Rank

Micropolitan area

Quality of life score

Average commuting time (minutes)

Median household income

Management and professional jobs

Homeownership rate

Adults (25 or older) with bachelor's degrees

Air mileage to closest major metro

Micropolitan area population (2006)

1

Torrington, Conn.

18.19

25.2

$66,664

39.0%

77.4%

31.9%

81 miles (New York City)

190,119

2

Bozeman, Mont.

17.01

20.6

$47,532

33.6%

66.2%

45.2%

517 miles (Denver)

81,763

3

Lexington Park, Md.

16.96

26.6

$71,158

40.2%

71.9%

24.4%

48 miles (Washington)

98,854

4

Lebanon, N.H.-Vt.

16.41

20.3

$49,526

39.0%

73.6%

34.5%

112 miles (Boston)

172,429

5

Helena, Mont.

15.44

16.3

$45,013

40.0%

73.4%

30.8%

480 miles (Seattle)

69,212

6

Kalispell, Mont.

14.33

18.9

$45,920

29.9%

76.1%

25.3%

373 miles (Seattle)

85,314

7

Mankato-North Mankato, Minn.

14.06

16.8

$46,104

33.2%

69.8%

33.8%

62 miles (Minneapolis-St. Paul)

89,567

8

Oak Harbor, Wash.

12.99

25.5

$49,022

33.7%

78.9%

27.3%

40 miles (Seattle)

81,489

9

Stevens Point, Wis.

12.66

17.5

$52,354

34.6%

74.1%

30.5%

187 miles (Minneapolis-St. Paul)

67,484

10

Concord, N.H.

12.56

23.7

$55,072

35.1%

69.6%

28.9%

72 miles (Boston)

148,085

11

Midland, Mich.

11.23

21.9

$48,360

39.4%

76.7%

33.3%

107 miles (Detroit)

83,792

12

Chambersburg, Pa.

10.97

22.6

$50,254

31.3%

75.4%

17.0%

69 miles (Baltimore)

139,991

13

Gettysburg, Pa.

10.64

26.6

$53,932

25.9%

79.4%

18.9%

48 miles (Baltimore)

101,105

14

Traverse City, Mich.

10.61

20.4

$46,939

28.0%

80.6%

26.0%

189 miles (Detroit)

141,387

15

Allegan, Mich.

10.28

22.6

$50,558

26.7%

84.8%

19.5%

105 miles (Chicago)

113,501

16

Brainerd, Minn.

10.21

20.9

$42,269

27.8%

82.1%

20.5%

112 miles (Minneapolis-St. Paul)

90,045

17

Augusta-Waterville, Maine

8.88

20.9

$44,758

34.4%

71.1%

24.3%

158 miles (Boston)

121,068

18

Hilton Head Island-Beaufort, S.C.

8.86

20.3

$48,190

28.8%

68.2%

33.1%

216 miles (Atlanta)

162,781

19

Truckee-Grass Valley, Calif.

8.58

22.8

$50,675

33.9%

74.0%

29.1%

136 miles (San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose)

98,764

20

Marshfield-Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

8.53

19.6

$45,937

29.0%

81.3%

20.1%

166 miles (Minneapolis-St. Paul)

74,774