Frequently mentioned in all studies of Millennials is their propensity to live where there is a higher quality of life and not necessarily the In Places to Be or those with the Greatest Income – provided there are jobs. The U.S., after all, was originally built on small towns. Also, as the Baby Boomers retire, the reduced cost of living in small towns will be attractive – provided there are medical services. Quality of life is a magnetic attribute.
I personally grew up in a small town in Southwestern Colorado (Montrose) and spent time in a four-room school house (three classrooms and one cafeteria-gym-stage) in which the first room had 1st and 2nd grades, the next 3rd, 4th and 5th, the last room had 6th, 7th and 8th. Then you went off to Montrose to junior high and high school. The graduating high school class was approximately 200. It was a great place to grow up and remains such today. The quality of education was excellent.
To complete their annual best small towns list (this year expanded to 100), Liveability.com teamed with The Martin Prosperity Institute to develop a methodology to examine towns ranging in population from 1,000 to 20,000. Their prospect list included more than 12,000 towns. From each town 40 data points were analyzed, then weighted by the results of survey from Ipsos Public Affairs. Their goal was to focus on “tight knit communities key to small-town living coupled with amenities you might expect from larger cities.”
Scoring categories included:
- Economic
- Health
- Housing
- Civic
- Education
- Amenities
- Demographics
- Infrastructure
So what were the top-10 small towns in America in 2015?
To read the entire list of 100 towns, methodology and scores click http://livability.com/best-places/top-100-best-small-towns/2015
What was surprising to me was the number of these small towns I have visited – seven thus far, and prior to this study release had booked three days’ vacation in Bar Harbor, Maine later this summer.
Small-town America is thriving, and the latest Millennial generation may grow some of these small towns to a population size that will push them out of this category – provided there are jobs.
What is your favorite small town with a population of 20,000 or less? Mine is Fredericksburg, Texas, where my parents raise sheep.
Looking forward to your favorites.
Ted