Have you heard? We're number two this year in Money Magazine's rankings of best places to live.
Yes,
yes, they did indeed mention the Bike Library and the open space - and
I'm sure we'll be hearing more and more about this.
But a look at the ranking process reveals a very different story.
The biggest determinants?
Housing costs, income levels, job availability, crime, commute time, cost of living, school quality and health. Yes, things like the Bike Library and our cultural offerings were factored in, but they were part of a much larger process.
Moreover, if you fail on the big financial factors, you never make it to the stage where they even begin to take things like the Bike Library into account.
First, you have to be between 50,000 and 150,000 people.
Second, you have to be roughly in the median of your state's income and ethnically diverse.
Third, you can't have a high crime rate, long commutes or high unemployment.
Fourth... well, here is where we see the first sighting of things that even begin to resemble the Bike Library. If you've got low crime, short commutes, decent median income and low unemployment, THEN they begin to look at factors such as "job growth, income increases, cost of living, housing affordability, school quality, arts and leisure options, safety, medical care, diversity and several ease-of-living criteria."
And even then that "arts and leisure" portion is one of more than 10 other factors that they take into account... after you make it through the first three rounds.
So how do you make Money Magainze's list?
Start with strong economic fundamentals, low crime and good schools. All of the Bike Libraries in the world don't get you far if you don't make the list to begin with.
(Cross posted at Fort Collins Now.)
