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