Future prosperity
According to Kiplinger’s most recent list of top cities, Austin tops the list for top 10 best cities for the next decade.
Given the current economic climate and uncertainty in cities of all cities for various sectors including real estate, it is hard to tell which cities will come out on top when the economy recovers. Kiplinger’s latest search focused on places “that specialize in out-of-the-box thinking.”
“New ideas generate new businesses,” says Kiplinger analyst Kevin Stolarick, who evaluated cities for growth and growth potential.
The top 10 cities:
- Austin, Texas– it’s no coincidence that Agent Genius is headquartered in Austin, according to Kiplinger, “Austin is arguably the the country’s best crucible for small business, offering a dozen community programs that form a neural network of business brainpower to help entrepreneurs. Now overlay that net with a dozen venture-capital funds and 20 or so business associations, plus incubators, educational opportunities and networking events. Mix all these elements in what many call a classless society, where hippie communalism coexists with no-nonsense capitalism, and you’ve got a breeding ground for start-ups.
Don’t discount the fun factor: In the self-proclaimed live-music capital of the world, music and business creativity riff off one another. The city’s famous South by Southwest festival, where concerts, independent film screenings and emerging technology overlap, is a prime example.”
- Seattle, WA
- Washington, D.C.
- Boulder, CO
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Rochester, MN
- Des Moines, IA
- Burlington, VT
- West Hartford, CT
- Topeka, KS
Is your city in the list above? Although Kiplinger’s methodology is unclear, the list above and reasons provided in the article by Kiplinger are quite intriguing, mostly focused on innovation as the reason for weathering the storm.
CC Licensed image courtesy of visualist images via Flickr.com.
Marc Knight
June 2, 2010 at 5:12 am
Great post and very interesting statistics!
Joe Loomer
June 2, 2010 at 6:43 am
Kiplinger apparently doesn’t like the South. Anyone been to Charlotte lately? Columbia? Augusta? Mobile?
Washington DC? Are you kidding me?
Navy Chief, Navy Pride
Fred Romano
June 2, 2010 at 9:22 am
West Hartford? Wow that’s an interesting pick. It’s a couple towns over from me, but the tax rates are sky high there… Although a lot of rich folks live there so I guess they can pay.
Joe
June 2, 2010 at 9:33 am
Ok, perhaps I’m a bit proud of our here, but I wonder why our city(s) are not mentioned in the top 10 lists. Our area is constantly in many national top 10 lists often times #1. Oh well.
Lisa
June 2, 2010 at 1:18 pm
I’m proud to call Austin home and psyched that it made the #1 spot! This really is a special city, full of some of the most forward-thinking and progressive people you will ever meet, and from all walks of life.
Still, I have to agree with Joe Loomer that in general this list seems very biased against cities in the South. Either Charlotte or Raleigh-Durham could have easily made the top 10 in my book. West Hartford? Not so much.
BawldGuy
June 2, 2010 at 5:03 pm
IMHO, that list is more likely from an SNL skit. Geez
Debra Sinick
June 27, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Fred,
I grew up in West Hartford and I agree, compared to most places, taxes are high. However, the services are fabulous in the community with great schools, terrific senior care, and facilities. The tax money goes to a lot of things the townspeople benefit from.
I am continually impressed with the growth of West Hartford Center. Every time I head back there, I make it a point of heading to “the Center.” It’s always hopping with people of all ages. It’s so nice to see a small town re-invent itself without losing its small town feeling. With regard to real estate, there are many neighborhoods that are not expensive in West Hartford. I grew up in one of them!
Now, I live in Seattle, #2 on the Kiplinger list, it is a dynamic place to live and I think Kiplinger’s pegged it fairly well.