Where the techies are :You’d never guess but Missoula, Gallatin and Yellowstone Counties in Montana make the list.

Techies: They’re everywhere

When you think of people who are technologically savvy, you probably envision a hip young guy in Seattle or Silicon Valley or New York, sitting in a coffee shop and sending e-mail from his laptop or PDA or even his cellphone.

You’re right, but not entirely.

The most technologically advanced households in America — the early adopters who are more likely to own and use new technologies such as TiVo or wireless Internet access — exist in nearly every county in the nation. County-by-county map: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/graphics/tech_savvy/flash.htm

By age, income, lifestyle and buying behavior, it’s a diverse group. These aren’t just wealthy people who live in major metro areas or only on the East and West coasts.

Twenty-nine percent of U.S. households are likely to be early adopters, according to an exclusive county-by-county analysis of consumers’ buying habits by USA TODAY and the Claritas marketing research firm. Eleven percent of the USA’s 3,141 counties have at least 29% of households that are early adopters. Though these households are most heavily concentrated in metro areas, early adopters live throughout the nation.

By Mindy Fetterman and Barbara Hansen, USA TODAY

Full Story: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2005-10-16-techie-adopters_x.htm