| Forbes magazine recently released the | | | | the FBI Index of Crime. The following |
| annual top ten rankings of best small | | | | are the top ten best small metro cities |
| cities for business and careers. These | | | | to live and work and their approximate |
| best cities to live and work were chosen | | | | populations: 1. Sioux Falls, S.D.: Sioux |
| based on a variety of factors such as | | | | Falls captured the top spot of smaller |
| availability of labor, tax rates and | | | | cities that are best for business and |
| other living costs, quality of life | | | | careers. The metro area consists of |
| issues, educational opportunities, crime | | | | 210,000 residents. 2. Bismarck, N.D.: |
| rates and cultural and recreational | | | | Bismarck ranked second in the list and |
| opportunities. The rankings of best | | | | has a population of 100,000. 3. |
| cities in the U.S. were partly based on | | | | Columbia, Mo.: Columbia with a |
| data supplied by Economy.com, a | | | | population of 154,000 clinched the third |
| Pennsylvania-based economic research | | | | place. 4. Fargo, N.D.: At fourth place |
| firm. The firm's business cost index | | | | was Fargo, North Dakota with |
| factors in the costs of labor, taxes, | | | | approximately 186,000 residents. 5. Iowa |
| energy and office space. Cost of living | | | | City, Iowa: Fifth on the list of best |
| was considered by various aspects such | | | | small cities to live and work was Iowa |
| as housing, utilities, transportation, | | | | City with a total population of 139,000. |
| and food and household expenditures. The | | | | 6. Bloomington, Ind.: Bloomington was |
| firm also provided five-year annualized | | | | sixth on the annual list of the best |
| figures on job and income growth and | | | | smaller metro areas for business and |
| migration trends. Another research firm | | | | careers and has a population of 139,000. |
| that contributed towards the rankings is | | | | 7. Rapid City, S.D.: South Dakota's |
| Sperling's Best Places. Forbes magazine | | | | Rapid City was number seven on the list. |
| uses the culture and leisure index | | | | The metro area has a population of |
| developed by Researcher Bertrand | | | | 119,000 residents. 8. Las Cruces, N.M.: |
| Sperling of Sperling's 'Best Places to | | | | Las Cruces, New Mexico ranked eighth |
| Live' fame for quality-of-life issues | | | | with a population of 193,000. 9. |
| such as cultural and recreational | | | | Morgantown, W.Va.: At ninth spot was |
| opportunities. The culture and leisure | | | | Morgantown, West Virginia with a |
| index is based on museums, theaters, | | | | population of 115,000 residents. 10. |
| golf course, sports teams and other | | | | Johnson City, Tenn.: Rounding up the top |
| activities. The data also includes the | | | | ten smaller metros was Johnson City, |
| education scenario in the cities and the | | | | Tennessee. The metro area has about |
| presence of four-year colleges. Crime | | | | 190,000 residents. |
| rates of the cities were sourced from | | | | |