Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This book is full of fascinating information about 375 metropolitan areas in the U.S., as well as 27 Canadian metropolitan areas. Each area is evaluated and described in terms of the demographic characteristics of its population, the climate, the economy, taxes and cost of living, educational factors, commuting, health care and other health-related factors, leisure activities, and art and culture. Each of those categories is subdivided into multiple, more specific measures.
Based on the listed raw data, the book ranks the metropolitan areas against each other, in each category and overall. The first part of the book has a short section describing the meaning of the data for each category, along with a list of the top 30 and bottom 30 cities for each statistic.
The bulk of the book (669 pages out of the total of 850) consists of a 1-to-2-page description of each U.S. metropolitan area. The description consists of a listing of all the statistics in each category for the given metropolitan area, preceded by an intelligently-written introduction which provides the kind of information that isn't directly reflected in the statistics. From my knowledge of the cities with which I am personally familiar, I would say the writers did an excellent and accurate job of portraying the flavor of each metropolitan area.
BUT:
If you are going to use this book to make important personal decisions, make sure you do your own research, and double-check the information that's most important to you. I found several errors in the book - and since I have no knowledge at all of most of the topics covered, there are most likely many other inaccuracies that I'm incapable of identifying myself. Examples:
The book says that the average metropolitan area has 6 snowfalls of at least 1.5 inches annually. It also says, however, that the average metropolitan area has an average TOTAL annual snowfall of only 7 inches. Of course, it is impossible for both of those numbers to be accurate.
One of the numbers given for each city is the number of major airports within 60 miles. It says that there is one major airport within 60 miles of Eugene, Oregon, but the nearest major airport (Portland) is more than 100 miles away. In the listing for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, they make the preposterous claim that there are FOUR major airports within sixty miles, where in reality the closest major airport (Baltimore) is ninety miles away. The discrepancy has nothing to do with the definition of "major," because they also give the daily number of flights at those airports, which makes it clear that their definition of "major" does not include the airports in Eugene or Harrisburg.
Furthermore, the data doesn't always mean what it appears to mean, so read the discussion of the data toward the beginning of the book before turning to the individual statistics for the cities you're interested in. One glaring example is the ranking for "water quality," which has nothing to do with the healthfulness of the drinking water. It is a measure of the "quality of runoff and groundwater," which is decidedly NOT what most people are interested in when they investigate water quality in a prospective place to live.
Finally, in their otherwise helpful and well-written introductions to the metropolitan areas, and even in their interpretation of the statistics, the writers occasionally allow their politically correct prejudices to influence their comments and rankings. One amusing example is the following sentence from their introduction for Portland, Oregon: "Although average commuter times are long, the area has good public transit with a light-rail system among the nation's best." In other words, the city is to be commended for following policies the authors approve of, even if the evidence shows that those policies don't help. (Just try reversing the order of the clauses in the quoted sentence above, and you'll see what I mean.)
Also, the book's ranking system assumes that people will always want maximum racial diversity, minimum taxes, and a mild climate. You might prefer a Normal Rockwell setting, you might want the kind of governmental services that are available only in high-tax jurisdictions, and you might enjoy long brisk winters or searing desert heat.
So the book is fascinating, helpful, and can drastically shorten the time and trouble it takes to research any metropolitan area. But you have to read it intelligently, and you should do your own verification of information that really matters to you.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Cities Ranked & Rated: More than 400 Metropolitan Areas Evaluated in the U.S. and Canada
The Latest Facts & Figures on the Best Places to Live in North America!
For anyone thinking about relocating-or interested in the demographics of American life—Cities Ranked & Rated offers unbeatable insights into more than 400 metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada. Data is provided by Bert Sperling, creator of Money magazine's original "Best Places to Live" list.
This unique guide combines honest opinions and objective facts to help readers compare cities quickly and comprehensively.
Data on the 45 fastest-growing U.S. cities
Separate rankings and ratings for 27 Canadian cities
Easy-to-read charts showing the best and worst U.S. cities in over 50 categories
State-level comparisons of population densities, taxes, government expenditures, educational testing, and more
Details on how to find more information at Bestplaces.net/CRAR
Highlights Include:
The strongest job outlook
The lowest cost of living
The most days of sunshine
The best educational opportunities
The best air and water quality
The lowest healthcare costs
The lowest crime rate
The shortest daily commute
The lowest automobile costs
The most leisure amenities
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