Tacoma 5th Most Secure Large Metro Area in U.S.
Everybody loves lists. Sometimes they are good, sometimes bad. I would put this list in the good category for the Tacoma metro area (along with Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Bellingham, and Olympia).
From the press release:
The rankings, compiled by database experts at www.bestplaces.net, took into consideration crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, housing depreciation, foreclosures, air quality, life expectancy and job loss numbers in 379 U.S. municipalities. The study divided the communities into three groups: large metropolitan areas, mid-size cities and small towns.
Large Metro Areas (500,000 or more residents)
1. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.
2. Portland-Beaverton, Ore./Vancouver, Wash.
3. Honolulu, Hawaii
4. El Paso, Tex.
5. Tacoma, Wash.
Mid-Size Cities (150,000 – 500,000 residents)
1. Olympia, Wash.
2. Las Cruces, N.M.
3. Salem, Ore.
4. Bremerton-Silverdale, Wash.
5. Bellingham, Wash
Small Towns (Fewer than 150,000 residents)
1. Corvallis, Ore.
2. Bismarck, N.D.
3. Logan, Utah
4. Wenatchee, Wash.
5. State College, Pa.
Last year Tacoma was ranked #177 out of all 379 metro areas (large, midsize, and small) so we should be near the top of the overall list this year.
It is interesting though if you think about the issues they looked at. Here is my opinion on them:
Crime: decreasing in Tacoma but not sure about the rest of the metro area
Extreme Weather: yawn.. not here (ignore this weekend and next week)
Risk of Natural Disasters: Earthquakes and Volcanos, aren’t those 2 of the big ones?
Housing Depreciation: Could be worse
Foreclosures: I think we are on one of those lists for most foreclosures
Air Quality: Mixed Bag. Parts of Tacoma and Pierce County are failing in air standards. Where I live in Downtown Tacoma the air seems fresh but when I travel to the Eastside or South End I can really smell the smoke from fireplaces in the air.
Life Expectancy: We are pretty healthy people.
Job Loss: Not too many big layoffs around here.
