New York, NY– Outdoor Life magazine has released its fourth annual list of the “Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen,” an exhaustive list of the best places to live for those who love the outdoors. The magazine scored the cities using an extensive set of criteria-topping the list were access to abundant fishing and hunting opportunities, a high quality of life and suitability for families. The magazine also gave greater consideration to towns that boast low unemployment rates, high household incomes and low cost of living. The list appears in the May issue of Outdoor Life, on newsstands now.
The city of Bend, Oregon, population 80,000, leads the list as the country’s top town for sportsmen. Rising in rank from number 6 on last year’s list, Bend nabbed the top spot for attributes including access to millions of acres of Forest Service land, grassland and wetland, as well as its hundreds of miles of fishable streams and rivers. The area’s unique landscape presents a bounty of both upland and big game hunting, and legendary waterways provide anglers with year-round opportunities. The city’s 300 days of sunshine per year also helped boost its ranking, as did a thriving economy that has pushed household income up 30 percent over the past decade. In total, 13 Oregon cities made this year’s Top Towns list.
Other leading towns on this year’s list are Pinedale, Wyoming, No. 2, which boasts incredible trout fishing and exceptional mule deer and elk hunting opportunities. At No. 3, Rapid City, South Dakota-first on last year’s list-remains a sportsmen playground thanks to its proximity to the Black Hills National Forest and local reservoirs. Kodiak, Alaska, came in at No. 4, and Saratoga, Wyoming, took the No. 5 slot. Cooper Landing, Alaska,-the state’s second city to rank in the top ten-came in at No. 6, and Lewiston, Idaho, and Pendleton, Oregon, took the No. 7 and No. 8 slots. Rounding out the top ten are Sheridan, Wyoming, at No. 9 and Bismarck, North Dakota, at No. 10.
“The towns on this list are the dream places to live for outdoorsmen,” said John Taranto, Senior Editor of Outdoor Life. “They’re all outstanding places to hunt and fish, but they’re also truly livable places where you can raise a family and live comfortably.”
Outdoor Life’s 2011 “Top 20 Towns for Sportsmen”
Bend, Oregon
Pinedale, Wyoming
Rapid City, South Dakota
Kodiak, Alaska
Saratoga, Wyoming
Cooper Landing, Alaska
Lewiston, Idaho
Pendleton, Oregon
Sheridan, Wyoming
Bismarck, North Dakota
Mountain Home, Arkansas
Chamberlain, South Dakota
Pierre, South Dakota
Rawlins, Wyoming
Lander, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming
Williston, North Dakota
Heber Springs, Arkansas
Marquette, MI
Loa, Utah
Outdoor Life editors evaluated cities for the 2011 “Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen” based on more than 20 criteria.
Forty percent of a town’s rank was based on its Quality of Life score, which includes factors such as population and population growth since 2000, median household income and home value, cost of living and unemployment rate.
The Quality of Life score also accounts for access to quality healthcare, cultural institutions and higher education. The other 60 percent is based on the Outdoors score, which reflects each town’s performance in categories like Gun Friendliness, Fishable Species, Huntable Species, Proximity to Public Land and Waters and Trophy Potential.
