More bragging about where *I* live

Forbes magazine this week (not yet online) listed West Lafayette, Indiana, as the sixth smartest small town in the United States. Here’s a look at the top 20.

1. Bethesda, Md.
2. Wellesley, Mass.
3. Palo Alto, Calif.
4. McLean, Va.
5. Los Altos, Calif.
6. West Lafayette
7. Potomac, Md.
8. Lexington, Mass.
9. Mountain Brook, Ala.
10. University Park, Texas
11. Brookline, Mass.
12. Chapel Hill, N.C.
13. Wilmette, Ill.
14. Blacksburg, Va.
15. State College, Pa.
16. Saratoga, Calif.
17. Needham, Mass.
18. Cupertino, Calif.
19. North Potomac, Md.
20. Mercer Island, Wash.

How they were ranked

The list was compiled from the U.S. Census 2005-2007 American Community Survey.   Communities with populations of 20,000 to 65,000 were ranked based on the number of post-secondary degrees divided by the population of the community over the age of 25. Results were then weighted to give a final average.

**Obligatory law and society comment:  I have to wonder what the racial composition of these communities is.  I know WL got some racial diversity, but there are not that many African-American kids in the schools, not even after the diaspora of families from northwest Indiana taking advantage of Section 8 housing in the town.  And we KNOW Palo Alto is lily white . . .