For example, Harvard and Oxford both situated themselves far from city dwellers, all the better for faculty and students to concentrate on their academic pursuits. Of course, enterprising businessmen then set up taverns nearby to distract them from those pursuits.

Many colleges are located where they are because they were paid to do so. Perhaps it was a land grant, or a straightforward cash payment, but the city fathers wanted a college in their town, filling their shops and restaurants with a dependable stream of customers.

According to Dr. Gumprecht, college towns are quite stable economically. They have relatively lower unemployment and higher prices than other town of comparable size. Though higher prices might not sound attractive, they might now be a factor keeping local businesses afloat. By phone Dr. Gumprecht told me, “Most people living in college towns know what they’re in for.”