A reading at Buffalo Street Books

Ithaca, N.Y. — Ithaca was named the 4th smartest city in America in a new set of rankings released on Friday.

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MarketWatch, a financial and business news site founded by CNBC’s Larry Kramer, put Ithaca on its top 10 list — with some caveats.

It noted, for instance, that despite high levels of education and health service workers, well-educated people in Ithaca tend to make less than their similarly-educated peers around the country.

A reading at Buffalo Street Books
A reading at Buffalo Street Books

MarketWatch said of Ithaca:

Ithaca residents were several times more likely to work in education and health services than their fellow Americans. Average wages in those sectors were also considerably higher than nationwide. Among graduates and households, however, median earnings were quite low. A typical household in Ithaca earned $48,516 last year, less than the national median.

And while the nationwide median earnings for adults with a graduate degree was more than $65,000 last year, similarly educated Ithaca residents had median earnings of less than $47,000.

Rounding out the list:

1 — Boulder, Colo.

2 — Ann Arbor, Mich.

3 — Corvallis, Ore.

4 — Ithaca, NY

5 — Lawrence, Kansas

6 — Iowa City, Iowa

7 — Ames, Iowa

8 — San Jose, Calif.

9 — Bridgeport, Conn.

10 — Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Click here to read the MarketWatch story.

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Jeff Stein is the founder and former editor of the Ithaca Voice.