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Lincoln's 60 & proud

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BY MELISSA LEE / Lincoln Journal Star

Wednesday, Jul 19, 2006 - 02:43:25 pm CDT

Sorry, Omaha. Tough luck, Chicago. Too bad, Minneapolis and Kansas City and Denver. Yeah, you heard right. Lincoln has trumped you all. At least that’s what one poll says.

CNNMoney has ranked Lincoln —little underdog Lincoln — as the 60th-best place to live in the United States.

Omaha is waaay down at 97th place. And Chicago and the others (evil laugh here) aren’t even ranked.

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CNNMoney's best places to live 2006

Big cities did get their own rankings, though. For cities of 300,000 or more, Omaha was No. 7 --a reason for all of Nebraska to toot its horn.

In the overall list, Fort Collins, Colo., was No. 1, and only a handful of other Midwestern cities – like Overland Park and Olathe, Kan. – beat out the home of the Cornhuskers.

How’d this happen? After all, it must be admitted that Lincolnites aren’t the skinniest folks out there. We don’t bank the most or have the highest education. Few young singles are among us, and we’re not the hottest (temperature, notwithstanding) place around.

So was this a typo? Is Lincoln actually No. 600, not 60?

No, no. Take a look at the stats.

Analysts looked for cities with populations between 50,000 and 300,000. Then they screened out cities with too many old people, too much crime, absurd costs of living and low employment.

And then they crunched the numbers: everything from income to job growth, public-school success to park space, divorce rates to weather.

Lastly, analysts made personal visits to the leading cities to assess ambience, town leadership and vibrancy.

The airport must’ve been hopping that day, because somehow, Lincoln ended up among the best of the best, right in the company of Appleton, Wis., and Longmont, Colo.

Omaha’s been left in the dust. The next cities to catch? Boise, Idaho, and Plano, Texas ... obviously.

Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.

Towns at the top

1. Fort Collins, Colo.

2. Naperville, Ill.

3. Sugar Land, Texas

4. Columbia/Ellicott City, Md.

5. Cary, N.C.

In the middle

58. Denton, Texas

59. Chesapeake, Va.

60. Lincoln

61. Longmont, Colo.

 62. North Richland Hills, Texas

And at the bottom*

*There are hundreds of cities that didn’t crack the rankings at all.

 86. Bend, Ore.

87. Nashua, N.H.

88. Bethlehem, Penn.

89. Portland, Maine

90. Fayetteville, Ark.

Lincoln vs. the top 10

Median family income: Lincoln, $58, 680; top 10 average, $76,893

Sales tax: Lincoln, 7 percent; top 10 average, 6.55 percent

Job growth (2000-2005): Lincoln, 4.66 percent; top 10 average, 10.97 percent


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J wrote on July 19, 2006 12:41 am:
" Alright, I have a few gripes here. First of all, why make fun of Omaha and Chicago if the survey only looked at cities between 50,000 and 300,000, Chicago is obviously too big and how is Omaha even eligible? They had an estimated population of 409,000 in 2004. Secondly, why be so sarcastic? Lincoln IS a great place to live. Don't act like this is some kind of crazy mistake. "

 omnione wrote on July 19, 2006 12:55 am:
" Cue the "If it wasn't for Seng, we'd be #1 right now!" banter. :) If you look further on CNNMoney.com, you'd find a link that says that Omaha is the #7 best big city to live. so don't get your hopes up. Anyway, it's a nice report, but Lincoln can do better! "

 the truth wrote on July 19, 2006 1:23 am:
" actually, it shows how lincoln is falling behind. almost $20K less on a median income? plus, if you go and read the report, you'll find out that people spend more. not to mention the property tax issues that you didn't mention, but the lack of job growth that you did. people are leaving faster than others are coming to replace them. face the facts. "

 Dan Griffith wrote on July 19, 2006 2:40 am:
" Gee, will this maybe calm the bellyaching and moaning about how high taxes are in Lincoln now that these stats have come out??? "

 Locke wrote on July 19, 2006 3:19 am:
" I love it. Lincoln beats out Chicago because Chicago wasn't included in the study. Wow! What a leap in logic to imply Lincoln is a better place to live than Chicago! Also, the first paragraph of this article notes that the results are from a poll. The last time I looked a poll usually involves asking questions of the public. This did not happen here. Rather, a simple number crunching exercise was used to decide where places should rank. However, if one were to place different weights on the criteria used, one could easily get other results. "

 Judy Cantrell wrote on July 19, 2006 5:57 am:
" I have to question the methodology of the study. Fayetteville,AR is booming and is known as the Silicon Valley of AR. "

 AC wrote on July 19, 2006 6:10 am:
" They obviously didn't consider infrastructure, beauty or attractions. Lincoln is the most poorly built city in the country. It takes forever to get from one part of the city to another, there isn't even a freeway system that is comparable to any of the cities that are included in this list. There are no nice parks, and no forms of entertainment unless you like farm leaque baseball. "

 clint wrote on July 19, 2006 6:22 am:
" this poll is probably from someone who just visited and talked to afew people. I lived there from 86-89 couldnt get me to move back, and was back up there last year when my wife had her stroke didn't see much difference crazy drivers foreget downtown. Not even going to get started on your mayor. So I don't know Lincoln managed to make 60 unless they paid someone to get that high on the poll. "

 tlf wrote on July 19, 2006 6:28 am:
" Take a look at Money magazine again. Omaha was named the 7th best place to live in the "big city" category. Why can't we just say that Nebraska is a great place to live and stop the "I'm better than you are" fight between the two largest cities in the state. "

 Dave S. wrote on July 19, 2006 7:00 am:
" I lived in Lincoln for a dozen years. It was fine. Sea of Red, bike trails, Lied Center, a few places to eat. Now am in Omaha. CWS, more bike trails, HP Arts Center, lots of places to eat (yes, i've not yet had breakfast). Lincoln media: are you that desperate to rip on Omaha (#7 "big" city, CNNMoney) or Chicago (C'mon, it's Chitown. Eat some pizza and catch a ballgame and shut up.) for no reason? And 60th place? Apples and oranges. You are like a little boy (read, Lincoln) showing his cub scout pinewood derby ribbon to his dad (read, Omaha) who has just won the Indy 500. Nice for both, but no comparison. So stop comparing. And eat something. "

 chode wrote on July 19, 2006 7:25 am:
" They are actually proud of 60th place? This is such a joke. I lived in Lincoln from 1986-1994 and you couldn't pay me to move back. So when I did finally move back to Nebraska, we moved to a nice bedroom community conveniently located near Lincoln and Omaha. It's a nice way to avoid those high taxes in those two areas that people seem to enjoy bellyaching about all the time. "

 tjc wrote on July 19, 2006 7:42 am:
" It's funny that the LJS article talks about Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City and Denver when the rankings were all for town under 300,000 in population. "

 AJG wrote on July 19, 2006 7:53 am:
" This is a poorly written article about a rather meaningless ranking of Lincoln. 60 is alright, not the best - but not awful - much like Lincoln itself. I always say that Lincoln is "a nice little town with no amibition" and it will probably be that way forever. There's no progressive thought here, no proper town planning, no viable infrastructure or mass transit system. I have lived here my whole life and it's comfortable but we are no Omaha and we should stop comparing ourselves to them. It's our fault Gallup moved there - I'm surprised Nelnet hasn't followed. "

 BigRed wrote on July 19, 2006 7:55 am:
" You need to take a look at the CNNMoney article again, Melissa. It only ranked #1-#90 in the category that Lincoln was in. Then they list the top 10 "big" cities. Omaha was 7th, not 97th. The "big city" list is a separate category that starts over again at #1, it doesn't continue on from #91. Lincoln and Omaha are apples and oranges. "

 Metro Nebraska wrote on July 19, 2006 8:05 am:
" Before this,I thougth the LJS was trying to be a part of the cooperative solution between Omaha and Lincoln relations. I guess I was wrong. "

 Gary B wrote on July 19, 2006 8:23 am:
" Just goes to show you have to live here to know better. "

 Fancher Elementary teacher wrote on July 19, 2006 8:30 am:
" In your face, Omaha! I bet Lincoln would whoop Omaha on list of best state capitals, too. "

 DP wrote on July 19, 2006 8:30 am:
" Why jab at Omaha? 60th out of 90 - isn't that a bit like running a race with ten contestants and finishing 7th? Lincoln shouldn't settle for 60th - look to the communities ranked higher than Lincoln and research those locations; mimmic their ideas and take over the number one ranking...isn't that what it's really about being number one? "

 Steve wrote on July 19, 2006 8:35 am:
" Nice job of doing your research and reporting the facts as you see them. Too bad it takes too much effort to click the link that says "Best Big Cities" right next to the link you based this article "Top 10 Small Cities". Plus lets celebrate mediocrity a little bit more. Maybe next year the city can throw a big party to celebrate Lincoln becoming at top 50 small city. "

 J wrote on July 19, 2006 8:37 am:
" I agree that comparing Lincoln to huge cities is apples and oranges, but ripping on our fair city is not really called for. No parks? Mahoney, Wilderness, Pioneer, Sunken Gardens, Holmes...all very nice places. You need to come down to the University to find progressive thought, there are always things to do on campus. As for Nelnet moving to Omaha, they would probably get lost on the way up there. "

 Frog wrote on July 19, 2006 8:49 am:
" I recently moved to Nebraska from Corvallis, Oregon. I think Lincoln should be even higher than 60th place because of what they don't have. It is all relative I guess but the lack of pollution, lack of traffic, lack of crime, lack of extreme left wing attitudes, etc.. make Lincoln look like paradise to me. I continue to be amazed by how many people that live here don't appreciate it. The state sign has it right where it reads "The Good Life" and so far 100% of the people that have visited me from out of state are plesantly suprised about how nice it is here. "

 Seen Both wrote on July 19, 2006 8:49 am:
" What was CNN thinking? Ft. Collins might have a great location, but Lincoln's healthcare, Universities and even city plan set her ABOVE our Colorado neighbor. Even compare airports. Ft. Collins has wonderful landscape architecture...but the city has urban sprawl and unsightly strip malls that make it more like LA than San Francisco. Lincoln has potential to move up, Ft, Collins can only move down. "

 LFG wrote on July 19, 2006 8:59 am:
" Omaha is rated 7th in the nation in big cities, while Lincoln is rated 60th in small cities. (Don't know why you're taking pot-shots at Omaha, but in the MONEY (Aug.) issue, Omaha certainly isn't left in the dust!) We should be glad both cities are included in the best. "

 History Tells wrote on July 19, 2006 9:02 am:
" Beautiful world class architecture exists in Lincoln, ther are few cities in the top ten that can rival this treasure. Lincoln has some good schhols but the outside, might the inside contnet not be as progressive as other places in the top twenty. We've got to look back a mayor or two (three?) to see how we have changed, LJS wasn't Lincoln once ranked higher? Seng inherited an deteriorating infrastructure, improvements and restoration are evident...so many blighted areas didn't just 'pop up'... look back ten or fifteen years to realize what had been happening. "

 C. Gengler wrote on July 19, 2006 9:18 am:
" Omaha has more than 300,000 people, I wonder why it didn't rank higher in a poll for cities from 50,000-300,000??? I wouldn't expect anything more from someone who spells "way" with 3 A's. Omaha sustains Nebraska on everyday but saturday afternoons during football season. Congrats on your 60th place in the mediocre sized city polls. "

 Julie wrote on July 19, 2006 9:30 am:
" This is a lot like UNL winning the NIT tournament and celebrating that fact that they're 65th in the nation. "

 Eric wrote on July 19, 2006 9:38 am:
" Maybe we'd have ranked higher on the list if we had a newspaper with reliable, well-researched articles. I knew several days ago about the ranking when it first came out. Way to be on top of things LJS. I also knew that Omaha was actually ranked 7th among the top 10 big cities which are not intended to be numbers 91-100 on the original list. If you ask me, being 7th in your category is better than being 60th. But that's ok, no one in Omaha will care about your oversight. They're not obsessed with Lincoln like Lincoln is obsessed with Omaha. Are we like the younger brother always jealous of being in the shadow of our bigger sibling? "

 Jim wrote on July 19, 2006 9:52 am:
" While they might be as sophisticated as any around the nation, the scope and mission of the LJS is just fine...this article isn't one of it's most stellar. Again, this should be view as an opportunity to improve...four per centage points from the bottom show the city and her institutions should continue to look for an image of who they admire and steps to get there. "

 GM wrote on July 19, 2006 9:59 am:
" I just moved here from Boise, Idaho and Lincoln ROCKS!!! People are friendlier, everyone supports the HUSKERS and it's just a fun place to live!! "

 CJ wrote on July 19, 2006 10:09 am:
" I'm like Geo Bush, polls are meaningless. The people who took this one probably doesn't live in Lincoln and pay the HIGHEST taxes! After forced out of the state after school because of no jobs, I found alot nicer and affordable places. When I came back to visit relatives I thought Lincoln was really nice, now that I have had to move back to help them, thats another story, IT AIN'T SO PRETTY. There,s too much discrimination in Nebraska and Lincoln. If your not in the click and want to start a business its impossible with the mayor's and city council mentallity. Competition is nil, which the pollsters I'm sure couldn't comprehend passing thru. Computers are wonderful, catergorizing and crunching the numbers to come up with their numbers. Omaha has competition so it grows with opportunities. I learned more after I left Nebraska than I did in school which is where I should have learned. If Lincoln is so wonderful, I wonder why all my school mates and those years before me and after me left Nebraska after graduating and NEVER CAME BACK. And the only reason I came back was for obligations out of my control, unless I wanted to be selfish and uncaring. If you pay twice in Lincoln and Nebraska for what you paid in another state for EVERYTHING, Lincoln & Nebraska don't look so pretty, especially when you see your money going down the drain like a tornado. What it boils down to is, do people care more about their beautiful architecture and lovely parks that the city is raking all they can from everyone, or do they care about the welfare of people, all people! Its all where your priorities are. Updating and taking care of your property as one should, I see little change in Lincoln in 50 years. "

 Drew wrote on July 19, 2006 10:36 am:
" I made this same discovery a year ago when my daughter enrolled at UNL after graduating high school in No. California. I think I'd like to retire in Lincoln, it's an ideal city. "

 Mike wrote on July 19, 2006 10:37 am:
" Being ranked 60th is nothing to celebrate. Yes, it could be worse (just think if they would have considered property taxes - where would we rank?) Shall we all stand up and chant "we are exceptionally average". And to try to blame mayors of 15 years ago on today's blighted neighborhoods is grasping at anything that can shed a positive light on our current mayor, who is more embarassing than a 60th ranking. "

 Sue wrote on July 19, 2006 10:51 am:
" I've been away from "home" for 15 years already. I would move back (miss friends, family),but while homes are priced right, taxes are too high (and getting higher from reading all the comments) and wages are too low. "

 dbt wrote on July 19, 2006 11:07 am:
" Lincoln needs to just keep improving, People from across the state find great hsopitals here...compare cardiac care here to ANY of those cities ranked above Lincoln. Kawasaki and Novartis are strong partners that keep Lincoln part of the global community. A completed by pass will give a more cosmopolitan feel to the environs...Property taxes are too high! But that requires voters to change how schools are funded and a change in how voters change representatives in the Unicameral and Congress. Taxes are a burden, but citizens first must know who they are voting for and what federal cuts do to increase local hardship. "

 Roger wrote on July 19, 2006 11:54 am:
" Yeah! We're number 60! Lincoln wishes it was Omaha, at least Omaha has somewhat better leadership (mayor), and isn't always jumping on property owners to fork over more money. This article was a senseless waste of time to read. "

 Stan D. wrote on July 19, 2006 11:56 am:
" People do forget, as mentioned below, the politicians who want to cut taxes from Washinton shift a tax weight to states. This state should have had enough of that rhetoric. Fund schools and domestic projects, not unjustified wars and unmonitored funds to Iraq. Erode America and she will not be able to defend herself. "

 Steph wrote on July 19, 2006 12:47 pm:
" How nice...our median income is almost $20,000 less and our sales tax is higher...go figure. Does this not makes sence to anyone else out there????? "

 W.G.Ahlers wrote on July 19, 2006 12:47 pm:
" I'm not too sure if we should be this proud of being number 60. I mean, if I was ranked 60th place in my high school graduating class, I don't thing I would be getting the Regent's Scholarship. "

 David wrote on July 19, 2006 1:04 pm:
" I see that Texas has the most cities in the poll (10). I can't wait to move back to Texas. "

 john doe wrote on July 19, 2006 1:11 pm:
" I like Omaha better than Lincoln "

 Boston G wrote on July 19, 2006 1:25 pm:
" Lincoln is such a great city. Way to go! "

 omnione wrote on July 19, 2006 2:47 pm:
" The argument about the "strength" of Lincoln's ranking goes both ways. First of all, CNNMoney believes that Lincoln is getting beat by 59 similarly sized cities, and that's not great. On the other side, however, there are hundreds of cities that didn't even make the top 100. I think that these rankings are similar to UNL's position on the U.S. News rankings on national universities; the ranking isn't high enough for a Lincolnite to do some chest-thumping, but it's a LOT higher than most cities for its size. Regardless of any ranking system where a rank is an estimated "average" of all the desired city qualities, one still has to look deeper at specific factors a prospective resident finds more important to him/her. The point of this study was just one news source's opinion on cities, and its result wasn't implying that Fort Collins is the best place for everyone. Somehow, I think people who blog on this site would still complain if Lincoln was #1 and/or wouldn't complain if the study was done by Fox News. "

 DEE wrote on July 19, 2006 3:24 pm:
" Lincoln better than 59 other cities. Impossible. My wife and I have been thinking about any other city to move to that the local police dept isn't corupt and the property taxes aren't outlandish. Not to mention better job's and more opportunity. "

 Rick wrote on July 19, 2006 3:39 pm:
" Property taxes are 15 years ahead and average payroll is 7 years behind. Yeah right! Lincoln is ABSURD. Number 60 is not spectacular. "

 Omaha, best darn place you ever saw wrote on July 19, 2006 7:34 pm:
" This has to be a joke right? Omaha ranks 7th best in big cities and according to this "reporter" we're eating Lincoln's 60th dust in the medium city list? Here's a tip: 7th best in the BIG/Real city list trumps 60th in the medium city/town list. "

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