The education, economy, safety, recreation and health data we used to determine the Best Cities of 2010
POPULATION
Source: Census
EDUCATION
High School Graduation Rate 2008
Source: Individual school district or state department of education.
Blue Ribbon Schools 2003-2009
Source:Department of Education, Blue Ribbon Schools, 2003-2009
NAEYC-Accredited preschools
Source: National Association for the Education of Young Children http://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/search
NAEP State Proficiency Reading, Grade 8
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2009
NAEP State Proficiency Math, Grade 8
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2009
Pupil/Teacher Ratio
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2007-2008
Total Expenditures Per Student
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2006-2007
HEALTH
Quality Children’s Hospitals
Source: National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions, member
Quality Pediatricians
Source: Castle Connolly, America’s Top Doctors directory of pediatricians
Air Quality
Source: EPA, Average number of Unhealthy Air Quality days between 2006-2008, by county
SAFETY
Violent Crime, 2008
Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Report. Crime in the United States, 2008. Violent crime includes: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault
Note: Arlington VA data not avail for 2008, so 2007 was used. Augusta data not available from 2008, 2009 data used
Sex Offenders
Source: State Sex Offender Registries
ECONOMY
Travel Time to Work, 2006-2008, in minutes
Source: Census 2006-2008 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates.
Mean Travel Time to Work of Workers 16 Years and Over Who Did Not Work at Home (Minutes).
Percent of labor force unemployed
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas, Monthly Rankings, Not Seasonally Adjusted, Jan. 2010. http://www.bls.gov/web/laummtrk.htm
Best Performing Cities Job Index
Source: Milken Institute
Where America’s Jobs Are Created and Sustained, November 2009, Best-Performing Cities 2009. The Best-Performing Cities index was designed to measure objectively which U.S. metropolitan areas are most successful in terms of job creation and retention, the quality of jobs being produced, and overall economic performance. Specifically, it pinpoints where jobs are being created and maintained, where wages and salaries are increasing, and where economies
Median Home Sale Price
Source: Zillow.com
5-Year Home Value Index
Source: Zillow.com
Percent of Homes Sold for a Loss
Source: Zillow.com
RECREATION
Parkland acreage, 2008 (includes pools and playgrounds)
Source: The Trust for Public Land OR city website. Data includes only parkland maintained by city department
