Athens, GA is one of 7 Small Towns Offering Career Opportunities in addition to being a great place

Best Boomer Towns - Town Blogs

Written by Hank Bailey, from Athens, Georgia on May 14, 2009

Small cities can be both relaxing and comfortable places to live. They also can be great spots to operate either a primary business or that “second career” that many Baby Boomers embark in during their “retirement years.” Using ZoomProspector.com, a business relocation specialist, In my research I found 7 cities and towns in the U.S. with fewer than 125,000 people, which have a favorable business environment, and a highly-educated labor force. ZoomProspector.com also takes into account the aesthetic appeal of the area, salary levels, and local dining and attractions.

In this study, in addition to population maximums we narrowed down cities in the U.S. based upon job growth rates (2000-2008), unemployment rates, and median age. In regards to labor force, I asked ZoomProspector.com to allow cities with a labor force of at least 33% having a bachelor’s degree, 75% a high school diploma or higher, and 50% of the labor pool being considered “white collar.” Finally this list was narrowed down again for towns having Universities in the town or within 50 miles, commute time of less than 20 minutes, an airport in the city or within 50 miles, and finally travel time to the nearest interstate within 15 miles.

The following, according ZoomProspector.com, are their top 7 towns that offer great places to work, operate a small business, and offer plenty of career opportunity beyond just being a great place to live;

1. Athens-Clarke County, GA
2. Lafayette, LA
3. Tuscaloosa, AL
4. Fayetteville, AR
5. Lawrenceville, KS 6. Rochester, MN
7. Greenville, NC

Athens, GA had the youngest median age at 26.0 years. It had the second most total of Universities (19) and Airports (16) in town or within 50 miles as compared to the other cities in this list. Athens also had the fourth highest job growth rate at 16.8%, and the third highest percentage of inhabitants who have at least a Bachelor’s degree.

In the end, just another reason to feel proud and boast a little about our “Classic City!” Come visit Athens and you will find through our Southern hospitality that you finally made it home!

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