Bozeman, Montana

IT'S small, quiet and out of the way. It's Bozeman, Montana and, according to Fast Company, it's quickly becoming a startup hub for technology and other young companies.

Bozeman has about 100,000 people in its metropolitan area, and its airport is the busiest in the state, with direct flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Dallas. Its median annual household income in the technology sector is US$60,000 compared to US$50,000 statewide. That is not Bay Area numbers, but it certainly can buy a lot in Montana. The city is residence to Montana State University. There are areas zoned for multi-storey, mixed-use development and a growing fibre-optic network. Yes, it's Bozeman and it's attracting startups.