Bozeman named best small town in the country

http://www.bizjournals.com/edit_special/41.html

If small-town life holds special appeal for you, look out West.

Seven of the 10 highest-ranked cities that offer the best quality of life are in Western states, according to a new study by Bizjournals.

Topping the list is Bozeman, Mont., where it can get awfully cold –- even dropping below freezing on the occasional summer night -- but there are plenty of compensations.

Like the stunning view of the Rocky Mountains. And the strong local economy. And the intellectual and cultural activity at Montana State University.

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.

Bozeman tops the list because of its strong showings in several categories:

* Its number of small businesses grew by almost 28 percent during the past five years, topping all but two of the 577 communities in the study group.

* Bozeman's population increased by 15.3 percent in half a decade, ranking 11th in micropolitan America.

* The local share of adults with bachelor's degrees, 41 percent, is sixth among all of the nation's small communities.

Yay us!!! Greatest place in America to live!!! I have good taste.