Leawood, Kansas?

So a new ranking list came out last week. It was this:

2015's Best & Worst Small Cities in America

And that's all well and good and you wouldn't maybe think much about it but look what small city made the number 5 spot on the "best" list:

The best small cities in America:

1. Princeton, N.J.

2. Littleton, Colo.

3. Dublin, Ohio

4. Brookfield, Wis.

5. Leawood, Kans.

6. Southlake, Tex.

7. Westfield, Ind. 

8. Northampton, Mass.

9. Ankeny, Iowa

10. Crystal Lake, Ill

Leawood, Kansas?

Leawood freaking Kansas?

One of the best small cities in America?

For what? It's cozy, old downtown area?

Here's at least part of what the rankings were based on--

Overall Rank	City	Overall Score	‘Affordability’ Rank	‘Economic Health’ Rank	‘Education & Health’ Rank	‘Quality of Life’ Rank
1	Princeton, NJ	61.90	1144	1	7	41
2	Littleton, CO	57.62	742	331	54	28
3	Dublin, OH	57.22	171	43	112	190
4	Brookfield, WI	57.18	206	169	8	248
5	Leawood, KS	57.09	77	14	123	523

So... wait. 

Let's start right here with "affordability."

Affordable?  Leawood?  Anyone and everyone in the Kansas City metro knows Leawood is anything but affordable. It's one of the most expensive and exclusive cities in the area. I guess if you compare it to San Francisco or New York, it's affordable.

And the rest of the these rankings, above? Economic health, education and health and quality of life ratings?

Well of course they're all high numbers in Leawood! The people out there are loaded! And not just with booze.

How insane.

If you just put cities on paper, I guess you can come up with rankings and ratings totally disconnected from the actual world out here. The next area city on the list was Wildwood, Missouri (?) at number 30. Shawnee, Kansas, 54. Liberty, Missouri----131. (ouch). Lenexa, 223. Nothing to advertise about, for sure. Blue Springs?  615.  Yowza.

Side note: Also surprising, at least to me, is that all 10---all 10---cities on the "worst" list are from California.

That's got to have 10 different City Halls and Chambers of Commerce scrambling to change things, I would think.

Kansas City: Travel & Leisure's "Most Affordable City"

From Travel & Leisure Magazine, as told on the Today Show. Did you see this?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

We're given kudos here by T & L for the best Barbecue, Affordability(#1), Driving ability(#2), Wireless coverage(#3) and for being friendly(#6). Hate where you live if you want but we're given a lot of credit, like it or not. (Just don't ask about our Street food(#30) Public transportation and pedestrian-friendliness(#29) or ethnic food(#29) ). Links: http://www.travelandleisure.com/americas-favorite-cities/2011/city/kansas-city; http://www.travelandleisure.com/americas-favorite-cities;

Best City for Housing Values: Just up the road

Another new ranking--this one from Kiplinger's and Kansas City is not in the top 5, anyway, but Omaha, dependable Omaha ranks number one: Best Cities for Housing Values, 2011 1. Omaha, Neb. Population (metro): 829,702; Unemployment rate: 4.6%; Cost-of-living index: 90.3; Median household income: $53,457. Wichita, Ks is number 8 and Cedar Rapids, Iowa is 9, for what it's worth. We'll just have to try harder, I guess, right? Link: http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/best-cities-for-housing-values-2011.html

KCMO: Lucky No. 13 on Forbes "Most Affordable"

Yes, Forbes Magazine is out with yet another ranking--this time of "most affordable cities" in the US.

No.1?

Why, little old neighbor to the North Omaha, Nebraska.

And we have a great deal of midwest neighbors on it, too, with Indianapolis at number 4, Minneapolis at 7 and Oklahoma City at 9.

Briefly, here are some statistics they put up about us:

Asking Price Rank: 12  (I assume they mean of housing here)
Salary Rank: 30
Cost-of-Living Rank: 13
Unemployment Rank: 25

And a note on us:

Indianapolis, Kansas City and Ohio's three enclaves have real estate deals available at low price points.


So good on Kansas City.

Now, watch for that Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts later this year.   That will get us on some good maps and rankings too, I feel sure.

Links:  http://www.forbes.com/2011/01/06/bargain-cities-affordable-real-estate-personal-finance_slide_14.html
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/the-most-affordable-cities-in-america.html
http://www.forbes.com/2011/01/06/bargain-cities-affordable-real-estate-personal-finance.html

Topeka, Kansas? One of the "10 Best Cities for the Next Decade"?

Yep. You read correctly.

Yahoo is showing Kiplinger's rankings of the "10 Best Cities for the Next Decade" and put Topeka-freaking, Kansas at number 10.

That is stunning.

I can understand Austin, Texas at number one, sure. I love Austin. The music, the food, the energy (the fact that it's a pretty good bastion of the "left" in an otherwise wacko, right-wing state), everything.

But Topeka, Kansas?

I used to work there for about a year and a half so I'm certainly familiar with it.

I once phoned over to Kansas City and told a young lady I was officed out of there and she asked me the following:

"Do you know what we call that place?"

No, I said.

"Toe-puke-ah".

Lucky for her I wasn't vested in defending the place. I don't repeat the joke, I'll tell you that.

So here's what Kiplinger's has to say about them:

10. Topeka, Kan.

In its reserved, midwestern way, Topeka has engineered a prosperity that most cities of similar size would envy. As the capital city of Kansas, nearly 25% of Topeka's workforce is employed by the government, providing a stable job market where unemployment has stayed around 7%. The city boasts quality schools, friendly people, good hospitals, a university and -- one of its biggest selling points -- low housing costs.

Des Moines, Iowa is on there, too, so you know, at number 7.

But guess what mid-sized, midwestern city that has both a Major League Baseball and National Football League team with the name "Kansas City" in it ISN'T on the list?