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TWENTY-THIRD EDITION
2016 2016
America’s Top Rated Cities TWENTY-THIRD
TWENTY-THIRD EDITION

EDITION
A Statistical Handbook
Volume 1: Southern Region

America’s Top Rated Cities


America’s Top-Rated Cities is a four-volume set, each book covering a specific region of the United
States -- Southern, Western, Central, and Eastern. Each volume includes narrative city backgrounds,

Americas
statistical information, rankings, and comparative data in one easy-to-use source, on cities that have
scored high marks on economy, education, health care, crime, transportation, leisure activities, and arts
& culture. The final list of top-rated cities is derived from our unique rating system, which is based on a
number of well-known “best of” lists and first-hand experience.

Topics Include:
Business Environment
Business Headquarters
Commercial Utilities
Living Environment
Air & Water Quality
Best Companies to Work For
Top Rated Cities A Statistical Handbook
Commercial Real Estate Best Hospitals
Demographics Best Schools
Economy Climate
Employment & Earnings Cost of Living Volume 1:
Event Sites
Fast Growing Businesses
Education
Hazardous Waste Southern
Hotels & Motels Health & Health Care Athens, GA
Atlanta, GA
Income Housing
Austin, TX
Municipal Finances Major Employers Cape Coral, FL
Taxes Presidential Election Results Charleston, SC
Transportation Public Safety Clarksville, TN
Columbia, SC
Women & Minority-Owned Businesses Recreation
Dallas, TX
El Paso, TX
Fort Worth, TX
Plus Five Appendices:

A Statistical Handbook
Gainesville, FL
List of Counties, Metropolitan Area Definitions, Chambers of Commerce & Economic Development Houston, TX
Organizations, State Departments of Labor, and Comparative Statistics Huntsville, AL
Jacksonville, FL
Killeen, TX
Other Books In The Series: Lafayette, LA
America’s Top-Rated Smaller Cities; Ancestry & Ethnicity in America; American Tally; Asian Databook; Lubbock, TX
McAllen, TX
Hispanic Databook; Comparative Guide to American Suburbs; Profiles of America; Profiles of series... Miami, FL
individual state volumes including CA, CT/RI, FL, IL, IN, MA, MI, NJ, NY, NC/SC; OH, PA, VA, WI, TX Midland, TX
Nashville, TN
New Orleans, LA
Orlando, FL
4-VOLUME SET A Universal Reference Book VOLUME 1 - SOUTHERN Palm Bay, FL
978-1-61925-909-6 978-1-61925-910-2 San Antonio, TX
Volume 1: Savannah, GA
Southern Region Tallahassee, FL
Tampa, FL

4919 Route 22, Amenia, NY 12501


518-789-8700 | 800-562-2139 | Fax 518-789-0545
A UNIVERSAL REFERENCE BOOK
www.greyhouse.com | e-mail: books@greyhouse.com GREY HOUSE PUBLISHING

atrc2016_vol1.indd 1 4/12/16 1:05 PM


America’s
Top-Rated Cities:
A Statistical Handbook
Volume 1
2016
Twenty-Third Edition

America’s
Top-Rated Cities:
A Statistical Handbook
Volume 1: Southern Region

A UNIVERSAL REFERENCE BOOK


PUBLISHER: Leslie Mackenzie
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Laura Mars
EDITOR: David Garoogian

RESEARCHER & WRITER: Allison Blake


PRODUCTION MANAGER: Kristen Thatcher
MARKETING DIRECTOR: Jessica Moody

A Universal Reference Book


Grey House Publishing, Inc.
4919 Route 22
Amenia, NY 12501
518.789.8700
Fax 845.373.6390
www.greyhouse.com
e-mail: books @greyhouse.com

While every effort has been made to ensure the reliability of the information presented in this publication, Grey House
Publishing neither guarantees the accuracy of the data contained herein nor assumes any responsibility for errors,
omissions or discrepancies. Grey House accepts no payment for listing; inclusion in the publication of any organization,
agency, institution, publication, service or individual does not imply endorsement of the editors or publisher.

Errors brought to the attention of the publisher and verified to the satisfaction of the publisher will be corrected in future
editions.

Except by express prior written permission of the Copyright Proprietor no part of this work may be copied by any
means of publication or communication now known or developed hereafter including, but not limited to, use in any
directory or compilation or other print publication, in any information storage and retrieval system, in any other
electronic device, or in any visual or audio-visual device or product.

This publication is an original and creative work, copyrighted by Grey House Publishing, Inc. and is fully protected by
all applicable copyright laws, as well as by laws covering misappropriation, trade secrets and unfair competition.

Grey House has added value to the underlying factual material through one or more of the following efforts: unique and
original selection; expression; arrangement; coordination; and classification.

Grey House Publishing, Inc. will defend its rights in this publication.

Copyright © 2016 Grey House Publishing, Inc.


All rights reserved

Twenty-third Edition
Printed in Canada

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data


(Prepared by The Donohue Group, Inc.)

America's top-rated cities. Vol. I, Southern region : a statistical handbook. — 1992-

v. : ill. ; cm.
Annual, 1995-
Irregular, 1992-1993
ISSN: 1082-7102

1. Cities and towns--Ratings--Southern States--Statistics--Periodicals. 2. Cities and towns--Southern States--Statistics--


Periodicals. 3. Social indicators--Southern States--Periodicals. 4. Quality of life--Southern States--Statistics--Periodicals.
5. Southern States--Social conditions--Statistics--Periodicals. I. Title: America's top rated cities. II. Title: Southern region

HT123.5.S6 A44
307.76/0973/05 95644648

4-Volume Set ISBN: 978-1-61925-909-6


Volume 1 ISBN: 978-1-61925-910-2
Volume 2 ISBN: 978-1-61925-911-9
Volume 3 ISBN: 978-1-61925-912-6
Volume 4 ISBN: 978-1-61925-913-3
Table of Contents v

Athens, Georgia Austin, Texas


Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Commercial Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Commercial Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Atlanta, Georgia
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Cape Coral, Florida
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Commercial Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Commercial Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
vi Table of Contents

Charleston, South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina


Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

Clarksville, Tennessee Dallas, Texas


Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Table of Contents vii

El Paso, Texas Gainesville, Florida


Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

Fort Worth, Texas Houston, Texas


Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
viii Table of Contents

Huntsville, Alabama Killeen, Texas


Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342 Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

Jacksonville, Florida
Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355 Lafayette, Louisiana
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Table of Contents ix

Lubbock, Texas Miami, Florida


Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509

McAllen, Texas
Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 Midland, Texas
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532
x Table of Contents

Nashville, Tennessee Orlando, Florida


Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606
Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550 Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562 Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618

New Orleans, Louisiana Palm Bay, Florida


Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 621
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 622
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 625
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 625
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 626
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 574 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 630
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 633
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 633
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 635
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 635
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 636
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 636
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 638
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 640
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 589 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 589 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 642
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 642
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 643
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591 Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 643
Table of Contents xi

San Antonio, Texas Tallahassee, Florida


Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645 Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 699
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 646 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 700
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 654 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 706
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 655 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 707
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 656 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 658 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710
Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 659 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 660 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 660 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 712
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 661 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 714
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 714
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 664 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 667 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 668 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 720
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 720
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 721
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 721
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 721
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671 Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 722
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671

Tampa, Florida
Savannah, Georgia Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 725
Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 673 Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 726
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 674 Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731
Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 677 City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731
City Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 677 Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 732
Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 678 Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 734
Economy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 680 Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 735
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 736
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 682 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 738
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 684 Commercial Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 739
Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685 Commercial Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 739
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685 Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 740
Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686 Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 741
Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687 Hotels & Convention Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 742
Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 688 Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 743
Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 688 Cost of Living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 743
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 744
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 690 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 745
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 692 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 747
Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 693 Presidential Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 748
Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 693 Employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 749
Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 694 Public Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 749
Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 694 Recreation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 750
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 750
Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695 Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751
Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695 Air & Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751
xii Table of Contents

Appendix A: Comparative Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1


Appendix B: Metropolitan Statistical Areas . . . . . A-165
Appendix C: Government Type and County . . . . . A-169
Appendix D: Chambers of Commerce . . . . . . . . . . A-171
Appendix E: State Departments of Labor . . . . . . . A-177
Introduction

This twenty-third edition of America’s Top-Rated Cities is a concise, statistical, 4-volume work identifying America’s
top-rated cities with populations of at least 100,000. It profiles 100 cities that have received high marks for business
and living from prominent sources such as Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, Inc., Fortune, Men’s
Health, The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, and CNNMoney.

Each volume covers a different region of the country—Southern, Western, Central and Eastern—and includes a
detailed Table of Contents, City Chapters, Appendices, and Maps. Each City Chapter incorporates information from
hundreds of resources to create the following major sections:
• Background—lively narrative of significant, up-to-date news for both businesses and residents. These combine
historical facts with current developments, “known-for” annual events, and climate data.
• Rankings—fun-to-read, bulleted survey results from over 300 books, magazines, and online articles, ranging
from general (Great Places to Live), to specific (Best Cities for Newlyweds), and everything in between.
• Statistical Tables—123 tables and detailed topics—several new and expanded—that offer an unparalleled view of each
city’s Business and Living Environments. They are carefully organized with data that is easy to read and understand.
• Appendices—five in all, follow each volume of City Chapters. These range from listings of Metropolitan
Statistical Areas to Comparative Statistics for all 100 cities.

This new edition of America’s Top-Rated Cities includes cities that not only surveyed well, but ranked highest using our
unique weighting system. We looked at violent crime, property crime, population growth, median household income,
housing affordability, poverty, educational attainment, and unemployment. You’ll find that a number of American cities
remain “top-rated” despite less-than-stellar numbers. Miami, for example, is known for high crime and unemployment,
but also for its unique location—as both a valuable business port and popular vacation spot. New York and Los Angeles
have relatively low high school graduation rates, but both of these cities make up for it in other ways. A final
consideration is location—we strive to include as many states in the country as possible.

Part of this year’s city criteria is that it be the “primary” city in a given metropolitan area. For example, if the metro
area is Raleigh-Cary, NC, we would consider Raleigh, not Cary. This allows for a more equitable core city to core city
comparison. In general, the core city of a metro area is defined as having substantial influence on neighboring cities.
Killeen, TX appears as a top-rated city for the first time this year, and the following cities have regained their top-city
status in this edition, after being off the list for several years: Columbia, SC; Riverside, CA; and Allentown, PA.

Praise for previous editions:

“...[ATRC] has...proven its worth to a wide audience...from businesspeople and


corporations planning to launch, relocate, or expand their operations to market
researchers, real estate professionals, urban planners, job-seekers, students...interested
in...reliable, attractively presented statistical information about larger U.S. cities.”
—ARBA

“...For individuals or businesses looking to relocate, this resource conveniently reports


rankings from more than 300 sources for the top 100 US cities. Recommended...”
—Choice

“...While patrons are becoming increasingly comfortable locating statistical data online,
there is still something to be said for the ease associated with such a compendium of
otherwise scattered data. A well-organized and appropriate update...
—Library Journal

BACKGROUND
Each city begins with an informative Background that combines history with current events. These narratives often
reflect changes that have occurred during the past year, and touch on the city’s environment, politics, employment,
cultural offerings, and climate, often including interesting trivia. For example: The unique craft of cowboy boot
making is demonstrated at the Abilene Historical Museum; Peregrine Falcons were rehabilitated and released into the
wild from Boise City’s World Center for Birds of Prey; Gainesville is home to a 6,800 square-foot living Butterfly
Rainforest; and Grand Rapids was the first city to introduce fluoride into its drinking water in 1945.
xiv Introduction

RANKINGS
This section has rankings from a possible 307 books, articles, and reports. For easy reference, these Rankings are
categorized into 16 topics including Business/Finance, Dating/Romance, and Health/Fitness.

The Rankings are presented in an easy-to-read, bulleted format and include results from both annual surveys and
one-shot studies. Fastest-Growing Wages . . . Most Well-Read . . . Most Playful . . . Most Wired. . . Healthiest for
Women . . . Best for Minority Entrepreneurs . . . Safest . . . Best to Grow Old . . . Most Polite . . . Best for
Moviemakers . . . Most Frugal . . . Noisiest . . . Most Vegetarian-Friendly . . . Least Stressful . . . Hottest Cities of
the Future . . . Most Political . . . Most Charitable . . . Most Tax Friendly . . . Best for Telecommuters . . . Best for
Singles . . . Gayest . . . Best for Dogs . . . Most Tattooed . . . Best for Wheelchair Users, and more.

Sources for these Rankings include both well-known magazines and other media, including Forbes, Fortune, Inc.
Magazine, Working Mother, BusinessWeek, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Men’s Journal, and Travel + Leisure, as
well as resources not as well known, such as the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, Christopher & Dana Reeve
Foundation, The Advocate, Black Enterprise, National Civic League, The National Coalition for the Homeless,
MovieMaker Magazine, Center for Digital Government, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Milken Institute.

Since rankings cover a variety of geographic areas—metropolitan statistical areas, metropolitan divisions, cities, etc.—
rankings can apply to one or all of these areas; see Appendix B for full geographic definitions.

STATISTICAL TABLES
Each city chapter includes a possible 123 tables and detailed topics—69 in BUSINESS and 54 in LIVING. Over 90%
of statistical data has been updated. New topics include Commuter Stress Index. Expanded topics include the addition
of American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander to Minority- and Women-Owned
Businesses.

Business Environment includes hard facts and figures on 10 topics, including City Finances, Demographics, Income,
Economy, Employment, and Taxes. Living Environment includes 11 topics, such as Cost of Living, Housing, Health,
Education, Safety, Recreation, and Climate.

To compile the Statistical Tables, our editors have again turned to a wide range of sources, some well known, such as
the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and some more obscure, like The Council for
Community and Economic Research, Texas Transportation Institute, and Federation of Tax Administrators.

APPENDICES: Data for all cities appear in all volumes.


• Appendix A—Comparative Statistics
• Appendix B—Metropolitan Area Definitions
• Appendix C—Government Type and County
• Appendix D—Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development Organizations
• Appendix E—State Departments of Labor and Employment

Material provided by public and private agencies and organizations was supplemented by original research, numerous
library sources and Internet sites. America’s Top-Rated Cities, 2016, is designed for a wide range of readers: private
individuals considering relocating a residence or business; professionals considering expanding their businesses or
changing careers; corporations considering relocating, opening up additional offices or creating new divisions;
government agencies; general and market researchers; real estate consultants; human resource personnel; urban
planners; investors; and urban government students.

Customers who purchase the four-volume set receive free online access to America’s Top-Rated Cities allowing them
to download city reports; sort and rank by 50-plus data points; and access data for 200 cities not in the print version.
Seattle
M AI NE
Spokane

W AS H ING TO N MONTANA
Portland NORTH DAKOTA
Fargo VT
NH
Salem MINNESOTA Manchester
Billings
Boston
WISCONSIN Worcester
Eugene Minneapolis Green Bay MA
NE W Y OR K Providence
ORE GO N CT RI
Boise City Rochester
SOUTH DAKOTA MICHIGAN
Sioux Falls Madison Erie
ID AH O Ann Arbor New York
Grand Rapids Allentown
WY OM ING PENNSYLVANIA
IOWA Chicago Philadelphia
Cedar Rapids Pittsburgh
Fort Wayne OHI O
NEW JERSEY
CALIFORNIA NEBRASKA Omaha Davenport Columbus
Salt Lake City Des Moines Peoria DE
INDIANA
Reno Washington MD
Provo Fort Collins Lincoln
Santa Rosa NE VA D A Springfield Indianapolis
Sacramento WV
Boulder
Denver Kansas City Columbia Richmond Virginia Beach
San Francisco ILLINOIS Louisville Lexington
UTAH Topeka VA
San Jose Colorado Springs KANSAS MISSOURI
K E NT UC K Y Greensboro Durham
COLORADO Clarksville Winston-Salem Raleigh
Wichita
Las Vegas Nashville NC Fayetteville
Charlotte
Tulsa
TENNESSEE SC
Wilmington
AR IZO NA Columbia
Los Angeles Albuquerque Athens
Oklahoma City ARKANSAS Huntsville
Atlanta Charleston
Riverside OKLAHOMA
ALABAMA
San Diego
Phoenix Lubbock
NE W M E X I C O GE OR GI A Savannah
MISSISSIPPI
Fort Worth
Dallas
LOUISIANA Jacksonville
El Paso Tallahassee
Midland
Killeen
TEXAS
Lafayette Gainesville
Austin Orlando Palm Bay
New Orleans
Houston
Tampa
San Antonio FL OR I D A

ALAS KA Cape Coral Miami

AMERICA'S TOP-RATED CITIES


McAllen
CBSA: Core Based Statistical Area
Anchorage
STATE
Honolulu
+
Top Rated City
East Region
HI
Central Region
West Region
South Region

c Larry Mandelin 2016


Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Spokane
Spokane-
Spokane Valley, WA
WASHI N G TON NORTH
Portland Portland- MONTANA DAKOTA
Vancouver-
Hillsboro, OR-WA
Salem
Salem, OR Billings, MT

Eugene Billings
Eugene, OR

OREG ON Boise City SOUTH


DAKOTA
IDAH O

Boise City-Nampa, ID WYO MING

Reno, NV
NEBRASKA
CA LIF OR NIA
N EVADA Salt Lake City
Santa Rosa, CA Reno Fort Collins
Santa Salt Lake City,
UT Provo Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
Rosa Sacramento
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA Provo-Orem, UT Boulder, CO Boulder
San Francisco Denver-
Denver
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA Aurora-Lakewood, CO

Colorado Springs
San Jose San Jose- UTAH Colorado
Sunnyvale- Springs, CO KS
Santa Clara, CA
CO LO R ADO
Las Vegas-
Henderson-Paradise, NV
Las Vegas
Riverside-
San Bernardino- AR IZ O NA
Ontario, CA
Los Angeles Albuquerque
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Riverside Albuquerque, NM

Phoenix TEXAS
San Diego
San Diego- Phoenix-Mesa-
Carlsbad, CA Scottsdale, AZ NEW MEXICO

ALASKA

Anchorage,AK
Anchorage
Urban Honolulu, HI AMERICA'S TOP-RATED CITIES
Honolulu
+

CBSA: Core Based Statistical Area


STATE
H AWA I I Top Rated City
Western Region

c Larry Mandelin 2016


NO R TH D A KO T A
Fargo
Fargo, ND-MN
MI NNESOTA
WISCONSIN
Minneapolis- Green Bay, WI
Minneapolis St. Paul-Bloomington, Green Bay MI
MN-WI

Grand Rapids-
SOUTH D A KO TA Rochester Wyoming, MI
Rochester, MN

Sioux Falls Madison


Grand Rapids Ann Arbor
Sioux Falls, SD Madison, WI
Ann Arbor, MI
I OWA Cedar Chicago
Rapids, IA Cedar Rapids
Chicago-
Fort Wayne
NEB R ASKA Des Moines Davenport Naperville-
Fort Wayne, IN
Omaha Des Moines- Davenport-
Peoria, IL
Elgin,
IL-IN-WI
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA W. Des Moines, Moline- INDIANA
Lincoln, NE IA Rock Island, Peoria OHIO
IA-IL
Lincoln Indianapolis
Springfield, IL Indianapolis-
Springfield Carmel-
Kansas City, Anderson, IN
Topeka
MO-KS Columbia ILLINOIS
CO L OR ADO Kansas City Columbia, MO
KA N SA S Topeka, KS

KENTUCKY
Wichita Wichita, KS
MISSOURI

Tulsa, OK
TENNESSEE
Tulsa
Oklahoma City
ARKANSAS GA
Oklahoma City, OK

NM OKLAHOMA
TEX A S ALABAMA

MISSISSIPPI

AMERICA'S TOP- RATED CITIES LOUISIANA


CBSA: Core Based Statistical Area
STATE

Top Rated City


Central Region

c Larry Mandelin 2016


PA
W Y O MI N G I OW A
OHIO MD DE
N E BR AS K A INDIANA
ILLINOIS
WV

VIRGINIA
C O L O R AD O
K AN S AS M I SSOUR I
K EN TU C KY
Clarksville
TN N ORTH C AR OL IN A
Clarksville, TN-KY Nashville
Nashville-Davidson-
Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN
SC Columbia
Huntsville
Athens Columbia, SC
OKLAHOMA ARKANSAS Huntsville, AL Charleston-
Atlanta Athens-Clarke North Charleston, SC
County, GA
NEW MEXICO Atlanta-Sandy Springs- Charleston
Roswell, GA
Lubbock Savannah Savannah, GA
Lubbock, TX Dallas-Fort Worth ALABAMA
Fort Worth Arlington, TX M I SSI SSI P P I
G EORG IA
Dallas
Midland LOUISIANA Jacksonville, FL
El Paso Jacksonville
T EX AS Tallahassee
El Paso, TX Midland, TX
Killeen F L ORID A Tallahassee, FL
Killeen-Temple, TX
Gainesville
Gainesville, FL Palm Bay-
Houston- Lafayette New Orleans
Austin- Melbourne-
The Woodlands-
Round Rock, TX New Orleans- Orlando Titusville, FL
Sugar Land, TX Lafayette, LA
Austin Metairie, LA
San Antonio Tampa Orlando-
Palm Bay
Houston Kissimmee
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
San Antonio- Sanford, FL
New Braunfels, TX
Cape Coral
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
Miami
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-W. Palm Beach, FL

McAllen-
McAllen Edinburg- AMERICA'S TOP-RATED CITIES
Mission, TX
CBSA: Core Based Statistical Area
STATE
Top Rated City
Southern Region

c Larry Mandelin 2016


AMERICA'S TOP-RATED CITIES
CBSA: Core Based Statistical Area
STATE

Top Rated City


Eastern Region MAINE

VT NH

Manchester Boston-Cambridge-Newton,
Manchester-Nashua, NH
Boston MA-NH

Worcester
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Gastonia, NC-SC

S.CAROLINA

GEORGIA
MS ALABAMA

c Larry Mandelin 2016


Athens, Georgia
Background Athens, home to the University of Georgia, retains its old charms while cultivating the new.
Antebellum homes that grace the city still stand because Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s
March to the Sea took a route that left this northeast Georgia town intact (while burning Atlanta,
about 60 miles to the southwest). The Athens Music History Walking Tour, available through the
local convention and visitors’ bureau, stops at Weaver D’s soul food restaurant with the slogan,
“Automatic for the People,” that went national as the name of locally-grown REM’s 1992 album.
The college music scene that spawned the B-52s and the Indigo Girls in the 1970s and 1980s,
continues to support a thriving music industry. In 2002, the New York Times called Athens “Live
Music Central.”
Present-day Athens started as a small settlement where an old Cherokee trail crossed the Oconee
River. In 1785 the state’s General Assembly chartered the university, which established a campus
here in 1801. Three years later, the school held its first graduation ceremony. The city was named
for the ancient Greece’s center of learning.
Undoubtedly the major influence in the city and surrounding Clarke County, the University of
Georgia is also the area’s largest employer. The comprehensive land grant and sea-grant institution
offers all levels of degree programs in numerous disciplines. Other educational institutions in
Athens are the Navy Supply School, Athens Technical College, and branches of Piedmont College
and Old Dominion University.
Other major employers are focused on health care, government, and manufacturing. They include
Athens Regional Medical Center and St. Mary’s Health Care System, which have enlarged their
facilities and specialized in areas including oncology, pediatrics and heart disease. In March 2010,
St. Mary’s was the first area hospital to implement the next generation of minimally invasive
surgery using a hi-tech assistive robot. Manufacturing is a major employment sector.
The city’s official government merged with its home county in 1991, creating the Unified
Government of Athens-Clark County.
With its shops, boutiques and restaurants, Athens offers plenty to do. The Georgia State Museum
of Art, Museum of Natural History, and the State Botanical Garden here are affiliated with the
university. The restored 1910 Morton Theater once hosted Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and
Louis Armstrong, and now hosts dramatic and musical performances. Undoubtedly the strong
presence of young people in Athens has contributed to the burgeoning artistic scene there. The city
center is home to bars, galleries, cafes, and music venues that cater to the city’s creative climate.
The annual AthFest in June, hosts 120 bands to support local education. The city’s charms,
attractive to all ages, have not gone unnoticed by the media. Athens has been named one of the
best places for small business, the best college town for retirees, and the best place to recapture
your youth. The city also has a lively bicycle culture, and hosts several annual bicycle races.
The climate is mild, with average temperatures about 20 degrees warmer than the U.S. average.
Snowfall is next to nothing, but precipitation is at its highest from January-March. Spring is lovely,
with three to four inches of rain, sunshine up to 70 percent of the time starting in April, and
temperatures averaging in the 70s.
2 Athens, Georgia

Rankings
General Rankings

• Athens was selected as one of the best places to live in America by Outside Magazine. The
city ranked #6. Criteria included great access to trails and public lands, thriving neighborhoods
and restaurants, and a good beer scene. Winners and runners-up from the last three years were
excluded. Outside Magazine, “The 16 Best Places to Live in the U. S. 2015,” August 18, 2015

Business/Finance Rankings

• Metro areas with the largest gap in income between rich and poor residents were identified by
24/7 Wall Street using the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 American Community Survey. The
Athens metro area placed #14 among metro areas with the widest wealth gap between rich and
poor. 247wallst. com, “20 Cities with the Widest Gap between the Rich and Poor,” July 8,
2015
• The Athens metro area appeared on the Milken Institute “2015 Best Performing Cities” list.
Rank: #100 out of 201 small metro areas. Criteria: job growth; wage and salary growth;
high-tech output growth.Milken Institute, “Best-Performing Cities 2015,” December 2015
• Forbes ranked 200 smaller metro areas to determine the nation’s “Best Small Places for
Business and Careers.” The Athens metro area was ranked #31. Criteria: costs (business and
living); job growth (past and projected); income growth; educational attainment (college and
high school); projected economic growth; cultural and recreational opportunities; net
migration patterns; number of highly ranked colleges. Forbes, “The Best Small Cities for
Business and Careers 2015,” July 29, 2015

Environmental Rankings

• The Athens metro area came in at #257 for the relative comfort of its climate on Sperling’s list
of “chill cities,” as measured by the Sperling Heat Index. All 361 metro areas are included.
Criteria included daytime high temperatures, nighttime low temperatures, dew point, and
relative humidity at the high temperatures. www. bertsperling. com, “Sperling’s Chill Cities,”
July 18, 2013
• Sperling’s BestPlaces assessed 379 metropolitan areas of the United States for the likelihood
of dangerously extreme weather events or earthquakes. In general the Southeast and
South-Central regions have the highest risk of weather extremes and earthquakes, while the
Pacific Northwest enjoys the lowest risk. Of the least risky metropolitan areas, the Athens
metro area was ranked #323. www. bestplaces. net, “Safest Places from Natural Disasters,”
April 2011

Safety Rankings

• The National Insurance Crime Bureau ranked 380 metro areas in the U.S. in terms of per
capita rates of vehicle theft. The Athens metro area ranked #191 (#1 = highest rate). Criteria:
number of vehicle theft offenses per 100,000 inhabitants in 2014. National Insurance Crime
Bureau, “Hot Spots 2014,” June 24, 2015

Seniors/Retirement Rankings

• From its Best Cities for Successful Aging indexes, the Milken Institute generated rankings for
metropolitan areas, weighing data in eight categories—health care, wellness, living
arrangements, transportation, financial characteristics, education and employment
opportunities, community engagement, and overall livability. The Athens metro area was
ranked #29 overall in the small metro area category. Milken Institute, “Best Cities for
Successful Aging, 2014”
• Athens made the 2015 Forbes list of “25 Best Places to Retire.” Criteria include: housing and
living costs; tax climate for retirees; weather and air quality; crime rates; home prices; doctor
availability; active-lifestyle rankings for walkability, bicycling and volunteering. Forbes. com,
“The Best Places to Retire in 2015,” March 17, 2015
Athens, Georgia 3

• Athens was identified as one of the most popular places to retire by Topretirements. com. The
list reflects the 100 cities (out of 1,000+ total cities reviewed) that visitors to the website are
most interested in for retirement. Topretirements. com, “Most Popular Places to Retire for
2016,” February 24, 2016
4 Athens, Georgia

Business Environment
CITY FINANCES City Government Finances
Component 2012 2012
($000) ($ per capita)
Total Revenues 231,812 2,008
Total Expenditures 292,175 2,531
Debt Outstanding 263,425 2,282
Cash and Securities1 207,409 1,796
Note: (1) Cash and security holdings of a government at the close of its fiscal
year, including those of its dependent agencies, utilities, and liquor stores.
Source: U. S Census Bureau, State & Local Government Finances 2012

City Government Revenue by Source


2012 2012
Source
($000) ($ per capita)
General Revenue
From Federal Government 4,824 42
From State Government 17,980 156
From Local Governments 46,305 401
Taxes
Property 48,208 418
Sales and Gross Receipts 18,874 163
Personal Income 0 0
Corporate Income 0 0
Motor Vehicle License 0 0
Other Taxes 4,091 35
Current Charges 44,139 382
Liquor Store 0 0
Utility 25,307 219
Employee Retirement 0 0
Source: U. S Census Bureau, State & Local Government Finances 2012

City Government Expenditures by Function


2012 2012 2012
Function
($000) ($ per capita) (%)
General Direct Expenditures
Air Transportation 2,776 24 1.0
Corrections 15,621 135 5.3
Education 0 0 0.0
Employment Security Administration 0 0 0.0
Financial Administration 4,099 36 1.4
Fire Protection 12,332 107 4.2
General Public Buildings 15,635 135 5.4
Governmental Administration, Other 23,823 206 8.2
Health 12,960 112 4.4
Highways 11,073 96 3.8
Hospitals 0 0 0.0
Housing and Community Development 4,551 39 1.6
Interest on General Debt 943 8 0.3
Judicial and Legal 10,048 87 3.4
Libraries 9,566 83 3.3
Parking 3,890 34 1.3
Parks and Recreation 13,660 118 4.7
Police Protection 27,346 237 9.4
Public Welfare 479 4 0.2
Sewerage 20,519 178 7.0
Solid Waste Management 8,264 72 2.8
Veterans’ Services 0 0 0.0
Liquor Store 0 0 0.0
Utility 42,821 371 14.7
Employee Retirement 0 0 0.0
Source: U. S Census Bureau, State & Local Government Finances 2012
Athens, Georgia 5

DEMOGRAPHICS Population Growth


1990 2000 2010 2014* Population Growth (%)
Area
Census Census Census Estimate 1990-2014 2010-2014
City 86,561 100,266 115,452 118,514 36.9 2.7
MSA1 136,025 166,079 192,541 196,287 44.3 1.9
U.S. 248,709,873 281,421,906 308,745,538 314,107,084 26.3 1.7
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; (*) 2010-2014 5-year estimated population
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census, Census 2000, Census 2010, 2010-2014 American Community
Survey 5-Year Estimates

Household Size
Persons in Household (%) Average
Area Seven Household
One Two Three Four Five Six Size
or More
City 34.0 34.5 14.3 11.2 3.6 1.7 0.7 2.60
MSA1 28.9 35.0 15.9 12.9 4.5 1.9 0.9 2.70
U.S. 27.6 33.6 15.8 13.2 6.1 2.3 1.5 2.60
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Race
White Black Asian AIAN3 NHOPI4 Other Two or
Area Alone2 Alone2 Alone2 Alone2 Alone2 Race More
(%) (%) (%) (%) (%) Alone2 Races
(%) (%)
City 65.0 26.5 4.2 0.1 0.0 1.8 2.3
MSA1 73.3 19.4 3.4 0.2 0.0 1.7 2.1
U.S. 73.8 12.6 5.0 0.8 0.2 4.7 2.9
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; (2) Alone is defined as not being in combination with one or more other races; (3) American Indian
and Alaska Native; (4) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Hispanic or Latino Origin


Area Total Mexican Puerto Rican Cuban Other
(%) (%) (%) (%) (%)
City 10.6 7.0 0.6 0.3 2.7
MSA1 8.2 5.3 0.5 0.2 2.1
U.S. 16.9 10.8 1.6 0.6 3.8
Note: Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin can be of any race; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA
Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Segregation
Segregation Indices1 Percent Change
Type
1990 2000 2010 2010 Rank2 1990-2000 1990-2010 2000-2010
Black/White n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Asian/White n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Hispanic/White n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Note: All figures cover the Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included; Figures are based
on an analysis of 1990, 2000, and 2010 Census Decennial Census tract data by William H. Frey, Brookings
Institution and the University of Michigan Social Science Data Analysis Network. In this analysis all racial
groups (whites, blacks, and asians) are non-Hispanic members of those races. Hispanics are shown as a
separate category;
(1) Segregation Indices are Dissimilarity Indices that measure the degree to which the minority group is
distributed differently than whites across census tracts. They range from 0 (complete integration) to 100
(complete segregation) where the value indicates the percentage of the minority group that needs to move to be
distributed exactly like whites; (2) Ranges from 1 (most segregated) to 102 (least segregated); n/a not available.
Source: www. CensusScope. org
6 Athens, Georgia

Ancestry
Area German Irish English American Italian Polish French2 Scottish Dutch
City 9.7 8.2 9.0 8.5 2.6 1.9 1.6 3.5 0.8
MSA1 9.4 9.0 10.0 13.1 2.4 1.5 1.7 3.3 0.8
U.S. 14.9 10.8 8.0 7.1 5.5 3.0 2.7 1.7 1.4
Note: Figures are the percentage of the total population reporting a particular ancestry. The nine most
commonly reported ancestries in the U. S. are shown. Figures include multiple ancestries (e. g. if a person
reported being Irish and Italian, they were included in both columns); (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke
County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included; (2) Excludes Basque
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Foreign-Born Population
Percent of Population Born in
Area Any
Central South
Foreign Asia Mexico Europe Carribean Africa Canada
America2 America
Country
City 10.1 3.2 3.7 1.0 0.1 1.1 0.5 0.3 0.2
MSA1 7.7 2.5 2.7 0.8 0.1 0.8 0.3 0.3 0.2
U.S. 13.1 3.8 3.7 1.5 1.2 1.0 0.9 0.6 0.3
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; (2) Excludes Mexico.
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Marital Status
Area Never Married Now Married2 Separated Widowed Divorced
City 56.4 29.9 1.7 4.1 8.0
MSA1 44.4 39.8 1.8 5.1 8.9
U.S. 32.5 48.4 2.2 5.9 10.9
Note: Figures are percentages and cover the population 15 years of age and older; (1) Figures cover the
Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included; (2) Excludes
separated
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Disability Status
Under 18 18 to 64 65 Years
Area All Ages
Years Old Years Old and Over
City 9.9 2.9 8.6 34.5
MSA1 11.4 4.1 9.6 36.7
U.S. 12.3 4.1 10.2 36.3
Note: Figures show percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population that reported having a disability.
Disability status is determined from from six types of difficulty: vision, hearing, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care,
and independent living. For children under 5 years old, hearing and vision difficulty are used to determine
disability status. For children between the ages of 5 and 14, disability status is determined from hearing, vision,
cognitive, ambulatory, and self-care difficulties. For people aged 15 years and older, they are considered to
have a disability if they have difficulty with any one of the six difficulty types; (1) Figures cover the
Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included.
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Age
Percent of Population
Median
Area Under Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age Age
Age 5 5–19 20–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65–74 75–84 85+
City 5.8 20.8 37.1 10.5 8.7 8.1 5.1 2.6 1.3 26.3
MSA1 5.8 21.1 28.9 11.7 11.5 10.2 6.5 3.1 1.4 30.7
U.S. 6.4 19.9 20.6 13.0 14.1 12.3 7.6 4.3 1.9 37.4
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
Athens, Georgia 7

Gender
Area Males Females Males per 100 Females
City 56,332 62,182 90.6
MSA1 94,472 101,815 92.8
U.S. 154,515,159 159,591,925 96.8
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Religious Groups by Family


Area Catholic Baptist Non- Methodist2 Lutheran LDS3 Pente- Presby- Muslim5 Judaism
Den. costal terian4
MSA1 4.4 16.3 2.3 8.4 0.4 0.8 2.8 2.0 0.4 0.2
U.S. 19.1 9.3 4.0 4.0 2.3 2.0 1.9 1.6 0.8 0.7
Note: Figures are the number of adherents as a percentage of the total population; (1) Figures cover the
Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included;
(2) Methodist/Pietist; (3) Latter Day Saints; (4) Reformed; (5) Figures are estimates
Source: Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, 2010 U. S. Religion Census: Religious
Congregations & Membership Study

Religious Groups by Tradition


Evangelical Mainline Other Black
Area Catholic Orthodox
Protestant Protestant Tradition Protestant
MSA1 4.4 21.1 9.8 1.7 2.5 0.1
U.S. 19.1 16.2 7.3 4.3 1.6 0.3
Note: Figures are the number of adherents as a percentage of the total population; (1) Figures cover the
Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, 2010 U. S. Religion Census: Religious
Congregations & Membership Study

ECONOMY Gross Metropolitan Product


Area 2013 2014 2015 2016 Rank2
MSA1 7.3 7.5 7.8 8.1 228
Note: Figures are in billions of dollars; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan
Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included; (2) Rank is based on 2016 data and ranges from 1 to 381
Source: The U. S. Conference of Mayors, U. S. Metro Economies: GMP and Employment 2014-2016, June 2015

Economic Growth
Area 2011-13 (%) 2014 (%) 2015 (%) 2016 (%) Rank2
MSA1 1.1 1.3 2.2 2.2 236
U.S. 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.9 –
Note: Figures are real gross metropolitan product (GMP) growth rates and represent annual average percent
change; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for
areas included; (2) Rank is based on 2016 data and ranges from 1 to 381
Source: The U. S. Conference of Mayors, U. S. Metro Economies: GMP and Employment 2014-2016, June 2015

Metropolitan Area Exports


Area 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Rank2
MSA1 214.6 194.6 221.6 229.7 286.0 320.8 261
Note: Figures are in millions of dollars; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan
Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included; (2) Rank is based on 2014 data and ranges from 1 to 385
Source: U. S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Office of Trade & Industry
Information, Manufacturing & Services, data extracted March 10, 2016
8 Athens, Georgia

Building Permits
Single-Family Multi-Family Total
Area Pct. Pct. Pct.
2014 2015p 2014 2015p 2014 2015p
Chg. Chg. Chg.
City 116 89 -23.3 422 553 31.0 538 642 19.3
MSA1 502 431 -14.1 428 597 39.5 930 1,028 10.5
U.S. 640,300 690,800 7.9 411,800 487,600 18.4 1,052,100 1,178,400 12.0
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; Figures represent new, privately-owned housing units authorized (unadjusted data); All permit data
are based on estimates with imputation; (p) preliminary data.
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, Manufacturing, Mining, and Construction Statistics, Building Permits, 2014, 2015

Bankruptcy Filings
Business Filings Nonbusiness Filings
Area
2014 2015 % Chg. 2014 2015 % Chg.
Clarke County 7 5 -28.6 381 367 -3.7
U.S. 26,983 24,735 -8.3 909,812 819,760 -9.9
Note: Business filings include Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13; Nonbusiness filings include
Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13
Source: Administrative Office of the U. S. Courts, Business and Nonbusiness Bankruptcy, County Cases
Commenced by Chapter of the Bankruptcy Code, During the 12- Month Period Ending December 31, 2014 and
Business and Nonbusiness Bankruptcy, County Cases Commenced by Chapter of the Bankruptcy Code, During
the 12- Month Period Ending December 31, 2015

Housing Vacancy Rates


Gross Year-Round Rental Homeowner
Area Vacancy Rate2 (%) Vacancy Rate3 (%) Vacancy Rate4 (%) Vacancy Rate5 (%)
2013 2014 2015 2013 2014 2015 2013 2014 2015 2013 2014 2015
MSA1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
U.S. 13.6 13.4 12.9 10.7 10.4 10.0 8.3 7.6 7.1 2.0 1.9 1.8
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; (2) The percentage of the total housing inventory that is vacant; (3) The percentage of the housing
inventory (excluding seasonal units) that is year-round vacant; (4) The percentage of rental inventory that is
vacant for rent; (5) The percentage of homeowner inventory that is vacant for sale; n/a not available
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership Annual Statistics: 2015

INCOME Income
Area Per Capita ($) Median Household ($) Average Household ($)
City 19,244 33,293 50,998
MSA1 22,243 41,624 59,830
U.S. 28,555 53,482 74,596
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Household Income Distribution


Percent of Households Earning
Area Under $15,000 $25,000 $35,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $150,000
$15,000 -24,999 -34,999 -49,999 -74,999 -99,000 -149,999 and up
City 26.7 14.2 11.3 12.7 14.7 7.6 7.3 5.5
MSA1 19.9 12.7 10.9 13.2 16.5 9.8 9.7 7.0
U.S. 12.5 10.7 10.2 13.5 17.8 12.2 13.0 10.0
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
Athens, Georgia 9

Poverty Rate
Under 18 18 to 64 65 Years
Area All Ages
Years Old Years Old and Over
City 36.0 36.6 39.2 11.0
MSA1 26.5 26.7 29.2 9.5
U.S. 15.6 21.9 14.6 9.4
Note: Figures are percentage of people whose income during the past 12 months was below the poverty level;
(1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

EMPLOYMENT Labor Force and Employment


Civilian Labor Force Workers Employed
Area
Dec. 2014 Dec. 2015 % Chg. Dec. 2014 Dec. 2015 % Chg.
City 58,233 58,337 0.2 54,791 55,322 1.0
MSA1 95,298 95,599 0.3 90,012 91,006 1.1
U.S. 155,521,000 157,245,000 1.1 147,190,000 149,703,000 1.7
Note: Data is not seasonally adjusted and covers workers 16 years of age and older; (1) Figures cover the
Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics

Unemployment Rate
2015
Area
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.
City 6.1 6.0 5.7 5.6 6.2 6.8 6.8 6.0 5.8 5.6 5.1 5.2
MSA1 5.8 5.7 5.4 5.3 5.8 6.2 6.3 5.6 5.4 5.2 4.7 4.8
U.S. 6.1 5.8 5.6 5.1 5.3 5.5 5.6 5.2 4.9 4.8 4.8 4.8
Note: Data is not seasonally adjusted and covers workers 16 years of age and older; (1) Figures cover the
Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics

Employment by Occupation
Occupation Classification City MSA1 U.S.
(%) (%) (%)
Management, Business, Science, and Arts 40.0 40.0 36.4
Natural Resources, Construction, and Maintenance 5.2 6.8 9.0
Production, Transportation, and Material Moving 11.5 12.7 12.1
Sales and Office 21.9 22.0 24.4
Service 21.5 18.5 18.2
Note: Figures cover employed civilians 16 years of age and older; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County,
GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
10 Athens, Georgia

Employment by Industry
MSA1 U.S.
Sector Number of Percent Percent
Employees of Total of Total
Construction, Mining, and Logging n/a n/a 5.0
Education and Health Services n/a n/a 15.7
Financial Activities n/a n/a 5.7
Government 29,200 31.0 15.5
Information n/a n/a 1.9
Leisure and Hospitality 10,400 11.0 10.4
Manufacturing n/a n/a 8.6
Other Services n/a n/a 3.9
Professional and Business Services 7,800 8.3 13.9
Retail Trade 10,500 11.1 11.3
Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities n/a n/a 3.9
Wholesale Trade n/a n/a 4.1
Note: Figures are non-farm employment as of December 2015. Figures are not seasonally adjusted and include
workers 16 years of age and older; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical
Area—see Appendix B for areas included; n/a not available
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, Employment, Hours, and Earnings

Occupations with Greatest Projected Employment Growth: 2012 – 2022


2012 2022 Numeric Percent
Occupation1 Projected Employment Employment
Employment
Employment Change Change
Combined Food Preparation and Serving 169,450 192,830 23,380 13.8
Workers, Including Fast Food
Customer Service Representatives 95,900 115,410 19,510 20.3
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material 85,460 104,150 18,690 21.9
Movers, Hand
Elementary School Teachers, Except 42,300 56,170 13,870 32.8
Special Education
General and Operations Managers 71,410 84,890 13,480 18.9
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and 56,220 67,450 11,230 20.0
Manufacturing, Except Technical and
Scientific Products
Secretaries and Administrative 51,850 63,030 11,180 21.6
Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and
Executive
Office Clerks, General 79,920 91,010 11,090 13.9
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and 52,860 63,600 10,740 20.3
Housekeeping Cleaners
Childcare Workers 37,650 48,280 10,630 28.2
Note: Projections cover Georgia; (1) Sorted by numeric employment change
Source: www. projectionscentral. com, State Occupational Projections, 2012–2022 Long-Term Projections

Fastest Growing Occupations: 2012 – 2022


2022 Numeric Percent
2012
Occupation1 Projected Employment Employment
Employment
Employment Change Change
Physician Assistants 2,820 4,740 1,920 67.9
Health Specialties Teachers, 4,870 8,060 3,190 65.5
Postsecondary
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, 430 700 270 62.6
Performers, and Athletes
Personal Care Aides 16,440 26,630 10,190 62.0
Interpreters and Translators 1,650 2,630 980 58.9
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, 1,420 2,200 780 55.5
Postsecondary
Psychiatric Aides 1,390 2,150 760 55.3
Home Health Aides 7,950 12,340 4,390 55.1
Nurse Practitioners 3,260 5,010 1,750 53.9
Nurse Midwives 250 380 130 53.6
Note: Projections cover Georgia; (1) Sorted by percent employment change and excludes occupations with
numeric employment change less than 100
Source: www. projectionscentral. com, State Occupational Projections, 2012–2022 Long-Term Projections
Athens, Georgia 11

Average Wages
Occupation $/Hr. Occupation $/Hr.
Accountants and Auditors 28.20 Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 9.60
Automotive Mechanics 18.10 Maintenance and Repair Workers 16.70
Bookkeepers 15.40 Marketing Managers 53.20
Carpenters 14.90 Nuclear Medicine Technologists n/a
Cashiers 9.30 Nurses, Licensed Practical 19.90
Clerks, General Office 12.70 Nurses, Registered 29.00
Clerks, Receptionists/Information 12.80 Nursing Assistants 10.80
Clerks, Shipping/Receiving 15.50 Packers and Packagers, Hand 9.50
Computer Programmers 30.50 Physical Therapists 39.90
Computer Systems Analysts 29.40 Postal Service Mail Carriers 24.30
Computer User Support Specialists 20.20 Real Estate Brokers n/a
Cooks, Restaurant 9.30 Retail Salespersons 11.80
Dentists 115.30 Sales Reps., Exc. Tech./Scientific 24.70
Electrical Engineers 37.70 Sales Reps., Tech./Scientific 27.20
Electricians 21.10 Secretaries, Exc. Legal/Med./Exec. 16.40
Financial Managers 62.60 Security Guards 13.80
First-Line Supervisors/Managers, Sales 21.40 Surgeons n/a
Food Preparation Workers 9.60 Teacher Assistants* 9.40
General and Operations Managers 48.80 Teachers, Elementary School* 27.40
Hairdressers/Cosmetologists 12.30 Teachers, Secondary School* 27.70
Internists n/a Telemarketers 8.40
Janitors and Cleaners 11.30 Truck Drivers, Heavy/Tractor-Trailer 22.40
Landscaping/Groundskeeping Workers 13.40 Truck Drivers, Light/Delivery Svcs. 18.20
Lawyers 44.30 Waiters and Waitresses 8.90
Note: Wage data covers the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; (*) Hourly wages for elementary/secondary school teachers and teacher assistants were calculated by
the editors from annual wage data based on a 40 hour work week; n/a not available.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Metro Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2015

TAXES State Corporate Income Tax Rates


Financial Federal
Tax Rate Income Brackets Num. of
State Institution Income
(%) ($) Brackets
Tax Rate (%)a Tax Ded.
Georgia 6.0 Flat rate 1 6.0 No
Note: Tax rates as of January 1, 2016; (a) Rates listed are the corporate income tax rate applied to financial
institutions or excise taxes based on income. Some states have other taxes based upon the value of deposits or
shares.
Source: Federation of Tax Administrators, “State Corporate Income Tax Rates, 2016”

State Individual Income Tax Rates


Tax Rate Income Brackets Num. of Personal Exempt. ($)1 Fed. Inc.
State
(%) ($) Brackets Single Dependents Tax Ded.
Georgia 1.0 - 6.0 750 - 7,001 (h) 6 2,700 3,000 No
Note: Tax rates as of January 1, 2016; Local- and county-level taxes are not included; n/a not applicable;
(1) Married joint filers generally receive double the single exemption; (h) The Georgia income brackets
reported are for single individuals. For married couples filing jointly, the same tax rates apply to income
brackets ranging from $1,000, to $10,000.
Source: Federation of Tax Administrators, “State Individual Income Tax Rates, 2016”
12 Athens, Georgia

Various State and Local Tax Rates


State and
State Sales Gasoline1 Cigarette2 Spirits3 Wine4 Beer5
State Local Sales and Use (%) (¢/gal.) ($/pack) ($/gal.) ($/gal.) ($/gal.)
and Use (%)
Georgia 7.0 4.0 31.02 0.37 3.79 (f) 1.51 (l) 0.48 (q)(r)
Note: All tax rates as of January 1, 2016; (1) The American Petroleum Institute has developed a methodology
for determining the average tax rate on a gallon of fuel. Rates may include any of the following: excise taxes,
environmental fees, storage tank fees, other fees or taxes, general sales tax, and local taxes. In states where
gasoline is subject to the general sales tax, or where the fuel tax is based on the average sale price, the average
rate determined by API is sensitive to changes in the price of gasoline. States that fully or partially apply
general sales taxes to gasoline: CA, CO, GA, IL, IN, MI, NY; (2) The federal excise tax of $1. 0066 per pack and
local taxes are not included; (3) Rates are those applicable to off-premise sales of 40% alcohol by volume
(a. b. v. ) distilled spirits in 750ml containers. Local excise taxes are excluded; (4) Rates are those applicable to
off-premise sales of 11% a. b. v. non-carbonated wine in 750ml containers; (5) Rates are those applicable to
off-premise sales of 4. 7% a. b. v. beer in 12 ounce containers; (f) Different rates are also applicable according
to alcohol content, place of production, size of container, or place purchased (on- or off-premise or onboard
airlines); (l) Different rates also applicable according to alcohol content, place of production, size of container,
place purchased (on- or off-premise or on board airlines) or type of wine (carbonated, vermouth, etc. ); (q)
Different rates are also applicable according to alcohol content, place of production, size of container, or place
purchased (on- or off-premise or onboard airlines); (r) Includes the statewide local rate in Alabama ($0. 52)
and Georgia ($0. 53).
Source: Tax Foundation, 2016 Facts & Figures: How Does Your State Compare?

State Business Tax Climate Index Rankings


Individual Unemployment
Overall Corporate Sales Tax Property
State Rank Tax Rank Income Rank Insurance Tax Rank
Tax Rank Tax Rank
Georgia 39 9 42 35 37 31
Note: The index is a measure of how each state’s tax laws affect economic performance. The lower the rank, the
more favorable a state’s tax system is for business. States without a given tax are given a ranking of 1. The
scores/rankings for the District of Columbia do not affect other states. The 2016 index represents the tax
climate as of July 1, 2015 (the beginning of Fiscal Year 2016).
Source: Tax Foundation, State Business Tax Climate Index 2016

COMMERCIAL
UTILITIES Typical Monthly Electric Bills
Commercial Service ($/month) Industrial Service ($/month)
Area 40 kW demand 1,000 kW demand 50,000 kW demand
1,500 kWh
14,000 kWh 200,000 kWh 32,500,000 kWh
City n/a n/a n/a n/a
Average1 200 1,638 25,873 2,550,420
Note: Figures are based on annualized 2014 rates; (1) Average based on 178 utilities surveyed; n/a not available
Source: Edison Electric Institute, Typical Bills and Average Rates Report, Summer 2015

TRANSPORTATION Means of Transportation to Work


Car/Truck/Van Public Transportation
Other Worked
Area Drove Car- Bicycle Walked
Bus Subway Railroad Means at Home
Alone pooled
City 74.9 10.7 2.9 0.0 0.0 1.7 4.5 1.7 3.5
MSA1 79.1 9.3 1.8 0.0 0.0 1.0 3.1 1.4 4.2
U.S. 76.4 9.6 2.6 1.8 0.6 0.6 2.8 1.3 4.4
Note: Figures are percentages and cover workers 16 years of age and older; (1) Figures cover the
Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Travel Time to Work


Less Than 10 to 19 20 to 29 30 to 44 45 to 59 60 to 89 90 Minutes
Area
10 Minutes Minutes Minutes Minutes Minutes Minutes or More
City 16.3 49.1 16.6 8.7 4.1 3.3 1.9
MSA1 13.3 41.4 21.2 13.6 4.7 3.5 2.3
U.S. 13.3 29.6 21.0 20.2 7.7 5.7 2.6
Note: Figures are percentages and include workers 16 years old and over; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke
County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
Athens, Georgia 13

Freeway Travel Time Index


Area 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014
Urban Area Rank1,2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Urban Area Index1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Average Index3 1.09 1.11 1.14 1.17 1.20 1.19 1.20
Note: Freeway Travel Time Index—the ratio of travel time in the peak period to the travel time at free-flow
conditions. For example, a value of 1. 30 indicates a 20-minute free-flow trip takes 26 minutes in the peak (20
minutes x 1. 30 = 26 minutes); (1) Data for the Athens-Clarke County, GA urban area was not available; (2)
Rank is based on 101 urban areas (#1 = highest travel time index); (3) Average of 101 urban areas
Source: Texas Transportation Institute, 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard, August 2015

Freeway Commuter Stress Index


Area 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014
Urban Area Rank1,2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Urban Area Index1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Average Index3 1.13 1.16 1.19 1.22 1.25 1.24 1.25
Note: The Freeway Commuter Stress Index is the same as the Freeway Travel Time Index (see table above)
except that it includes only the travel in the peak directions during the peak periods; the TTI includes travel in
all directions during the peak period. Thus, the CSI is more indicative of the work trip experienced by each
commuter on a daily basis. (1) Data for the Athens-Clarke County, GA urban area was not available; (2) Rank
is based on 101 urban areas (#1 = highest stress index); (3) Average of 101 urban areas
Source: Texas Transportation Institute, 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard, August 2015

Public Transportation
Vehicles Annual Annual
Unlinked
Operated in Passenger
Agency Name / Mode of Transportation Maximum Passenger Miles
Service Trips (in thous.)
(in thous.)
Athens Transit System
Bus (directly operated) 22 1,642.2 5,074.7
Demand Response (directly operated) 3 7.3 37.6
Source: Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database, 2014

Air Transportation
Airport Name and Code / Type of Service Passenger Passenger Freight Freight
Airlines1 Enplanements Carriers2 (lbs.)
Athens Municipal (AHN)
Domestic service (U.S. carriers - 2015) 2 453 0 0
International service (U.S. carriers - 2014) 0 0 0 0
Note: (1) Includes all U. S. -based major, minor and commuter airlines that carried at least one passenger
during the year; (2) Includes all U. S. -based airlines and freight carriers that transported at least one lb. of
freight during the year.
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, The Intermodal Transportation Database, Air Carriers: T-100
Domestic Market (U. S. Carriers), 2015; Bureau of Transportation Statistics, The Intermodal Transportation
Database, Air Carriers: T-100 International Market (U. S. Carriers), 2014

Other Transportation Statistics


Major Highways: CR-82 connecting to I-85 (18 miles)
Amtrak Service: No
Major Waterways/Ports: None
Source: Amtrak. com; Google Maps

BUSINESSES Major Business Headquarters


Rankings
Company Name Industry
Fortune1 Forbes2
No companies listed - - -
Note: (1) Fortune 500—companies that produce a 10-K are ranked 1 to 500 based on 2014 revenue; (2) all
private companies with at least $2 billion in annual revenue through the end of their most current fiscal year are
ranked 1 to 216; companies listed are headquartered in the city; dashes indicate no ranking
Source: Fortune, “Fortune 500,” June 4, 2015; Forbes, “America’s Largest Private Companies,” October 28,
2015
14 Athens, Georgia

Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses


All Firms Firms with Paid Employees
Group
Firms Sales ($000) Firms Sales ($000) Employees Payroll ($000)
AIAN1 49 (s) 0 (s) 0 - 19 (s)
Asian 312 177,716 126 163,331 590 13,621
Black 2,197 43,604 41 (s) 20 - 99 (s)
Hispanic 384 43,246 30 (s) 100 - 249 (s)
NHOPI2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Women 3,465 (s) 366 (s) 2,500 - 4,999 (s)
All Firms 9,397 9,208,939 2,241 8,914,892 41,671 1,478,632
Note: Figures cover firms located in the city; minority- and women-owned business are defined as firms in
which the corresponding group own 51% or more of the stock or equity of the company; (1) American Indian
and Alaska Native; (2) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander; (s) estimates are suppressed when
publication standards are not met; n/a not available
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2012 Economic Census, Survey of Business Owners

HOTELS &
CONVENTION
CENTERS Hotels/Motels
5 Star 4 Star 3 Star 2 Star 1 Star Not Rated
Area
Num. Pct.3 Num. Pct.3 Num. Pct.3 Num. Pct.3 Num. Pct.3 Num. Pct.3
City1 0 0.0 2 2.2 13 14.6 72 80.9 1 1.1 1 1.1
Total2 184 1.0 1,563 8.3 6,374 33.7 9,793 51.7 400 2.1 628 3.3
Note: (1) Figures cover Athens and vicinity; (2) Figures cover all 100 cities in this book; (3) Percentage of
hotels which have a given star rating; Star ratings are determined by expedia. com and offer an indication of the
general quality of a particular hotel.
Source: expedia. com, March 30, 2016

Major Convention Centers


Overall Exhibit Meeting Meeting
Name Space Space Space Rooms
(sq. ft.) (sq. ft.) (sq. ft.)
The Classic Center 104,540 56,000 n/a 35
Note: Table includes convention centers located in the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area; n/a not available
Source: Original research
Athens, Georgia 15

Living Environment
COST OF LIVING Cost of Living Index
Composite Trans- Health Misc.
Groceries Housing Utilities Goods/
Index portation Care
Services
n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Note: The Cost of Living Index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services,
excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income
quintile. It is based on more than 50,000 prices covering almost 60 different items for which prices are collected
three times a year by chambers of commerce, economic development organizations or university applied
economic centers in each participating urban area. The numbers shown should be read as a percentage above
or below the national average of 100. For example, a value of 115. 4 in the groceries column indicates that
grocery prices are 15. 4% higher than the national average. Small differences in the index numbers should not
be interpreted as significant; n/a not available.
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research, ACCRA Cost of Living Index, 2015

Grocery Prices
T-Bone Frying Whole Eggs Orange Coffee
Area1 Steak Chicken Milk Juice
($/dozen) ($/11.5 oz.)
($/pound) ($/pound) ($/half gal.) ($/64 oz.)
City2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Avg. 10.99 1.43 2.25 2.26 3.58 4.48
Min. 7.16 0.98 1.30 1.35 2.88 2.98
Max. 14.13 2.43 3.85 4.81 6.39 7.56
Note: (1) Values for the local area are compared with the average, minimum and maximum values for all 292
areas in the Cost of Living Index; (2) Figures cover the Athens GA urban area; n/a not available; T-Bone Steak
(price per pound); Frying Chicken (price per pound, whole fryer); Whole Milk (half gallon carton); Eggs
(price per dozen, Grade A, large); Orange Juice (64 oz. Tropicana or Florida Natural); Coffee (11. 5 oz. can,
vacuum-packed, Maxwell House, Hills Bros, or Folgers).
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research, ACCRA Cost of Living Index, 2015

Housing and Utility Costs


New Home Apartment All Part Other Telephone
Area1 Price Rent Electric Electric Energy ($/month)
($) ($/month) ($/month) ($/month) ($/month)
City2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Avg. 312,874 945 179.30 95.07 72.96 28.11
Min. 178,682 479 116.28 43.14 26.46 10.01
Max. 1,472,476 3,984 504.25 189.44 421.11 43.06
Note: (1) Values for the local area are compared with the average, minimum and maximum values for all 292
areas in the Cost of Living Index; (2) Figures cover the Athens GA urban area; n/a not available; New Home
Price (2,400 sf living area, 8,000 sf lot, in urban area with full utilities); Apartment Rent (950 sf 2
bedroom/1. 5 or 2 bath, unfurnished, excluding all utilities except water); All Electric (average monthly cost for
an all-electric home); Part Electric (average monthly cost for a part-electric home); Other Energy (average
monthly cost for natural gas, fuel oil, coal, wood, and any other forms of energy except electricity); Telephone
(price includes basic monthly rate for a private residential line plus additional local usage charges incurred by
a family of four).
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research, ACCRA Cost of Living Index, 2015

Health Care, Transportation, and Other Costs


Doctor Dentist Optometrist Gasoline Beauty Men’s
Area1 Salon Shirt
($/visit) ($/visit) ($/visit) ($/gallon)
($/visit) ($)
City2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Avg. 105.15 89.02 99.78 2.38 35.30 28.10
Min. 66.87 56.09 48.53 1.95 18.91 13.38
Max. 182.34 150.36 228.33 4.09 67.91 63.80
Note: (1) Values for the local area are compared with the average, minimum and maximum values for all 292
areas in the Cost of Living Index; (2) Figures cover the Athens GA urban area; n/a not available; Doctor
(general practitioners routine exam of an established patient); Dentist (adult teeth cleaning and periodic oral
examination); Optometrist (full vision eye exam for established adult patient); Gasoline (one gallon regular
unleaded, national brand, including all taxes, cash price at self-service pump if available); Beauty Salon
(woman’s shampoo, trim, and blow-dry); Men’s Shirt (cotton/polyester dress shirt, pinpoint weave, long
sleeves).
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research, ACCRA Cost of Living Index, 2015
16 Athens, Georgia

HOUSING House Price Index (HPI)


Area National Quarterly One-Year Five-Year
Ranking2 Change (%) Change (%) Change (%)
MSA1 208 -3.60 2.40 2.60
U.S.3 – 1.45 5.76 22.85
Note: The HPI is a weighted repeat sales index. It measures average price changes in repeat sales or
refinancings on the same properties. This information is obtained by reviewing repeat mortgage transactions on
single-family properties whose mortgages have been purchased or securitized by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in
January 1975; (1) Athens-Clarke County Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included;
(2) Rankings are based on annual percentage change for all metro areas containing at least 15,000 transactions
over the last 10 years and ranges from 1 to 266; (3) figures based on a weighted average of Census Division
estimates using a seasonally adjusted, purchase-only index; all figures are for the period ending December 31,
2015
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index, February 25, 2016

Median Single-Family Home Prices


Percent Change
Area 2013 2014 2015p
2014 to 2015
MSA1 n/a n/a n/a n/a
U.S. Average 197.4 208.9 223.9 7.2
Note: Figures are median sales prices of existing single-family homes in thousands of dollars; (p) preliminary;
n/a not available; (1) Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included
Source: National Association of Realtors, Median Sales Price of Existing Single-Family Homes for
Metropolitan Areas, 4th Quarter 2015

Qualifying Income Based on Median Sales Price of Existing Single-Family Homes


Area With 5% Down ($) With 10% Down ($) With 20% Down ($)
MSA1 n/a n/a n/a
U.S. Average 49,535 46,928 41,714
Note: Figures are preliminary; Qualifying income is based on a mortgage rate of 4. 1%. Monthly principal and
interest payment is limited to 25% of income; n/a not available; (1) Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan
Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: National Association of Realtors, Qualifying Income Based on Median Sales Price of Existing
Single-Family Homes for Metropolitan Areas, 4th Quarter 2015

Median Apartment Condo-Coop Home Prices


Area 2013 2014 2015p Percent Change
2014 to 2015
MSA1 n/a n/a n/a n/a
U.S. Average 194.9 204.3 210.7 3.1
Note: Figures are median sales prices of existing apartment condo-coop homes in thousands of dollars;
(p) preliminary; n/a not available; (1) Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix
B for areas included
Source: National Association of Realtors, Median Sales Price of Existing Apartment Condo-Coop Homes for
Metropolitan Areas, 4th Quarter 2015

Gross Monthly Rent


Area Under $200 $300 $500 $750 $1,000 $1,500 Median
$200 -299 -499 -749 -999 -1,499 and up ($)
City 1.7 2.5 6.6 33.5 29.5 19.0 7.4 790
MSA1 1.5 2.5 7.0 33.1 29.2 19.4 7.3 791
U.S. 1.5 3.2 7.4 21.0 24.1 26.9 15.9 920
Note: Figures are percentages except for Median; Gross rent is the contract rent plus the estimated average
monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewer) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc. ) if these
are paid by the renter (or paid for the renter by someone else); (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA
Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
Athens, Georgia 17

Homeownership Rate
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Area
(%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)
MSA1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
U.S. 67.8 67.4 66.9 66.1 65.4 65.1 64.5 63.7
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; n/a not available
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership Annual Statistics: 2015

Year Housing Structure Built


Area 2010 or 2000 1990 1980 1970 1960 1950 1940 Before Median
Later -2009 -1999 -1989 -1979 -1969 -1959 -1949 1940 Year
City 0.7 18.5 19.1 18.3 18.6 11.0 6.2 2.9 4.7 1984
MSA1 0.8 19.8 20.3 18.1 17.8 9.6 5.7 2.6 5.3 1985
U.S. 1.0 14.9 13.9 13.8 15.8 11.0 10.8 5.4 13.3 1976
Note: Figures are percentages except for Median Year; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA
Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

HEALTH Health Risk Data


Category MSA1 (%) U.S. (%)
Adults aged 18–64 who have any kind of health care coverage n/a 79.6
Adults who reported being in good or excellent health n/a 83.1
Adults who are current smokers n/a 19.6
Adults who are heavy drinkers2 n/a 6.1
Adults who are binge drinkers3 n/a 16.9
Adults who are overweight (BMI 25.0 - 29.9) n/a 35.8
Adults who are obese (BMI 30.0 - 99.8) n/a 27.6
Adults who participated in any physical activities in the past month n/a 77.1
Adults 50+ who have ever had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy n/a 67.3
Women aged 40+ who have had a mammogram within the past two years n/a 74.0
Men aged 40+ who have had a PSA test within the past two years n/a 45.2
Adults aged 65+ who have had flu shot within the past year n/a 60.1
Adults who always wear a seatbelt n/a 93.8
Note: Data as of 2012 unless otherwise noted; n/a not available; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County,
GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included; (2) Heavy drinkers are classified as
males having more than two drinks per day or females having more than one drink per day; (3) Binge drinkers
are classified as males having five or more drinks on one occasion or females having four or more drinks on one
occasion
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behaviorial Risk Factor Surveillance System, SMART:
Selected Metropolitan/Micropolitan Area Risk Trends, 2012 (Note: the CDC has discontinued this dataset but
will be releasing a replacement in mid-2016)

Chronic Health Indicators


Category MSA1 (%) U.S. (%)
Adults who have ever been told they had a heart attack n/a 4.5
Adults who have ever been told they had a stroke n/a 2.9
Adults who have been told they currently have asthma n/a 8.9
Adults who have ever been told they have arthritis n/a 25.7
Adults who have ever been told they have diabetes2 n/a 9.7
Adults who have ever been told they had skin cancer n/a 5.7
Adults who have ever been told they had any other types of cancer n/a 6.5
Adults who have ever been told they have COPD n/a 6.2
Adults who have ever been told they have kidney disease n/a 2.5
Adults who have ever been told they have a form of depression n/a 18.0
Note: Data as of 2012 unless otherwise noted; n/a not available; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County,
GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included; (2) Figures do not include
pregnancy-related, borderline, or pre-diabetes
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behaviorial Risk Factor Surveillance System, SMART:
Selected Metropolitan/Micropolitan Area Risk Trends, 2012 (Note: the CDC has discontinued this dataset but
will be releasing a replacement in mid-2016)
18 Athens, Georgia

Mortality Rates for the Top 10 Causes of Death in the U.S.


Age-Adjusted Mortality Rate1
ICD-10a Sub-Chapter ICD-10a Code per 100,000 population
County2 U.S.
Malignant neoplasms C00-C97 163.4 163.6
Ischaemic heart diseases I20-I25 66.2 102.2
Other forms of heart disease I30-I51 72.3 50.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases J40-J47 37.4 41.4
Organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders F01-F09 64.8 38.5
Cerebrovascular diseases I60-I69 44.5 36.5
Other external causes of accidental injury W00-X59 21.6 27.5
Other degenerative diseases of the nervous system G30-G31 25.1 26.3
Diabetes mellitus E10-E14 28.1 21.1
Hypertensive diseases I10-I15 32.7 19.7
Note: (a) ICD-10 = International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision; (1) Mortality rates are a three year
average covering 2012-2014; (2) Figures cover Clarke County.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause
of Death 1999-2014 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released 2015.

Mortality Rates for Selected Causes of Death


Age-Adjusted Mortality Rate1
ICD-10a Sub-Chapter ICD-10a Code per 100,000 population
County2 U.S.
Assault X85-Y09 Unreliable 5.1
Diseases of the liver K70-K76 16.6 13.5
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease B20-B24 Unreliable 2.1
Influenza and pneumonia J09-J18 13.2 15.2
Intentional self-harm X60-X84 12.6 12.7
Malnutrition E40-E46 Suppressed 0.9
Obesity and other hyperalimentation E65-E68 Suppressed 1.9
Renal failure N17-N19 19.7 13.0
Transport accidents V01-V99 6.2 11.6
Viral hepatitis B15-B19 Suppressed 2.1
Note: (a) ICD-10 = International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision; (1) Mortality rates are a three year
average covering 2012-2014; (2) Figures cover Clarke County; Data are Suppressed when the data meet the
criteria for confidentiality constraints; Mortality rates are flagged as Unreliable when the rate would be
calculated with a numerator of 20 or less.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause
of Death 1999-2014 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released 2015.

Health Insurance Coverage


With Health With Private With Public Without Population Under
Area Insurance Health Insurance Health Insurance Health Age 18 Without
Insurance Health Insurance
City 83.1 67.1 23.9 16.9 9.2
MSA1 84.4 68.0 25.5 15.6 6.9
U.S. 85.8 65.8 31.1 14.2 7.1
Note: Figures are percentages that cover the civilian noninstitutionalized population; (1) Figures cover the
Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Number of Medical Professionals


Area MDs3 DOs3,4 Dentists Podiatrists Chiropractors Optometrists
County1 (number) 344 12 68 6 21 20
County1 (rate2) 283.8 9.9 56.2 5.0 17.4 16.5
U.S. (rate2) 272.5 20.9 64.7 5.8 25.9 15.2
Note: Data as of 2014 unless noted; (1) Data covers Clarke County; (2) Rate per 100,000 population; (3) Data
as of 2013 and includes all active, non-federal physicians; (4) Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Source: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration,
Bureau of Health Professions, Area Resource File (ARF) 2014-2015
Athens, Georgia 19

EDUCATION Public School District Statistics


Pupil/ Minority Free Lunch IEP3
District Name Schls Pupils Teacher Pupils1 Eligible2
(%)
Ratio (%) (%)
Clarke County 21 12,826 13.4 80.5 76.8 12.4
Note: Table includes school districts with 2,000 or more students; (1) Percentage of students that are not
non-Hispanic white; (2) Percentage of students that are eligible for the free lunch program; (3) Percentage of
students that have an Individualized Education Program.
Source: U. S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, Local
Education Agency (School District) Universe Survey: School Year 2013-2014; U. S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe
Survey: School Year 2013-2014

Highest Level of Education


Less H.S. Some Associate Bachelor’s Master’s Prof. Doctorate
Area than College, School
Diploma Degree Degree Degree Degree
H.S. No Deg. Degree
City 14.5 22.1 18.8 5.3 19.6 11.6 2.9 5.2
MSA1 14.3 26.0 19.3 5.9 17.4 10.4 2.7 3.8
U.S. 13.7 28.0 21.2 7.9 18.3 7.8 2.0 1.3
Note: Figures cover persons age 25 and over; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan
Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Educational Attainment by Race


High School Graduate or Higher (%) Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (%)
Area
Total White Black Asian Hisp.2 Total White Black Asian Hisp.2
City 85.5 89.0 78.2 93.5 48.4 39.3 51.0 10.9 75.9 8.0
MSA1 85.7 88.5 76.2 91.8 50.2 34.4 39.7 11.1 70.8 8.5
U.S. 86.3 88.4 83.2 85.8 64.1 29.3 30.6 19.0 50.9 13.9
Note: Figures shown cover persons 25 years old and over; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA
Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included; (2) People of Hispanic origin can be of any
race
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

School Enrollment by Grade and Control


Preschool (%) Kindergarten (%) Grades 1 - 4 (%) Grades 5 - 8 (%) Grades 9 - 12 (%)
Area
Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private
City 60.9 39.1 86.4 13.6 91.1 8.9 88.0 12.0 88.2 11.8
MSA1 64.6 35.4 89.5 10.5 91.3 8.7 86.2 13.8 87.4 12.6
U.S. 57.4 42.6 87.8 12.2 89.8 10.2 89.9 10.1 90.6 9.4
Note: Figures shown cover persons 3 years old and over; (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA
Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas included
Source: U. S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Average Salaries of Public School Classroom Teachers


2013-14 2014-15 Percent Change Percent Change
Area
Dollars Rank1 Dollars Rank1 2013-14 to 2014-15 2004-05 to 2014-15
Georgia 52,924 24 53,382 24 0.87 14.7
U.S. Average 56,610 – 57,379 – 1.36 20.8
Note: (1) State rank ranges from 1 to 51 where 1 indicates highest salary.
Source: National Education Association, Rankings & Estimates: Rankings of the States 2014 and Estimates of
School Statistics 2015, March 2015
20 Athens, Georgia

Higher Education
Four-Year Colleges Two-Year Colleges
Medical Law Voc/
Public Private Private Public Private Private Schools1 Schools2 Tech3
Non-profit For-profit Non-profit For-profit
1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
Note: Figures cover institutions located within the city limits and include main campuses only; (1) includes
schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the American Osteopathic Association’s
Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation; (2) includes ABA-accredited schools, schools with
provisional ABA accreditation, and state accredited schools; (3) includes all schools with programs that are less
than 2 years.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education System (IPEDS),
2014-15; Association of American Medical Colleges, Member List, March 21, 2016; American Osteopathic
Association, Member List, March 21, 2016; Law School Admission Council, Official Guide to ABA-Approved
Law Schools Online, March 21, 2016; Wikipedia, List of Medical Schools in the United States, March 21, 2016;
Wikipedia, List of Law Schools in the United States, March 21, 2016

According to U. S. News & World Report, the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area is home to
one of the best national universities in the U.S.: University of Georgia (#61 tie). The indicators
used to capture academic quality fall into a number of categories: assessment by administrators at
peer institutions; retention of students; faculty resources; student selectivity; financial resources;
alumni giving; high school counselor ratings of colleges; and graduation rate. U. S. News & World
Report, “America’s Best Colleges 2016”
According to U. S. News & World Report, the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area is home to
one of the top 100 law schools in the U.S.: University of Georgia, Law School (#33 tie). The
rankings are based on a weighted average of 12 measures of quality: peer assessment score;
assessment score by lawyers/judges; median LSAT scores; median undergrad GPA; acceptance
rate; employment rates for graduates; placement success; bar passage rate; faculty resources;
expenditures per student; student/faculty ratio; and library resources. U. S. News & World Report,
“America’s Best Graduate Schools, Law, 2017”
According to U. S. News & World Report, the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area is home to
one of the top 75 business schools in the U.S.: University of Georgia, Terry College of Business
(#55 tie). The rankings are based on a weighted average of the following nine measures: quality
assessment; peer assessment; recruiter assessment; placement success; mean starting salary and
bonus; student selectivity; mean GMAT and GRE scores; mean undergraduate GPA; and
acceptance rate. U. S. News & World Report, “America’s Best Graduate Schools, Business, 2017”

PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION 2012 Presidential Election Results
Area Obama (%) Romney (%) Other (%)
Clarke County 63.3 34.4 2.4
U.S. 51.0 47.2 1.8
Note: Results may not add to 100% due to rounding
Source: Dave Leip’s Atlas of U. S. Presidential Elections
Athens, Georgia 21

EMPLOYERS Major Employers


Company Name Industry
Athens Regional Health Care Healthcare
Athens-Clarke County Government
Baldor Industrial motors
Burton+Burton Balloons & gifts
Carrier Transicold Truck refrigeration units
Caterpillar Excavators
Certainteed Fiberglass insulation
Clarke County School District Education
DialAmerica Telemarketing
McCann Aerospace products
Merial Animal health products
Noramco Medical grade products
Pilgrim’s Food production
Power Partners Transformers, chillers, solar panels
Skaps Non-woven plastics
St. Mary’s Healthcare Healthcare
University of Georgia Higher education
Note: Companies shown are located within the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Source: Hoovers. com; Wikipedia

PUBLIC SAFETY Crime Rate


Violent Crimes Property Crimes
All Motor
Area Aggrav. Larceny
Crimes Murder Rape3 Robbery Burglary Vehicle
Assault -Theft
Theft
City 3,426.9 3.3 31.3 102.9 168.7 625.5 2,341.4 153.9
Suburbs1 2,806.2 0.0 98.5 16.6 176.5 579.4 1,818.8 116.4
Metro2 3,183.9 2.0 57.6 69.1 171.8 607.4 2,136.8 139.2
U.S. 2,961.6 4.5 26.4 102.2 232.5 542.5 1,837.3 216.2
Note: Figures are crimes per 100,000 population; (1) All areas within the metro area that are located outside
the city limits; (2) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B
for areas included; (3) The city and U. S. figures shown were reported using the legacy Uniform Crime
Reporting (UCR) definition of rape. The suburban and metro area figures shown are an aggregate total of the
data submitted using both the revised and legacy UCR definitions.
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reports, 2014

Hate Crimes
Number of Number of Incidents per Bias Motivation
Area Quarters Sexual Gender
Reported Race Religion Ethnicity Disability Gender
Orientation Identity
City n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
U.S. 4 2,568 1,014 1,017 648 84 33 98
Note: n/a not available.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hate Crime Statistics 2014

Identity Theft Consumer Complaints


Complaints per
Area Complaints Rank2
100,000 Population
MSA1 176 88.4 266
U.S. 490,220 152.4 -
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; (2) Rank ranges from 1 to 379 where 1 indicates greatest number of identity theft complaints per
100,000 population
Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book for January–December 2015
22 Athens, Georgia

Fraud and Other Consumer Complaints


Complaints per
Area Complaints Rank2
100,000 Population
MSA1 633 318.1 275
U.S. 2,593,159 806.0 -
Note: (1) Figures cover the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; (2) Rank ranges from 1 to 379 where 1 indicates greatest number of identity theft complaints per
100,000 population
Source: Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book for January–December 2015

RECREATION Culture
Instrumental Vocal Series and Museums and Zoos and
Dance1 Theatre1
Music1 Music1 Festivals Art Galleries2 Aquariums3
2 2 0 0 1 12 0
Note: (1) Professional perfoming groups; (2) Based on organizations with SIC code 8412; (3) AZA-accredited
Source: The Grey House Performing Arts Directory, 2015-16; Association of Zoos & Aquariums, AZA Member
Zoos & Aquariums, March 25, 2016; www. AccuLeads. com, March 29, 2016

Professional Sports Teams


Team Name League Year Established
No teams are located in the metro area
Source: Wikipedia, Major Professional Sports Teams of the United States and Canada, March 24, 2016

CLIMATE Average and Extreme Temperatures


Temperature Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Yr.
Extreme High (°F) 79 80 85 93 95 101 105 102 98 95 84 77 105
Average High (°F) 52 56 64 73 80 86 88 88 82 73 63 54 72
Average Temp. (°F) 43 46 53 62 70 77 79 79 73 63 53 45 62
Average Low (°F) 33 36 42 51 59 66 70 69 64 52 42 35 52
Extreme Low (°F) -8 5 10 26 37 46 53 55 36 28 3 0 -8
Note: Figures cover the years 1945-1990
Source: National Climatic Data Center, International Station Meteorological Climate Summary, 9/96

Average Precipitation/Snowfall/Humidity
Precip./Humidity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Yr.
Avg. Precip. (in.) 4.7 4.6 5.7 4.3 4.0 3.5 5.1 3.6 3.4 2.8 3.8 4.2 49.8
Avg. Snowfall (in.) 1 1 Tr Tr 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tr Tr 2
Avg. Rel. Hum. 7am (%) 79 77 78 78 82 83 88 89 88 84 81 79 82
Avg. Rel. Hum. 4pm (%) 56 50 48 45 49 52 57 56 56 51 52 55 52
Note: Figures cover the years 1945-1990; Tr = Trace amounts (<0. 05 in. of rain; <0. 5 in. of snow)
Source: National Climatic Data Center, International Station Meteorological Climate Summary, 9/96

Weather Conditions
Temperature Daytime Sky Precipitation

10°F & 32°F & 90°F & Partly 0.01 inch 0.1 inch Thunder-
Clear Cloudy or more or more
below below above cloudy storms
precip. snow/ice
1 49 38 98 147 120 116 3 48
Note: Figures are average number of days per year and cover the years 1945-1990
Source: National Climatic Data Center, International Station Meteorological Climate Summary, 9/96

HAZARDOUS
WASTE Superfund Sites
Athens has no sites on the EPA’s Superfund Final National Priorities List. There are a total of
1,323 Superfund sites on the list in the U.S. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Final
National Priorities List, March 18, 2016
Athens, Georgia 23

AIR & WATER


QUALITY Air Quality Trends: Ozone
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
MSA1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Note: (1) Data covers the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; n/a not available. The values shown are the composite ozone concentration averages among trend
sites based on the highest fourth daily maximum 8-hour concentration in parts per million. These trends are
based on sites having an adequate record of monitoring data during the trend period. Data from exceptional
events are included.
Source: U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality Monitoring Information, “Air Quality Trends by
City, 1990-2014”

Air Quality Index


Percent of Days when Air Quality was...2 AQI Statistics2
Area Unhealthy for Very
Good Moderate Unhealthy Maximum Median
Sensitive Groups Unhealthy
MSA1 86.9 13.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 80 36
Note: (1) Data covers the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; (2) Based on 358 days with AQI data in 2015. Air Quality Index (AQI) is an index for reporting daily
air quality. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level
ozone, particle pollution (aka particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. The
AQI runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the
health concern. There are six AQI categories: “Good” AQI is between 0 and 50. Air quality is considered
satisfactory; “Moderate” AQI is between 51 and 100. Air quality is acceptable; “Unhealthy for Sensitive
Groups” When AQI values are between 101 and 150, members of sensitive groups may experience health
effects; “Unhealthy” When AQI values are between 151 and 200 everyone may begin to experience health
effects; “Very Unhealthy” AQI values between 201 and 300 trigger a health alert; “Hazardous” AQI values
over 300 trigger warnings of emergency conditions (not shown).
Source: U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality Index Report, 2015

Air Quality Index Pollutants


Percent of Days when AQI Pollutant was...2
Area Carbon Nitrogen Sulfur Particulate Particulate
Ozone
Monoxide Dioxide Dioxide Matter 2.5 Matter 10
MSA1 0.0 0.0 36.9 0.0 63.1 0.0
Note: (1) Data covers the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; (2) Based on 358 days with AQI data in 2015. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is an index for reporting
daily air quality. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act:
ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and
nitrogen dioxide. The AQI runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution
and the greater the health concern.
Source: U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality Index Report, 2015

Maximum Air Pollutant Concentrations: Particulate Matter, Ozone, CO and Lead


Particulate Particulate Particulate Carbon
Matter 2.5 Matter 2.5 Ozone Lead
Matter 10 Monoxide
Wtd AM 24-Hr (ppm) (ug/m3)
(ug/m3) (ppm)
(ug/m3) (ug/m3)
MSA1 Level n/a 10.3 24 0.063 n/a n/a
NAAQS2 150 15 35 0.075 9 0.15
Met NAAQS2 n/a Yes Yes Yes n/a n/a
Note: (1) Data covers the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area—see Appendix B for areas
included; Data from exceptional events are included; (2) National Ambient Air Quality Standards; ppm = parts
per million; ug/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter; n/a not available.
Concentrations: Particulate Matter 10 (coarse particulate)—highest second maximum 24-hour concentration;
Particulate Matter 2. 5 Wtd AM (fine particulate)—highest weighted annual mean concentration; Particulate
Matter 2. 5 24-Hour (fine particulate)—highest 98th percentile 24-hour concentration; Ozone—highest fourth
daily maximum 8-hour concentration; Carbon Monoxide—highest second maximum non-overlapping 8-hour
concentration; Lead—maximum running 3-month average
Source: U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality Monitoring Information, “Air Quality Statistics by
City, 2014”
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Music, popularity of, among the Moors, iii. 664–666.

Naples, University of, iii. 44.


Narbonnese Gaul, known as “The Great Land,” i. 272.
Normans invade Peninsula, i. 489, 490, 516;
character of, ii. 54;
conquer Sicily, 55;
adopt Moslem customs, iii. 16–18.

Okbah Ibn-al-Hejaj, Emir, i. 307;


his discipline, 308.
Okhad, fair of, i. 53.
Omar-Ibn-Hafsun, rise of, i. 521;
his antecedents, 522;
his stronghold at Bobastro, 522;
duplicity of, 540;
defeated at Aguilar, 558;
death of, 577.
Ommeyades, origin of, i. 367;
profligacy of the Syrians, 375, 376, 379.
Ordoño IV. visits court of Cordova, i. 640;
his baseness, 641, 642.
Othman-Ibn-Abu-Nesa, Emir, i. 291;
governor of Gijon, 343, 355.

Palermo taken by the Moslems, ii. 21;


reduced by the Normans, 56;
luxury of, under the Moors and the Normans, 66;
beauty of the city, 67.
Pampeluna destroyed by Abd-al-Rahman I., i. 585.
Papacy, corruption of, iii. 327, 328.
Paraclete, tradition of, i. 77.
Pedro el Cruel ascends throne of Castile, ii. 487.
Pelayus, his origin, i. 344;
organizes an army, 345;
becomes king, 354.
Phallicism of Arabs, i. 34.
Phœnicians, their trade in Arabia, i. 8.
Poetry of ancient Arabs, i. 43–46;
great influence of the poet, 51;
his license, 51;
that of the Spanish Moslems, iii. 448–450.
Poitiers, battle of, i. 305.
Polygamy of Arabs, i. 28;
its universal practice in the Orient, 102.
Pope Joan, story of, iii. 330, 331.
Popes, character of, iii. 332, 338.
Population of Moorish Spain, i. 613;
its great cities, 614.
Pottery, perfection in, attained by Moors, iii. 585, 586.
Public works of the Moors, i. 614, 618.
Pulgar, exploit of, ii. 676.

Quadros, ii. 449.


Quesada taken by Sancho el Bravo, ii. 447.

Redwan Venegas, commander in fight of the Ajarquia, ii. 563.


Revenues of the khalifs, i. 614.
Roderick, accession of, i. 219;
his character, 220;
violates daughter of Count Julian, 221.
Roncesvalles, rout of, i. 406.
Rusafah, garden of, i. 412, 624.

S
Saba, i. 7;
its ancient civilization, 8.
Salado, battle of the, ii. 481.
Salerno, Medical School of, iii. 45;
its contributions to medicine and surgery, 46, 47.
Samuel, Rabbi of Granada, learning and power of, ii. 131.
Sancho-el-Bravo, King of Castile, ii. 445.
Sancho the Fat, i. 592;
visits Cordova, 594.
Santiago destroyed by Al-Mansur, i. 740.
Saragossa taken by Musa, i. 249;
under the Beni-Hud, iii. 448.
Science in Arabian Spain, iii. 476, 477.
Science, its achievements, iii. 527–530.
Seigniorial rights, iii. 387, 388.
Septimania, its origin and extent, i. 274, 275.
Serfs, condition of, in Europe, iii. 395, 396;
degradation of, 397.
Seville captured by Musa, i. 244;
surrenders to Ferdinand, ii. 411.
Sicily, great natural advantages of, ii. 1;
classic traditions of, 2;
condition of, at time of Moorish invasion, 7;
invasion of, by Moslems, 9, 10;
mixed population of, 62;
scientific progress of its people, 69.
Sidi-Yahya, treason of, ii. 493.
Silk manufacture, iii. 625.
Sisebert, Archbishop of Toledo, heads conspiracy, i. 215.
Slaves, caste of, i. 606;
power and influence of, 607.
Social life of the Hispano-Arab, iii. 652, 653.
Spain, condition of, under the khalifs, i. 614–616.
St. James the Apostle, legend of, i. 471.
Stucco, iii. 549.
Suleyman, Khalif, his character, ii. 85.
Sword venerated in Arabia, i. 94;
importance of, among the Arabs, iii. 580, 581.
Syracuse, first siege of, by the Moors, ii. 13;
stormed by them, 38–40.

Talavera, Archbishop of Granada, his character, iii. 240.


Tarik invades Spain, i. 225;
marches northward, 237;
quarrels with Musa, 248.
Tarub, treachery of, i. 501.
Taxation of tributaries, i. 260.
Tendilla, Count of, Captain-General of Granada, iii. 240.
Textile fabrics, iii. 627.
Thalaba raised to power, i. 318;
his cruelty, 318.
Theodomir surrenders Murcia to the Arabs, i. 247.
Theology in Arabian Spain, iii. 460.
Toledo, its strength and antiquity, i. 238;
massacre of its citizens by Al-Hakem, 460;
becomes independent, 513.
Tota, Queen of Navarre, her ability, i. 592;
visits Cordova, 594.
Tribunal of the Waters, iii. 602, 603.
Troubadours, influence of, iii. 82, 83.

Ubeda sacked by the Christians, ii. 340.


Utrera, Gomez-Mendez, governor of, killed in the Ajarquia, ii.
563.

Valencia taken by Jaime, ii. 382;


expulsion of Moors from, iii. 314.
Vases of the Hispano-Arabs, iii. 585.
Visigoths, origin and migrations of, i. 166, 167;
constitution and government, 169, 170;
councils, 171;
churches, 195;
arts, 196;
manufactures, 196;
medicine, 197;
dress, 199;
profligacy, 227;
causes of the decline of their power, 263.

Wadhih, governor of Cordova, i. 759.


Water, symbolic use of, among Oriental nations, iii. 573, 574.
Witiza becomes king, i. 217;
his wise measures, 218;
his excesses, 219.
Women under the Arabs, iii. 446, 447;
privileges of, 655–657.

Xativa, prosperity of, ii. 387;


besieged by Jaime, 389;
surrender of, 391.
Ximenes, Cardinal, character and origin of, iii. 235, 236;
burns Arabic manuscripts at Granada, 243.

Yahya, faqui, leads a rebellion, i. 465;


becomes a favorite of Abd-al-Rahman II., 468.
Yahya-Ibn-Salmah, Emir, i. 291.
Yakub-al-Mansur invades Andalusia, ii. 307;
death of, 314.
Yusuf-al-Fehri, Emir, i. 320;
abdicates, 394;
is killed, 396.
Yusuf, King of Granada, at the battle of Salado, ii. 480;
character of, 484.
Yusuf, Sultan of Almohades, ii. 299;
public works of, at Seville, 301;
is killed near Lisbon, 304.
Yusuf, the Almoravide, invades Spain, ii. 199;
death and character of, 241.

Zahira founded by Al-Mansur, i. 717.


Zaid, wali of Barcelona, his heroic defence, i. 449.
Zallaca, battle of, ii. 204.
Zamora stormed by the Moors, i. 732.
Zeyd-Ibn-Kesade overruns Andalusia, i. 238.
Ziadet-Allah, Sultan of Africa, ii. 10.
Ziryab, the musician, i. 496;
his versatility, 497.
Ziyad-Ibn-Aflah, prefect, aids conspiracy, i. 709.
Zobeir, Ibn-al-, his success during the invasion of Africa, i. 140.
Zonaria, Hebrew prophet, i. 289.

END OF VOLUME III.

Transcriber’s Notes:

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silently.

2. Where hyphenation is in doubt, it has been retained as in the original.

3. Some hyphenated and non-hyphenated versions of the same words have


been retained as in the original.
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