Palo Alto has been named one of the top ten most educated small towns in the nation in a recent Forbes report. Other cities that made the top ten list include Wellesley, MA; McLean, VA; Los Altos, CA; Lexington, MA; Potomac, MD and West Lafayette, IN.

The top ten list was compiled by dividing the number of graduate degrees by the city’s adult population. Higher degrees were weighted more and a final average was given for each location.

Common trends that existed among many of the top ten cities included location near major universities, low unemployment rates, high salaries and high median property values. In Palo Alto, the unemployment rate is only 3.8 percent, while only 3.3 percent of residents live below the poverty level.

The Palo Alto Arts, Parks and Recreation department organizes community theaters, an annual film festival and an art center.