“Understanding how our country’s small communities were doing before the pandemic is critical for navigating the economic recovery ahead,” said Ross DeVol, president and CEO of Heartland Forward. “Many micropolitans are thriving and rapidly creating new opportunities. If we can understand the factors that drive their success, we can help small regions across the country replicate best practices and successfully steer through these uncertain economic times.”

Bozeman, Montana, ranked sixth, has thriving clusters in photonics/optics, and software and information processing. Yellowstone National Park is to its immediate south, so travel and tourism play an important role.