Fort Collins and Loveland have been listed as #15 in the Top 20 Economically Vibrant College Towns, according to an article published by Richard Florida of The Atlantic Cities Place Matters. 

My Martin Prosperity Institute colleagues Kevin Stolarick, Charlotta Mellander and I define college towns as metropolitan areas with high percentages of students and faculty in their populations. Our measure is not limited to smaller, more traditional college towns, but also includes larger metros like Boston, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and New York, which are home to major college campuses and large numbers of students and faculty. We measure economic vibrancy in terms of six key variables: per capita income, high-tech industry concentration, the rate of innovation (measured as patents per capita), human capital (the percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher), percent of the workforce in the creative class, and the affordability of housing.

Boulder was listed as #1 on the list. I’d say Fort Collins and Loveland could easily be #1 on the list.

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