Kiplinger's “smartest places to live”

[question everything]

Kiplinger's “smartest places to live”

May 20, 2006

Kiplinger's magazine asked readers to submit their criteria for ideal places to live and ranked cities according to the most-requested categories. The top two were cost of living and cost of housing. Quality health care, a low crime rate, weather, education (primary, secondary and higher), cultural amenities and transportation were other top criteria.

1) Nashville, Tenn.

2) Minneapolis-St. Paul

3) Albuquerque, N.M.

4) Atlanta, Ga.

5) Austin, Texas

6) Kansas City, Mo.

7) Asheville, N.C.

8) Ithaca, N.Y.

9) Pittsburgh

10) Iowa City, Iowa

11) St. George, Utah

12) Harrisburg, Pa.

13) Lexington, Ky.

14) Indianapolis

15) Logan, Utah

16) La Crosse, Wis.

17) Rochester, Minn.

18) St. Louis

19) State College, Pa.

20) Madison, Wis.

21) Provo, Utah

22) Philadelphia

23) Fargo, N.D.

24) Columbia, Mo.

25) Ann Arbor, Mich.

26) Richmond, Va.

27) Olympia, Wash.

28) Bismarck, N.D.

29) Morgantown, W. Va.

30) Lafayette, Ind.

SOURCE: Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine


Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060520/news_lz1n20list.html

[Ringo84]

1. Or

Anywhere with a majority of Democrats.
Ringo

[Kutjara]

2. I must be stupid.

You couldn't get me within fifty miles of half of those places without a court order.

[evlbstrd]

6. Ever visited any of them?

[Kutjara]

7. I've lived in several and visited several more. n/t

[evlbstrd]

11. Just curious.

Cause that was quite a blanket statement.

[Kutjara]

12. I may be one or two either way on 'half,'

but it's about that. I won't name them for fear of insulting fellow DUers but suffice to say (in the words of W. C. Fields) the longest month of my life was a weekend I spent in Pittsburg. ;)

[evlbstrd]

13. I've been to many of them.

And I live in one. Every town has its good and bad points. For example, I don't think I'd like over 150 days of rain a year, or over 260 days a year of overcast weather.

[Kutjara]

14. True, but I suppose some people like the...

...green landscape that all the rain causes. Different strokes and all that.

In fairness, I found several of the places mentioned to be 'nice' in a wholesome, down home sort of way, but that's not something I place much stock in. I'm just a bitter old curmudgeon at heart, so places like New York and San Francisco suit me better.

[evlbstrd]

15. I hear ya.

But you can get aspects of those cities in other places. And then there are always road trips.

[Jim Warren]

32. no problem with that comment

I agree about that list, but really it's like the Money Magazine best places issue or similar claptrap.
First rule of the flight club, there is no flight club.

[Hugin]

3. Hey, Turkey Town is #3!

:hi: everybody!

[johnaries]

30. Ahem....

EDIT: Sorry, responded to wrong post. :hi:

Nashville is one of the few major Southern cities that has remained loyal to the Democratic Party. Most local elections are officially nonpartisan. However, Democratic dominance is so absolute that most local races take place between the populist and "good government" wings of the Democratic Party. The "good government" faction has held the upper hand for some time. Unlike Indianapolis, the city-county merger did not significantly alter the political landscape. Elected Republicans are few and far between. At the state level, only two Republicans--one in the State House and one in the State Senate--represent significant portions of Nashville.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville,_Tennessee

Our governor is also a former Nashville mayor (Democrat) who manage to fix TennCare and the rest of the fiscal mess that the previous crooked Repuke Gov made. In only 2 years.

Nashville also has a vibrant Cutural Arts movement. You should see the TN Performing Arts CEnter and especially the new Symphony Hall we're building.

As for the Coutry Music portion (which actually is the SECOND largest industry in Nashville, Publishing is #1), check this out:
http://www.musicrowdemocrats.com/

Notice the picture and quote of Natalie Maines in the top banner.

[question everything]

31. And yet, one city does not help

when Gore cannot carry his state, and when the TN senators are... well.

Not bashing Nashville, I've just read - as we all know - that the post 2000 census redistricting was so favorable for incumbents, that even if the whole country wants a Democratic controlled congress, in reality it may not happen.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Go KC!!

HA! We beat St. Louis once again!!

[pitohui]

5. oh just shoot me now and get it over with EOM

.

[Mr_Spock]

8. Hmmm, so in one study Nashua NH wins 1st place 3 of 4 years, but

not one NE town is there?

Interesting.

[question everything]

17. No Coastal town, thanks to housing prices

from the strib:

Twin Cities-area residents may chuckle at the claim that in this metro area, "a dollar still goes a long way," and guffaw when they learn a $300,000-to-$400,000 house is considered affordable by Kiplinger's readers and editors.

But remember, affordability is relative, said senior editor Robert Frick, who explained: "$300,000 where I live in the D.C. area is tear-down. $200,000 is a vacant lot."

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area also rates highly for its range of leisure activities -- from stellar and plentiful live theater, to a hometown team for every flavor of sports fan.

The area is lauded for its highly educated population and diverse economy.

http://www.startribune.com/535/story/420328.html

[Leopolds Ghost]

20. Tear-down, eh?

Let me guess, he lives in Fairfax.... Or Possibly F***-yer County, VA (as it's pronounced) ;-)

[greendog]

9. When I see lists like this, my first thought is...

..."I hope my town isn't on it". We don't need any more sheep around here.

[unblock]

10. eyyyy, joisey di'n't make da list?

[pitohui]

16. i tell you what friend

if it wasn't for the damn storms if i had the money i'd take my bags and baggage and move to new jersey right now but i think ya'll got bigger exposure than you realize hanging out over the ocean like that

i'm abt ready to say i'm going to go somewhere new and forget abt all this crap down here, some place like cape may or stone harbor looks pretty good to me but way out of my reach financially alas

p.s. i like your new state motto -- new jersey, you gotta problem with that?

(kidding! kidding! :-) )

hell i even told my husband to see if his contacts in detroit would get him a job, now that's desperation

[Warren DeMontague]

18. Cool.

Maybe now everyone will stop wanting to move to California.

We have enough people here. STAY HOME!

[Recursion]

19. Richmond?

*blink*

*double take*

Richmond, Virginia?

Yes, it has a good punk scene, but other than that its only selling points are:

1) highest personal and property crime rate in the mid atlantic
2) very active neo-nazi subculture
3) widespread, soul-crushing poverty
4) corrupt city council

All of which make it a great place to write a film noir, but not a great place to live. If you're looking for a place in VA, try Roanoke.

[Nay]

24. Ain't this the truth?? I also live in Richmond, and the place is a

horror. There is literally nothing to do in this town unless you like to eat at pretentious restaurants. The downtown looks like Kabul, because the corrupt city council is composed of slum landlords so busy looking after themselves that they can't even find the wherewithall to fix the buckled and heaving sidewalks or the fallen piles of rubble in weedy vacant lots.

And don't get me started on the poverty, the crime, the nightly gunfire, the idiot Civil War nuts, the religious crazies, the mentally ill allowed to wander and harass at will, the RW smug Bushlers, the shop-til-u-drop mindset, the NASCAR shit, the cultural wasteland aspect. I could go on, but why depress you all?

[BlackVelvet04]

25. shhhhhhhhhhhhh

we don't need any more people around here. ;-)

[symbolman]

21. So Hawaii sucks then

gee, I better move to North Dakota right away :)

I went up there once with a girlfriend.. hardly a thing there, all flat, chilling cold (and I've lived in Fairbanks Alaska for ten years), desolate, and then whenever we stopped people looked at us like we "shouldn'ta outa been there.." I told my gal, "Let's get the hell out of here, this looks like a good place to dump bodies.."

Apologies to anyone from there, I DID live in Sturgis, SD for a few years and it was a pretty place, friendly enough, but not really a think tank either..

I'l stay right here in Paradise, thanks :)

[dsc]

22. expensive

and the schools are supposedly not that great.

[symbolman]

33. True, I guess after living in Alaska for ten years

I found Hawaii cheaper so my perspective is missing.. and the schools rate low, you're right there.. but compare that with Kansas who wanted to crap all over Darwin in their schools :)

[NewJeffCT]

23. No Boston?

Yes, not a cheap place to live, but some of the best public school systems in the country, and you can't beat the area for top colleges & hospitals per capita... convenient with the T from many suburbs, good culture, diversity, amenities, 4 season New England weather.

And, I live in Connecticut.

[jmowreader]

26. Cost seems to be the overriding factor here

Which explains why Richmond, Virginia, and Lexington, Kentucky, are on the list but neither Boston nor Seattle are.

[NewJeffCT]

27. I'd rather spend more for a home in a Boston suburb

and know that my daughter is going to a top school system than to pay less and have to either send her to private school, or get lesser schooling.

[jmowreader]

35. You and me both...however...

There are waaaaaaaay too many people who select their place of residence based on two factors: housing prices and taxes.

Needless to say, they're not looking for high ones of either.

Come to Fayettenam and I'll take you for a little ride down I-95. Once we cross the NC/SC border, we'll pass South of the Border and take a very gentle hill. On it there is a huge billboard welcoming you to Dillon County, and what's the biggest "feature" of Dillon County? Low Taxes! Why yes, of course. Forget the fact that the schools suck, the roads suck and the general appearance of Dillon County leaves a LOT to be desired...they've got low taxes and that's all a lot of people care about.

[seabeyond]

28. color me surprised albq made third. i visit often. i like the place

i have thought about moving there, and i have heard nothing about bad, from people that live there in crime and education. the two factors for this study. that alone makes me question all the people i have talked to, not to mention my own experiences there as much as i like, or the study

[johnaries]

29. Dammit! Nashville's supposed to be a SECRET!

Actually, the secret's been out for some time. Walk down the streets of Nashville and ask everyone you see if they were born here. You'll be lucky to find even one.

Luckily, I live in Pegram, which is a "bedroom community" for Nashville. It's still a secret. Shhh, don't tell. :-)

[maveric]

34. I dont see any CA cities on that list.

We're smart! Not like they say..."
I'll keep myself in "dumb" SoCal with the nice weather and such.