Announcing the Winners of Round 1 in our Strongest Town Contest!

The word has gotten out, and the votes have been rolling in! We’ve wrapped up round one of our fourth annual Strongest Town Contest, and we love how many of you checked in to read about places from sea to shining sea that are putting in the work to make themselves more financially strong and resilient!

From a city coming together after two catastrophic wildfires to figure out how to come back stronger; to a mountain town that’s so welcoming to hikers that some of them have come back and started businesses there; to a seaside haven that loves its lobsters and its unspoiled beaches; to a rapidly urbanizing suburb that’s doing its utmost to make sure its residents see the dividends of growth; and many more, this first round had something for everyone.

There’s no one shape, size, age, look, or feel that makes for a strong town, and our favorite thing about this contest is how it illustrates the diversity of what Strong America can and does look like in 2019.

We’ve already received over 8,000 votes in our contest. Here’s how it broke down:

  • Nelson, British Columbia (80%) vs. Amesville, Ohio (20%)

  • Guthrie, Oklahoma (74%) vs. Westwood, Kansas (26%)

  • Delray Beach, Florida (76%) vs. Claremont, California (24%)

  • Pensacola, Florida (61%) vs. Manhattan, Kansas (39%)

  • Erwin, Tennessee (61%) vs. Palmer, Alaska (39%)

  • Safety Harbor, Florida (61%) vs. Marshfield, Massachusetts (39%)

  • New Rochelle, New York (60%) vs. Sheboygan, Wisconsin (40%)

  • Portsmouth, New Hampshire (74%) vs. Redding, California (26%)

Congratulations to the eight towns advancing to the next round, and a hearty thank you to everyone who has participated so far! Check back in with us on Monday morning (March 25th) to see photos from the eight remaining towns and to vote in the next match-ups.

Here's our updated bracket:

Strong Towns