A recent study by Portfolio magazine points out that intellectual capital in populations - a phrase usually reserved for large urban sprawls - is actually stronger and more potent in mid-sized cities.
The survey ranks the 200 largest metropolitan areas by "brainpower," measuring the level of education among the subjects' populations and asserting a strong correlation between education and business activity, particularly entrepreneurial and innovation-based enterprises.
"The United States takes pride in some of its most prestigious universities and colleges, offering the highest quality education and experience," said J. Jennings Moss, editor of Portfolio. "We often associate larger cities as the centers of education and culture, and therefore epicenters for the country's smartest people."
"However this study shows that smaller cities can attract some significant brainpower," he adds. "Out of the top 10 smartest places, six of them have populations of less than one million people."
Boulder, Colorado - cited for its network of educational institutions and high percentage of college graduates, as well as its abundance of technology and aerospace companies - took the No.1 spot. Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Washington, D.C., followed, respectively.
Contrastingly, businesses looking to incorporate in California or Texas may be surprised to learn their states' cities did not fare too well on the list, as they consistently took the lowest spots. Of course, San Jose and San Francisco - both hubs of Silicon Valley - took the No. 7 and No. 10 spots, respectively.
Tags : ca, ny, small business management, tx
Posted: Dec 1st, 2010