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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