Small Towns, Small Biz


The Kiplinger Letter, in its latest edition (subscription required), reports that small towns in the United States are attracting more college graduates.

Kiplinger says that is “good news for small-business employers in those areas. Young adults are shunning metropolitan areas for quieter towns and cities that offer cheaper housing, easier commutes, good pay and less crime.”

Just what are some of these small towns with a pool of young talent? Try: Abilene, Texas; Port Charlotte, Florida; Hot Springs, Arkansas; Greeley, Colorado; Provo, Utah; Augusta, Georgia; Mesa, Arizona; Everett, Washington; and Lynn, Massachusetts.

This is also good news for the economic development efforts of smaller towns. Many small U.S. towns have experienced an outflow of young people — a brain drain that can plunge a small town into a long slow decline. We all know at least one such place, where most of the young people simply started moving away. Keeping new graduates in a town or being able to lure graduates there is crucial to a small town’s economic vitality.

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Anita Campbell Anita Campbell is the Founder, CEO and Publisher of Small Business Trends and has been following trends in small businesses since 2003. She is the owner of BizSugar, a social media site for small businesses.

One Reaction
  1. Anita, it is the same situation every where. Small towns do not have much jobs to offer.So people leave the town. In our country, all the big company head offices are situated in the capital. Every year, hundreds and thousands of people are coming in making the capital city more congested.