I've read articles like this:
http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20110920/america-s-50-best-cities/
several times. While they give lots of numbers and statistics and things, what they DON'T report is often as interesting as what they do. The numbers are given in an effort to provide a modicum of objectivity to something that is entirely subjective. For example, the number 50 (of 50) city in this report, Irving, TX, has the following:
Percent with bachelor's degrees: 30.6
Percent under poverty level 15.1
Median household income: $47,269
Violent crime rate: 298.3
Property crime rate: 4,162.6
School score: 69.28
Pro sports teams: 0
Foreclosure rate: .005
Percent Unemployment: 7.7
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 9.1
Bars: 5
Restaurants: 460
Museums: 3
Colleges: 4
Libraries: 9
Air Quality Index: 109
All of which gives a fairly good picture of the city. But what's not clear is how each category is rated - does air quality mean more than good schools? Is crime rate weighted more than colleges? And why are so many of these things related to economics? Why does "Pro sports teams" make a place more desirable than not?
For reference, the number one city is Raleigh, NC, which looks like this:
Percent with bachelor's degrees: 47.5
Percent under poverty level: 13.9
Median household income: $53,370
Violent crime rate: 492.9
Property crime rate: 3,403.2
School score: 74.4
Pro sports teams: 1
Foreclosure rate: .0056
Percent Unemployment: 6.9
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 30.8
Bars: 110
Restaurants: 867
Museums: 51
Colleges: 10
Libraries: 18
Air Quality Index: 83
The article notes: Taking more than a dozen data points into account, Raleigh ranks as the best place to live in the U.S. The city sports a high number of bars, restaurants, and cultural institutions as well as a thriving social scene, great parks, and good schools. Raleigh reflects the cultural graces that go along with anchoring the so-called research triangle, home to North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Of course, it’s also much more. The city offers a great deal on nights and weekends, from concerts and opera to the 30,000-sq.-ft. State Farmer’s Market. North Carolina’s state capital is tops in our book.
These are clearly good ways to determine if a place is desirable or not. But there are other intangible things that make a place desirable to live. These things are almost impossible to quantify and they are different for each person - what is important for me may not be of concern at all for someone else. So while I think these kinds of articles are interesting, and perhaps useful for marketing purposes, I don't put a whole lot of stock into them. The word "best" is just too loaded of a term.
Frankly, I think Mont Belvieu is the best city in America. So there!
