Where do you see yourself in 10 years? The question has been proposed to myself several times in the past, and upon encountering two intriguing articles from Forbes.com, “America’s Most Miserable Cities,” and “Best Cities for Jobs in 2008,” I have become strongly inclined to journey out west to reap the benefits of my soon-to-be hard-earned degree (a.k.a. make some cash). The first article evaluated 150 of the United States’ largest cities based on factors of taxation level, commute time, unemployment, crime, and weather. Our very own New York state placed 4th on the list, winning the longest commute time as well as the highest taxation rate. Having been a New York resident for the past 18 years of my existence, this deliberation comes as no surprise.
In contrast, the Lone Star state scored big with three cities (Ft. Worth, Austin, Houston) sitting among the top ten best cities for jobs in 2008. Cities were evaluated on factors of unemployment level, job growth, income growth, and the cost of living. This may be due largely in part to Texas’ immunity from the recent surge of inflation in real estate markets throughout the United States. Although part of me thinks these rankings are biased and not well-grounded, who knows? Maybe a relocation looms on the distant horizon…
| Top 10 Most Miserable Cities 1. Detroit, MI 2. Stockton, CA 3. Flint, MI 4. New York, NY 5. Philadelphia, PA 6. Chicago, IL 7. Los Angeles, CA 8. Modesto, CA 9. Charlotte, NC 10. Providence, RI | Top 10 Best Cities for Jobs 1. Salt Lake City, UT 2. Wichita, KS 3. Austin, TX 4. Atlanta, GA 5. Fort Worth, TX 6. Indianapolis, IN 7. Houston, TX 8. Omaha, NE 9. Raleigh, NC 10. Seattle, WA |
1 comment:
Ah, these are always fun--I would image that there is a certain level of bias with these rankings, as you've pointed out, considering that there are often vast differences (not the least of which is cost of living) between all of them, which can drastically skew the idea of "misery" or job potential, not to mention personal preference influencing one's ability to be happy and prosper in any given place. It's good that you make yourself aware of bias; it's an important factor in evaluating the arguments of others or evidence that you use to support your own argument.
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