-Beaufort, S.C. -- Midwest: Pierre, S.D.; Rolla, Mo.; and Hays, Kan. -- West: Bozeman, Mont.; Jackson, Wyo.-Idaho; and Durango, Colo. The raw data used in Bizjournals' study comes 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 the micropolitan level... |