City ranked ninth out of 140 'micropolitan' areas

July 25, 2008

By Meredith Thorn

Journal staff

Kim Rome moved to Stevens Point from Milwaukee about six years ago. She said she was sick of the big city, and one of the first things she noticed was the friendliness of people.

"I just fell in love with how it felt here," she said.

After her move, her mother, father and brother visited. Then they also relocated to Stevens Point.

The city was ranked ninth by bizjournals.com in its analysis of "dreamtowns," or small towns that offer the best quality of life.

The analysis cited the city's affordability, short commutes, stock of big houses and strong school systems as reasons for the listing.

The publication analyzed 140 "micropolitan" areas that had populations of 65,000 or more in 2006, including the central city and their surrounding areas. Twenty statistical factors were included in the analysis, including population growth since 2000, average commuting time and median household income.

Mayor Andrew Halverson said this ranking will be a recruiting tool and increase the city's credibility to attract and keep businesses.

"There are ways that very large businesses ... can do business in smaller communities," he said. "It gives us a wonderful recruiting tool."

Halverson said these are objective third parties that are starting to recognize Stevens Point, and some of the factors that assisted in this ranking include the housing costs coupled with the city's median income and stable tax base.

"I think that it's a really nice place to settle down and raise a family," said Kendra Sass, who was born and raised in Stevens Point.

The highest-ranked city was Torrington, Conn.

Relocate-America.com also ranked Stevens Point sixth in its listing of the top 100 cities in the United States for 2008.

Source:

City ranked ninth out of 140 'micropolitan' areas. (2005, 25 July). The Stevens Point Journal. Retrieved 28 July 2005, from The Stevens Point Journal web site <http://www.stevenspointjournal.com>.