Final Week for Entries: Make Sure the World Knows About Your Strong Town

Is your town “killing it” like Oxford, Mississippi? Let’s tell the world. 

Whether published in a small town local paper like the Oxford Eagle or a big market TV station, we think the things your town does to become more sustainable, resilient, and financially healthy are big news. It’s a huge reason we hold the Strongest Town Contest each year.

“We’re killing it and we should be recognized for it,” Jon Maynard told the Oxford Eagle newspaper during last year’s contest. The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce president was talking about his town’s rise to Round Two of the 2021 showdown. “Residents of the area should be proud of the efforts the region has undertaken to ensure it is resilient in challenging times such as these,” he said. 

Oxford, Mississippi, contestants told voters it had “beauty and brains.”

There are great publicity and community development benefits to entering this contest, but don’t forget there can be only one town or city to emerge victorious in our Seventh Annual Strongest Town Contest. It is, after all, a bracket-based showdown modeled after college basketball’s March Madness tournament. 

Strong Towns staff pick the original Sweet 16 from a pool of nominations provided by residents of the towns themselves, who fill out a short application. From there it’s in the hands of our members and readers who vote in the Elite 8, the Final Four and ultimately choose a Strongest Town 2022 champion. Will it be the town where you live? 

If you love your community—both for what it is and for what it aspires to be—you should nominate it for this year’s contest. Nominations are due February 20 at 11 p.m. CT…plenty of time to complete a great application. 

The application/nomination process is very simple. There are no large research projects that need to be completed. Just get a small team together and provide a few short (250 words or less) written responses. Some of the incredible places that have already submitted 2022 nominations are Chauncey, Ohio; Salem, Massachusetts; Durango, Colorado; the City of Brighton, Michigan; and downtown Santa Clara in California. 

The winner gets a visit and presentation from Strong Towns founder and president Charles Marohn, like 2018’s winner, Muskegon, Michigan. The Strongest Town also gets a lot of coverage from the media and our own website—plus bragging rights!

The 2018 Strongest Town Contest winner, Muskegon, MI.