Austin Ranked One of the BEST CITIES!
Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 3:02 PM CDT
Austin follows Houston
ROCKERS, TACOS AND CHIPS
Population: 1,506,425
Population Growth Since 2000: 17%
Percentage of Workforce in Creative Class: 36.5%
Cost-of-Living Index: 92.8 (100 being national average)
Median Household Income: $52,882
Income Growth Since 2000: 12.2%
Austin ranks sixth on Kiplinger's Personal Finance's newest list of top 10 cities in which to live, work and play.
The list, published in Kiplinger's July issue, ranks cities based on the strength of their economies, abundance of jobs, reasonable costs of living and activities.
To identify the Best Cities of 2008, Kiplinger's teamed up with Kevin Stolarick, research director at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think tank that studies economic prosperity.
Stolarick helped develop a formula which highlights cities not just with prosperous pasts, but also with the ingredients for future success. "One key to a bright future is a healthy shot of people in the creative class," says Stolarick. "People in creative fields--scientists, engineers, architects, educators, writers, artists and entertainers--are catalysts of vitality and livability in a city."
The top five cities on the list in order are:
The full list is available at: www.kiplinger.com/money/bestcities
