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KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 06:50 PM Sep 2014

Here's The Most Educated Town In Every State

http://www.businessinsider.com/most-educated-places-map-2014-9

We recently looked at the most affluent towns in every U.S. state. Now we're turning our attention to educational achievement....

As with the affluent places, a good number of the most educated towns are suburbs of big cities. Many towns showed up on both maps, having both very high median incomes and educational attainment, like Scarsdale, New York, and Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Some are college towns, like University Heights, Iowa, and Wellesley, Massachusetts. Indeed, for four states — California, Mississippi, New York, and Pennsylvania — the highest-ranking place was actually a college campus. Since we're focusing on towns, we removed the college campuses from our list.

There was a bit more of a population spread for the best-educated places than for the most affluent. Populations ranged from a little over 1,000 (our chosen lower cutoff) in Yarrow Point, Washington, all the way up to Fargo, North Dakota, a city of 106,000.



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Here's The Most Educated Town In Every State (Original Post) KamaAina Sep 2014 OP
Mission Hills, KS? tazkcmo Sep 2014 #1
Actually, just across the Missouri River KamaAina Sep 2014 #2
I lived a few blocks from it. tazkcmo Sep 2014 #3
I used to live there... El Supremo Sep 2014 #5
Shawnee Mission tazkcmo Sep 2014 #12
Mission Hills- xmas74 Sep 2014 #6
Oh yeah tazkcmo Sep 2014 #13
Nothing worse than being poor in JoCo. xmas74 Sep 2014 #24
Lol, glad you are enjoying your vengeance! Sounds like you got some issues.... Logical Sep 2014 #34
lol tazkcmo Sep 2014 #37
Key Biscayne, FL, doesn't surprise me. RebelOne Sep 2014 #4
Lotta smarties in Chevy Chase MD JaneyVee Sep 2014 #7
They were the first to inform us KamaAina Sep 2014 #8
Ladera, California? Brother Buzz Sep 2014 #9
Man! Your brother must be a one-percenter for sure. KamaAina Sep 2014 #11
And adjacent to Stanford University Brother Buzz Sep 2014 #14
Goldstream AK, not Wasilla? gratuitous Sep 2014 #10
Goldstream is not far from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Blue_In_AK Sep 2014 #30
the median home price in PV, AZ is 1.85 million dollars Mosby Sep 2014 #15
My son graduated jen63 Sep 2014 #16
Yes, Short Hills, NJ MattSh Sep 2014 #17
Is Moose Wilson Road, Wyoming, even a town? Comrade Grumpy Sep 2014 #18
No IDemo Sep 2014 #21
It's a CDP (Census Designated Place) KamaAina Sep 2014 #23
Which should make it and Hidden Springs (below) ineligible for inclusion in the study IDemo Sep 2014 #27
Mountain Brook, AL one of the 10 wealthiest communities in the country ?!? eppur_se_muova Sep 2014 #19
This message was self-deleted by its author politicat Sep 2014 #39
They needed a smarter person to conduct this study IDemo Sep 2014 #20
Same for Pine Brooks Hills, CO. politicat Sep 2014 #40
North Oaks, MN was at one time a gated community. hifiguy Sep 2014 #22
UH, IA is where the professors from Skidmore Sep 2014 #25
UH, IA is where the professors from Skidmore Sep 2014 #25
Winnetka (IL) or one of the adjoing 'burbs seemed a pretty safe guess. Gidney N Cloyd Sep 2014 #28
Can't take much away from this except that most are wealthy areas? theHandpuppet Sep 2014 #29
Or areas where the tenured professors live - TBF Sep 2014 #33
Fearrington Village, NC JanMichael Sep 2014 #31
O rly? What colleges are there? KamaAina Sep 2014 #32
Fearrington is a RETIREMENT VILLAGE supernova Sep 2014 #36
we don't live far from there JanMichael Sep 2014 #38
North Dakota is definitely an outlier there bhikkhu Sep 2014 #35

tazkcmo

(7,286 posts)
1. Mission Hills, KS?
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 06:55 PM
Sep 2014

How does a "city" in a state that teaches creationism even make this list?

On edit: Oh, I see. The map has Mission Hills in Missouri. How ironic.

 

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
2. Actually, just across the Missouri River
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 06:59 PM
Sep 2014

which makes a meander around Mission Hills.

And it's the top town in every state, so even Kansas has to have one. I was quite surprised that Fargo, ND had by far the lowest percentage of any of the 50. I always though ND was kind of like Minnesota, Jr.

El Supremo

(20,365 posts)
5. I used to live there...
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 07:35 PM
Sep 2014

a long time ago.

It's no where near the Missouri River, or even the Kaw River.

The postal address for it and several other municipalities is Shawnee Mission, KS. If Shawnee Mission were a city, it would be the largest in Kansas.

I have no doubt that it is the most educated City in Kansas. But I wonder where Lawrence or Overland Park came in.

tazkcmo

(7,286 posts)
12. Shawnee Mission
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 08:08 PM
Sep 2014

Used to be in the top 3 in the nation but I have no idea what their ranking is now. This was back in the 70's and 80's.

xmas74

(29,658 posts)
6. Mission Hills-
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 07:40 PM
Sep 2014

wealthy and probably lots of tax money to spend for their schools.

We both know JoCo KS is where the money is.

tazkcmo

(7,286 posts)
13. Oh yeah
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 08:13 PM
Sep 2014

JoCo. Where they tint the windows on their buses to hide the fact that they're empty and sidewalks are rare. I grew up in OP (What's now called Old OP) and got in fights almost daily because we were Catholic, Irish, poor and our clothes were home made. Good times.

xmas74

(29,658 posts)
24. Nothing worse than being poor in JoCo.
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 03:48 PM
Sep 2014

If you're not wealthy, you're nothing.

I loved nothing better in high school than beating the crap out of a few schools in debate. I lived in a small town, rural area in a working class family. I never went to clinics or camps but those kids did. I did all of my own research while some of those kids purchased theirs. (If you get all of your evidence from Squirrel Killers you deserve to lose.) Good times.

In more recent years, I enjoyed watching my child terrorize those kids in the swim league. Once again, all the clubs and clinics for stroke/turn/dive/start and my kid with public pool lessons was able to out swim them all. That was funny.

tazkcmo

(7,286 posts)
37. lol
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 07:02 PM
Sep 2014

That's awesome! I played football in the poor kid's league, not the Y and had the same enjoyment. Nice thing about football, I didn't care so much if we won or not, heck, we only had 13 kids compared to their 30. What was most important was knocking the living sh- er, poo out of 'em and then seeing them Monday at school (When we played that particular team) walking funny.

So glad your children are enjoying that same experience although in the mental arena!

RebelOne

(30,947 posts)
4. Key Biscayne, FL, doesn't surprise me.
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 07:32 PM
Sep 2014

That is a fairly affluent area, and I am sure all the kids go to private schools.

Brother Buzz

(36,216 posts)
9. Ladera, California?
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 07:48 PM
Sep 2014

I never heard of it, so I looked it up and realized my brother lives right next door in Portola Valley and shares the same Zip code. High school students living in that Zip code are heavily recruited by private colleges. That's a fact, Jack.

 

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
11. Man! Your brother must be a one-percenter for sure.
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 07:51 PM
Sep 2014

For those of you playing along back East, Portola Valley is big, big buck$, right above $ilicon Valley.

Brother Buzz

(36,216 posts)
14. And adjacent to Stanford University
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 08:15 PM
Sep 2014

He's a retired librarian and teaches exactly one course every semester at Stanford so he can play golf on their fine private golf course just down the lane from his house.

Blue_In_AK

(46,436 posts)
30. Goldstream is not far from the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 05:07 PM
Sep 2014

That probably explains it.

Wasilla?? ROFL. The armpit of Alaska.

Mosby

(16,168 posts)
15. the median home price in PV, AZ is 1.85 million dollars
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 08:15 PM
Sep 2014

It's the most expensive town in the valley, only Carefree and Cave Creek come close.

It's where a lot of super rich people live.

jen63

(813 posts)
16. My son graduated
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 08:30 PM
Sep 2014

from the 17th ranked high school in Ohio. Not too bad for a paycheck to paycheck single mom. I did my research before we moved back from spending two years in Mississippi. I rented a cheap apartment and he rode the bus every day. I know he felt different; all of the other kids were fairly affluent, but it paid off.

He had so many more opportunities there than he would have had at a less affluent school. A sad state of affairs if you were to ask me. All kids, in all districts should have the same opportunities. There was no "talented and gifted" testing; if the kids thought they could handle an AP course, they took it. It was night and day from what I was used to being involved in. Huge emphasis placed on service oriented clubs, etc.

MattSh

(3,714 posts)
17. Yes, Short Hills, NJ
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 02:44 AM
Sep 2014

I know the place. Home to a lot of bankers and Wall Street types, no doubt. And plenty of MBA's. The type of people who specialize in taking what's yours (your money, your tax money) and making it theirs. Or eliminating your job or cutting your salary.

Call me not impressed.

IDemo

(16,926 posts)
27. Which should make it and Hidden Springs (below) ineligible for inclusion in the study
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 04:00 PM
Sep 2014

If a place cannot qualify as a town per se it should not be given such status in a "smartest towns" listing.

eppur_se_muova

(36,227 posts)
19. Mountain Brook, AL one of the 10 wealthiest communities in the country ?!?
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 11:00 AM
Sep 2014
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Brook,_Alabama

I had never even heard of it; figured Huntsville would be tops in AL education.

Response to eppur_se_muova (Reply #19)

IDemo

(16,926 posts)
20. They needed a smarter person to conduct this study
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 11:14 AM
Sep 2014

Hidden Springs is a real estate development in Idaho, not a town. Upscale and well educated denizens, no doubt.

politicat

(9,808 posts)
40. Same for Pine Brooks Hills, CO.
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 07:42 PM
Sep 2014

400 houses of gated community in unincorporated county land. Not a town, doesn't have a post office.

I wonder if a dearth of children and teenagers has anything to do with the numbers. When 1/4 of a population automatically doesn't have higher ed because they're not there yet, it kinda stacks the deck.

 

hifiguy

(33,688 posts)
22. North Oaks, MN was at one time a gated community.
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 12:44 PM
Sep 2014

Don't know if it still is.

Given the brainpower assembled in and affiliated with the Mayo Clinic I am surprised it's not Rochester in MN.

Skidmore

(37,364 posts)
25. UH, IA is where the professors from
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 03:53 PM
Sep 2014

the UI live by in large. In walking distance from campus and far enough away from the domiciles of students and other workers on campus to give them a sense of having arrived. It is also notorious for their single cop running the most stringent speed traps to pay his salary. Doesn't surprise me that it is "highly educated." You can't toss a stick and not hit a Ph.D. or M.D. or J.D. there.

Skidmore

(37,364 posts)
25. UH, IA is where the professors from
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 03:53 PM
Sep 2014

the UI live by in large. In walking distance from campus and far enough away from the domiciles of students and other workers on campus to give them a sense of having arrived. It is also notorious for their single cop running the most stringent speed traps to pay his salary. Doesn't surprise me that it is "highly educated." You can't toss a stick and not hit a Ph.D. or M.D. or J.D. there.

Gidney N Cloyd

(19,781 posts)
28. Winnetka (IL) or one of the adjoing 'burbs seemed a pretty safe guess.
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 04:04 PM
Sep 2014

Their school district is very highly regarded and well-funded. I've known parents who've scrimped and saved on everything else to get a home in that area just for the schools and frankly we have plenty of other districts around here that would compare well with the best districts in the country but this really is an attraction.

New Trier High School (also known as New Trier Township High School or NTHS) is a public four-year high school, with its main campus for sophomores through seniors located in Winnetka, Illinois, USA, and a freshman campus in Northfield, Illinois, with freshman classes and district administration. Founded in 1901, the school is known for its large spending per student,[citation needed] academic excellence, and its athletic, drama, visual arts, and music programs. New Trier's primary campus in Winnetka is used by sophomores, juniors, and seniors, while the freshmen attend classes at the Northfield campus. The school serves the Chicago North Shore suburbs of Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, most of Northfield, and parts of Glenview.[11] The school is named after the city of Trier, Germany,[citation needed] and New Trier's logo depicts the Porta Nigra, symbol of that city; the athletic teams are known as the Trevians.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Trier_High_School

theHandpuppet

(19,964 posts)
29. Can't take much away from this except that most are wealthy areas?
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 04:54 PM
Sep 2014

Indian Hill, OH is a millionaire's enclave of Cincinnati. Shepherdstown, WV is a small town that's home to a teacher's college. Chevy Chase, MD, a suburb of D.C., has the highest median income in the country. In fact, I noticed that several of the top ten median incomes in the country are on this map: Chevy Chase, MD; Short Hills, NJ; Mission Hills, KS; Belle Meade, TN and Scarsdale, NY.

JanMichael

(24,847 posts)
31. Fearrington Village, NC
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 05:28 PM
Sep 2014

states specifically on their website that they are "one of America's Top College Towns."

supernova

(39,345 posts)
36. Fearrington is a RETIREMENT VILLAGE
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 05:43 PM
Sep 2014

not a university town.

It's lovely to be sure, and worth a visit. The restaurant is FAB!! (several of my culinary school classmates either work there or are doing internships there.)

But it is a retirement village, not a college town. Their website is over selling it. It is about 15, 16 miles from Chapel Hill, a true college town.

bhikkhu

(10,708 posts)
35. North Dakota is definitely an outlier there
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 05:43 PM
Sep 2014

Not a place I've ever thought of going, but 39% is their best?

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