What city in Minnesota stands out as the smart cookie? The answer may surprise you, or at least it did me!

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Arden Hills is Minnesota's smartest city! I did not see that coming...did you?

The campus of the University of Northwestern-St.Paul does border the city, but does that really make a difference?

Of course, there are a lot of ways to evaluate intelligence. One could look at IQ scores or ACT/SAT results. However, this study opted to focus on information more readily available.

When Zippia completed this study in 2020, they concentrated on educational achievement. Each city was ranked on the percentage of adults over 25 with a bachelor's degree or degree of higher achievement, as well as, the percentage of 18 to 25-year-olds with a high school education or a higher degree. 

The data came directly from the American Community Survey from the 2020 Census.

The smartest cities in the U.S. are as followed:

  • 1. Hoboken, New Jersey
  • 2. West Hollywood, California
  • 3. Gunbarrel, Colorado
  • 4. Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
  • 5. Davidson, North Carolina
  • 6. Bexley, Ohio
  • 7. Arden Hills, Minnesota
  • 8. Jericho, New York
  • 9. Fairhope, Alabama
  • 10. North Druid Hills, Georgia

This list seems to be a bit of an anomaly. I haven't heard of many of these cities. I guess I don't add much to Minnesota's intelligence level!

Out of Arden Hill's population, 36% have a Bachelors' Degree, and 98.6% have a high school diploma.

In comparison, out of Hoboken, New Jersey's population (the highest-ranking city in the U.S.), 51% have a Bachelors' Degree, and 99.6% have a high school diploma.

So, what are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree with the results?

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