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Not the usual suspects where it's a massive university that dominates the town with little else there, nor where campus is on the outskirts and separated from downtown. Population ideally under 100K. Features an active, revitalized/kept up downtown area. The college/university has a sizable athletics program (preferably Division I or 1-A though maybe flexible) that keeps the town hopping. Below national average housing costs (buy/rent) and NOT in a solid red state preferably. Ideally the Midwest, Northeast, Midatlantic or Mountain West. Looking past the majority of Power 5 conference schools most likely.
Not the usual suspects where it's a massive university that dominates the town with little else there, nor where campus is on the outskirts and separated from downtown. Population ideally under 100K. Features an active, revitalized/kept up downtown area. The college/university has a sizable athletics program (preferably Division I or 1-A though maybe flexible) that keeps the town hopping. Below national average housing costs (buy/rent) and NOT in a solid red state preferably. Ideally the Midwest, Northeast, Midatlantic or Mountain West. Looking past the majority of Power 5 conference schools most likely.
State College PA. Its 4hrs from either Philly or Pittsburgh, or maybe more. I believe the total population is under 100K, but close to it.
A lot of State capitols are also college towns like Austin, Columbus, Albany, Madison, Tallahassee, Columbia SC, etc etc.
U of I, Iowa City checks all the boxes, although outside of the Iowa City metro the state is trending redder by the minute.
Iowa is a big university that pretty much dominates the state (lol) but there are other industries in Iowa City and the IC-CR corridor and more businesses are moving in.
Real estate is increasing but compared to the rest of the country it’s still affordable and you have a selection of varying price points. Thirty miles north, real estate is very affordable in Cedar Rapids which is growing too but at a slower pace.
I’m not familiar with sports or athletic programs so not sure if Iowa would meet your criteria although university sports is HUGE here.
Last edited by smpliving; 02-21-2023 at 04:32 PM..
Are we talking about 100K city limits or metro area? The latter takes out several of the ones I'll mention.
Option I know and like is Ithaca, New York seems almost there. There's Cornell and Ithaca College there, but there are spin-off industries from those and people living there that aren't going to or working at the colleges. Cornell is Division I. The city itself is well under 100K, though its metropolitan area of Tompkins County is at 105k. Its housing costs though are apparently at about Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site for the US.
Aside from that, other possibilities are Normal, IL, Carbondale, IL, Newark, DE, Amherst, MA, Bethlehem, PA, Lewisburg, PA, Kalamazoo, MI, Ypsilanti, MI, Hamilton, NY, Charlottesville, VA, Harrisonburg, VA, Moscow, ID, and Pullman, WA.
Not hitting the Division I requirement, but just an all-around fascinating city to me is Utica, NY. It hits your other criteria and it does have a university.
Mankato Minnesota. Stillwater OK may be "dominated" by OSU but that is subjective as a call and as of importance. Same with Yanktown SD and Murray KY. Plattsburgh NY. Maybe Athens Ohio. Cedar City Utah. Kearney NE. Boone NC. Stephenville TX. Brenham TX. Vincennes IN. Brookings SD. Most are red states but that is just the way it is.
Spearfish SD and Silver City NM have D2 schools.
Last edited by NW Crow; 02-21-2023 at 06:11 PM..
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