From: lenny@icus.ICUS.COM (Lenny Tropiano)
Subject: Money Magazine "The Best Places to Live in America"
Summary: Austin is number 3.
Organization: ICUS Software Systems, Austin, Texas
Distribution: austin
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 20:20:11 GMT

From Money magazine, September 1992  [pick up your copy on the newstand
today for more information]

How the top 10 places RATE.

No place is perfect, of course, as the table below shows.  Here you'll find how
each of our top 10 metro areas rate in nine broad categories, with 100 points
representing the best possible score.  It's clear why Sioux Falls, SD ranks
No. 1:  The area gets a perfect score in economy and makes strong showsings
in transportation (availablity of mass transit and commuting time), housing 
and health.   San Francisco (No. 6) is best for both arts and leisure, although
it loses point for its high crime rate and lofty house prices.  College towns-
Columbia, Austin, Gainesville, Provo/Orem and Madison--dominate the top 10
again this year, because they do so well in a broad range of categories, 
including education, health and housing.  No surprise:  Sunny weather helps 
boost Honolulu and Gainesville.


		Health Crime Economy Housing Educ. Transit Weather Leisure Arts

1. Sioux Falls, SD  70    47     100      75    28      98      22       2   10
2. Columbia, MO     80    29      81      77    42      85      32       2   15
3. Austin, TX       44    10      76      68    60      60      71       8   55
4. Minn./St. Paul   64    29      61      51    99      63      27      51   91
5. Fargo, ND        71    50      83      71    31      99      31       2    4
6. San Francisco    76    18      44      28    65      54      82     100  100
7. Honolulu         55    26      61      51    47      54      79      45   74
8. Provo/Orem, UT   57    34      68      84    38      74      41      33    3
9. Gainesville, FL  66     9      70      53    43      65      83       5   21
10.Madison, Wisc.   85    32      75      44    68      83      25      10   31

Other Top places in Texas:

12. Byran
13. Galveston/Texas City
16. Houston
20. Brownsville
23. Waco
27. Lubbock
36. Laredo
38. McAllen
39. San Antonio
30. Killeen/Temple
50. Amarillo
53. Brazoria
61. Dallas
70. Fort Worth/Arlington
105. Beaumont
107. Texarkana
117. Abilene
[...]

3.  Austin
    Area Population:  781,600
    Unemplyment rate: 5.3%
    Three-bedroom house: $107,000
    Property tax:        $  2,340
    Top state/local tax: None
    Sales Tax:           8%
    Robberies per 100,000 people: 204
    Annual sunny days: 231
    For more information: 512-478-9383

    The hilly state capital deep in the heart of Texas had made the Money top
10 for two years running (it was ranked No. 9 in 1991).  That probably doesn't
surprise the crowd flocking to easygoing Austin, which has added about 2% 
annually to the city's population since 1990.  According to recently released
US Cenesus Bureau figures, Austin was also the eighth fastest-growing metro
area in the US over the past decade.  A full third of the 11,000 students who
graduate from the University of Texas each year stay put too, often happy to
settle for jobs that are beneath their qualifications.  The local joke is that
your plumber probably has a Ph.D.

    A well-diversified economy, anchored by UT, routinely keeps Austin's 
unemployment rate low.  The state employes 55,000 people here, or roughly 12%
of Austin's work force, and Texas hasn't suffered the massive layoffs that so
mahy other state governments have lately.  High-tech rules too, especially with
the headquarters of mail-order PC manufacturer Dell Computer (sales: $890
million for the year that ended in February 1992, up 62%), founded by the 27-
year old phenomenon Michael Dell.  This summer, the company was adding 50
staffers a week to its 3,500 person work force.  And Dell, IBM and Motorola,
among local employers are expected to hire some of the 1,000 civilians
who will lose their jobs when the Bergstom Air Force Base closes next September.

   Three big Austin draws:  low house prices, low taxes and high stepping.
You can buy a luxurious new 3,000 square foot, four-bedroom home in western
Travis County for les than $150,000; an equivalent home on either coast would
go for $300,000.  And so far, there is no state or local income tax.  
Meanwhile, Austin's music scene, with more than 100 live music clubs
(from country to R&B), rivials offerings in much larger cities.

   The commute to work?  Not a problem.  Says Brenda Band, 35, a Dell human-
resources manager who moved here from Chicago last year:  "I first thought
it was joke when I heard the radio announcer talking about a three-minute
traffic jam."

-- 
| Lenny Tropiano           ICUS Software Systems        lenny@icus.ICUS.COM |
|               ...!{ames,cs.utexas.edu,pacbell}!icus!lenny                 |
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