[PublisherDana]

Hi fellow Arkansans!

I have just spent quite a bit of time reading through all of the posts here. I have to say that I feel quite overwhelmed.

I am putting together the 10 best communities to live in Arkansas for my magazine. I came to this forum try to get a better understanding of what was most most important to people when choosing a community.

There are 488 cities (or towns) in Arkansas and I am in the process of getting the rankings together for the following:

City Taxes
Cost of Housing
Crime
Schools

I need to know how each of these things should be ranked in importance.
Also, I'd love to hear input about other things that should be included to obtain my rankings. Upon completetion I promise to share my results including the complete ranking list. (1-488)

Thanks in Advance
Dana

[Sam I Am]

Wow - you'd also need the demographics on who is answering, their age group, etc. I couldn't care less about schools since (thank God) both of my kids are grown. Re: crime - maybe the size of the police department and fire department per capita? So much is "out in the county" here and is left to volunteer fire departments. Maybe the top 10 cities that have experienced the most growth in the last 10 years? Also employment/unemployment figures...a town can sound really nice until you realize the only factory that employed people there is closed and everyone's out of work.

One thing I'd like to have a comprehensive list of, although it may not fly with anyone else, is cities in Arkansas that have breed bans in place. We recently looked at a house in Atkins - but they have banned pit bulls and Rottweilers, so they don't get our tax money or anything else.

You certainly have taken on a huge project - good luck to you!

[matto]

I would consider Van Buren.

[PublisherDana]

Sam,

Actually, I have city 'politics' on the list, there is of course no way to do a ranking system based on that information so after I have the list (based on numbers) I will rank them by politics (animal friendly, dry or wet county etc).

Pet licensing fees will be taken into account for each city.
Home based business policies will affect the ranking.

I do not imagine that any city that thinks they have to protect the residents from themselves would be able to make the top 10.

EX: Jacksonville is a nice place, lots of growth, housing is affordable etc. but it couldn't make the top 10 because of politics. (Jacksonville is actually a dry city in a wet county) Jacksonville is the classic example of too much government control. Jacksonville losses ALOT of money to the county due to politics - there is a liquor store at the city limits sign at both ends of town - it just doesn't make sense.

Dana

[ArkansasSully]

As a REALTOR , I would say the following

Schools - Highest Priority - People Won't trade poor schools . Older Folks Relocating often would like family to follow

Cost of Living - Everyone's Number one Concern with affordable housing on top of ecomomic list

Employment Opportunities

travel / highways / ease of travel

quality medical facilities

climate

recreation facilities

arts and entertainment

[jcj]

I think some would agree with me that Conway would make the top 10 in best places to live in arkansas. Good schools, low crime rate, and great atmosphere. There is my input!

[gptaz]

I sure would enjoy seeing your results and your finished book.

Thanks
gptaz

[DC at the Ridge]

"I will rank them by politics (animal friendly, dry or wet county etc)."

I don't know how you are going to rank them by politics. First of all, like Sam said, you have to control your sampling or at the very least ask for demographic information about the person submitting information. And the factors (animal friendly, dry or wet county, etc) are pretty much about opinions. There are at least two sides to most of these issues. Breed banning doesn't seem fair to people who love Rottweilers, but city governments are not simply responding to people's fears of Rottweilers or Pit Bulls, there are insurance and liability issues, there are leash laws and fencing ordinances and there are shelters that simply are unable to handle aggressive animals that have gotten away from their owners or been abandoned. Dry or wet counties may seem pretty cut and dried, but whether a county is dry or not seems to have very little to do with the availability of alcohol. The number of "private" clubs (as if they are really private!!!), the proximity to counties or states where alcohol can be purchased, and really the attitude to liquor all affect its "dryness". Given the laws of the state, and how difficult it is to turn "wet", ranking on this basis without looking at the big picture seems pretty discriminatory.

All in all, I think you have to define the audience you are marketing your top 10 to. Because one man's peach will surely be another's pit.

DC

[dd12343]

Pine Bluff Arkansas is a very nice place to live especially this time of the year, the city looks like Christmas and there is a lot of things to do

[J Arp]

Originally Posted by dd12343

Pine Bluff Arkansas is a very nice place to live especially this time of the year, the city looks like Christmas and there is a lot of things to do

I love you, Mr. New Account. LOL.