"Most Contented City"

You may not believe what nearby city just got ranked as the nation's "Most Contented City."

According to a recent study, the U.S. city where residents are most contented is Lincoln, Nebraska.

So much so that they beat out Honolulu, Hawai'i, if you can believe that.

Here's their stats:

1. Lincoln, Neb.

 Well-being index score: 72.8
 Obesity: 25.8%
 Median household income: $49,315
 Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 93.7%

Lincoln is the top ranked metro area in the nation on Gallup’s well-being index. As of January, 4.2% of all workers in the area were unemployed, less than all but three other metropolitan areas. Residents were also the most likely Americans nationwide to enjoy their work environment. More than 94% of survey respondents were satisfied with their job and work, almost 68% felt treated like a partner at work and nearly 86% felt they worked in a trusting environment — all among the highest figures in the country. Nearly 76% of those surveyed believe the city is becoming a better place, the fourth highest rate in the nation.

If you'll remember, back in 2008 they were ranked the nation's healthiest city:

 lincoln rated healthiest city in the nation

Then they also got this more recent ranking: Lincoln, Neb., Bests All Cities in Wellbeing in 2012.

They must be doing something right.

We should have Mayor Sly and the City Council go up the road a piece and check it out.

It wouldn't be that expensive a trip and who knows? Maybe they'd learn something. Maybe they'd bring something back they and we could all do.

Hey, we can hope, can't we?

Final, side note: In spite of what some people might think, in their ranking of the most miserable cities, Kansas City wasn't on that list, either.

Read more: America’s Most Content (and Miserable) Cities - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/2013/03/26/americas-most-content-and-miserable-cities/#ixzz2PYPGrQpm

The Best College Towns--Two of ours in top 10

The American Institute of Economic Research ranked the "75 Best College Towns" and two of ours came in the top 10:

Mizzou, number 10

Lawrence, KS, number 8

Based on this criteria:

• Student Concentration: number of college students per 1,000 population

• Student Diversity: percentage of student body that are non-U.S. residents

• Research Capacity: academic R&D expenditures per capita

• Degree Attainment: percent of the 25-to-34-year-old population with bachelor’s degree or higher

• Cost of Living: based upon average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment

• Arts and Leisure: number of cultural and entertainment venues per 100,000 population

• City Accessibility: percentage of workers over age 16 who commute on foot or by public transportation or bicycle

• Creative Class: percentage of workforce in the arts, education, knowledge industries, science and engineering, management and other fields

• Earning Potential: income per capita

• Entrepreneurial Activity: net annual increase in total number of business establishments per 100,000 population

• Brain Gain/Drain: year-over-year ratio of population with B.A. degree (it is only population with B.A degree, not all the college level) living in the area

• Unemployment rate

It should be noted, too, that Iowa City, Iowa came in 4th and Ames, Iowa came in 2nd.

 

Kudos to those Midwest sensibilities.

 

Link to original post:  AIER Names 75 Best College Towns and Cities for 2012-2013

"15 Best Cities for Young Adults"? Not KC

Yes, indeed, another list, another ranking. This one also by Forbes Magazine ranking, as I said, the "15 Best Cities for Young Adults" and Kansas City ain't on it. But Omaha? Number 5. And Des Moines? Number one, for pity's sake. Yow. We gotta' get busy, folks. Links: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45effk/introduction#content?partner=yahoo; http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45effk/5-omaha-neb; http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45effk/1-des-moines-iowa

Kansas City not on "Best Hospitals" Honor Roll this year

US News & World Reports has a "Best Hospitals 2011-12: Honor Roll" out today and tough luck, Kansas City, we're not on it. We're not on the top 17 best hospitals list. St. Louis is with their Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, but not us. Heck, Barnes even bested Mount Sinai in New York, for that matter. As Lucy Van Pelt always said, "Maybe next year, Charlie Brown." Link: http://health.yahoo.net/articles/healthcare/best-hospitals-2011-12

Wichita on Forbes' "Cleanest Cities"

Yeah, there you go---Wichita, Kansas on Forbes Magazines' ranking of either "America's Cleanest Cities" or "America's 10 Least Toxic Cities", depending what you're reading when you click on the links.  (That's odd, isn't it?  I mean, either it's "Cleanest Cities" or "Least Toxic" but they certainly shouldn't be interchangeable, you think?)    Herewith, their data:


Wichita, Kansas No. 10

Air quality rank: 1
Water quality rank: 41
Superfund rank: 22
Pounds of on-site toxic releases (2009): 1.6 million

I can't be sure but I think Kansas City, Missouri was going to be in this spot on the list but just as the researchers were leaving town, they went down to the Plaza for dinner and saw Brush Creek.

Links:  http://www.forbes.com/2011/03/08/least-toxic-cities-real-estate-forbeslife_slide_11.html
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/americas-cleanest-cities-2011.html
http://www.forbes.com/2011/03/08/least-toxic-cities-real-estate-forbeslife.html

Kansas City the third most dangerous city in the country?

Holy cow, folks.  As of tonight, there is a report out on Forbes magazine--another ranking--that says Kansas City is the third most dangerous city in the country.

Wow.

That won't be good for PR, will it?

I have to think the Chamber of Commerce is reeling on this one.

Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis are worse than us. 

Oh, boy.

Check it out:

The rankings were put together by combining the Federal Bureau of Investigation's violent crime data with the rate of fatal car crashes.


Tops on the list is Memphis, Tenn., followed by St. Louis.
 
So it isn't just shootings and murders but adds in car wrecks.
 
It seems a little hard to believe.
 
Detroit isn't on there?  Los Angeles?  New Orleans? 
 
Forbes said it used FBI data on the number of violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2009, and Department of Transportation data on the number of traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents in 2008 (the most recent available). They ranked all cities with a population above 250,000. Forbes said a lack of data prevented them from including Chicago, Las Vegas and Virginia Beach, Va., in the rankings.
 
Then, check out this quote from the Mayor:
 
"We can stand around and cheerlead, and whine when stats come out that paint us in what we think is less than flattering light, but when we have problems, we need to address them," said Mayor Mark Funkhouser.
 
That's rich.  Since when did this mayor propose anything--anything--to address the shootings and killings and murders in this city, when there have been such eggregious, ugly murders and shootings?  When the 3-year old child and their father were shot last year in their front yard at a family picnic, what did the mayor say?
 
Nothing.
 
When the Kansas woman was shot and killed leaving Swope Park by a random shooting, the mayor's response?
 
Silence.
 
Please, mayor.  I know you're running again, to get back in that office, but don't pretend you've ever promoted any solutions for the murder rate, specifically, while you've been mayor.  Or co-mayor, to be more precise.
 
It just hasn't happened.
 
Links:  http://www.kctv5.com/news/25376957/detail.html;
http://blogs.forbes.com/francescalevy/2010/10/12/real-estate-lifestyle-danger-housing-cities/