Ranked as the most literate city by Central Conn. State University, Seattle is known as a hotbed for start-up businesses, especially in green building and clean technology.
City: Seattle
State: Washington
Best Cities Overall Rank: 28
About Seattle: Seattle is ranked the most literate city by Central Conn. State University and the Seattle Public Library system has the highest percentage of library card-holders per capita in the country.
Seattle is known as a hotbed for start-up businesses, especially in green building and clean technology. The city’s housing market has not seen the steep drop in value that most housing markets in other cities have seen in recent years. Seattle’s unemployment rate is 9.2 percent, which is lower than the national rate of 9.7 percent.
County: King
Population: 598,541
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Newspaper with the largest circulation: The Seattle Times
Seattle blogs: Seattle Mom Blogs, Daring Young Mom, Absolutely Bananas
Seattle‘s Facebook page: Follow Seattle on Facebook
Seattle‘s Twitter page: Follow Seattle on Twitter
Education rank: 45
High School graduation rate 2008: 63.39%
Blue Ribbon Schools, 2003-2009: 1
Blue Ribbon Schools per 100,000 people: 0.17
NEAYC-accredited preschools: 35
NAEYC schools per 100,000 people: 5.85
NAEP State proficiency reading, grade 8: 267
Pupil/Teacher Ratio: 18.19
Total Expenditures Per Student: $12,948
Health rank: 77
Quality children’s hospitals: 1
Hospitals per 100,000 people: 0.17
Quality Pediatricians: 7
Quality Pediatricians per 100,000: 1.17
Average number of Unhealthy Air Quality days between 2006-2008, by county: 1.67
Safety rank: 30
Violent Crimes, 2008: 3447
Violent Crime Rate per 100,000: 575.9
Sex Offenders: 961
Sex Offenders per 100,000: 160.56
Economy rank: 23
Travel time to work, 2006-2008, in minutes: 24.89
Percent of labor force unemployed, January 2010: 9.59
Best Performing Cities Job Index: 498.05
Median Home Sale Price: $382,100
5-Year Home Value Index: 0.13%
Percent of homes sold for a loss: 14.19%
Recreation Rank: 57
Parkland acreage, 2008 (includes pools and playgrounds): 6170
Parkland per 100,000: 1030.84
