Austin-Round Rock safest in U.S. (El Paso, McAllen: apartment, foreclosures, for rent)

[inthecut]

The Austin-Round Rock region is the most “secure” large metropolitan in the U.S., according to a ranking by Farmers Insurance Group of Companies released Thursday.

The report compares crime, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, housing depreciation, foreclosures, air quality, terrorist threats, environmental hazards, life expectancy and job loss data for 379 U.S. municipalities with populations of more than 500,000.

Officials said high job growth and minimal housing depreciation contributed to Austin’s top rating. The area ranked 15th among large metropolitan areas in the 2008.

El Paso and the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission region on Texas also made the list, coming in 8th and 12th respectively. Killeen-Temple ranked 12th safest of mid-sized cities with 150,000 to 500,000 and Midland is the 11th most secure of small towns of less than 150,000.

Just stay away from Cedar Park on week-ends(recent murders).....kidding....

[joejitsu]

Austin is the number city at being ranked #1.

[thesonofgray]

Then why did my renter's insurance just go up 27%??

[pjoseph2]

Originally Posted by joejitsu

Austin is the number city at being ranked #1.

Did you mean
"Austin is the number one city at being ranked #1?"

[shankaupas]

Originally Posted by thesonofgray

Then why did my renter's insurance just go up 27%??

Greed

[joejitsu]

Originally Posted by pjoseph2

Did you mean
"Austin is the number one city at being ranked #1?"

Yeah, my bad.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by thesonofgray

Then why did my renter's insurance just go up 27%??

That is a huge increase. Do you live in a flood plain? Flood Plain maps were updated last year and some property is now in the flood plain, where it didn't used to be, due to increased development upstream.

If not, its time to shop around.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by thesonofgray

Then why did my renter's insurance just go up 27%??

You prob are insured with farmers' insurance, the company that did this study. They came out with this to make you feel better about paying out 27% more on your premium.

Good PR on Farmer Insurance's part...just tell people in Austin they live in the best place in the USA before they jack up your rates, and everything should be alright.

And to everyone that lives in Austin...regardless of what happens to you in Austin, you can wake up every day and thank God that you rank at the top of all the top 10 lists in the USA!

[thesonofgray]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

That is a huge increase. Do you live in a flood plain? Flood Plain maps were updated last year and some property is now in the flood plain, where it didn't used to be, due to increased development upstream.

If not, its time to shop around.

Although I do live in the flash-flood areas around 360, I'm pretty sure I'm not in a floodplain. It would have to be a cataclysmic downpour to get water in my apartment, and even more so since the first floor is completely garages...but I'm not sure if they take that into account for renter's insurance (don't remember ever putting "first floor is all garages" on the app).

Originally Posted by inthecut

You prob are insured with farmers' insurance, the company that did this study. They came out with this to make you feel better about paying out 27% more on your premium.

Good PR on Farmer Insurance's part...just tell people in Austin they live in the best place in the USA before they jack up your rates, and everything should be alright.

And to everyone that lives in Austin...regardless of what happens to you in Austin, you can wake up every day and thank God that you rank at the top of all the top 10 lists in the USA!

Nope, not Farmers Insurance. It's kind of silly with the whole renter's insurance thing. I have my auto with the same company, and with the "multi-policy" discount, the renter's insurance comes out to a meal for 2 at McD's. But with the increase, it's probably more like a dinner for 2 at Cheddar's. I fear it was a trap, and they'll keep increasing it by crazy amounts hoping I'm too lazy to cancel.

And is it bad that I base my financial decisions on the equivalent eating-out value?

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by thesonofgray

Although I do live in the flash-flood areas around 360, I'm pretty sure I'm not in a floodplain. It would have to be a cataclysmic downpour to get water in my apartment, and even more so since the first floor is completely garages...but I'm not sure if they take that into account for renter's insurance (don't remember ever putting "first floor is all garages" on the app).



Nope, not Farmers Insurance. It's kind of silly with the whole renter's insurance thing. I have my auto with the same company, and with the "multi-policy" discount, the renter's insurance comes out to a meal for 2 at McD's. But with the increase, it's probably more like a dinner for 2 at Cheddar's. I fear it was a trap, and they'll keep increasing it by crazy amounts hoping I'm too lazy to cancel.

And is it bad that I base my financial decisions on the equivalent eating-out value?

well, there is a often used economic rule of thumb called the "Big Mac" index, so you are in good company. Look at the price increases as just another instance of "cost creep", along with all the hikes in credit cards and such. Just the financial industry jacking up what they can in a recession is all.

BTW, I was being facetious in posting this, as Austin seems to never stop appearing in these "best-of" lists. Perhaps the moment it does, you can look at it as a rite-of-passage, when it finally came of age. Sort of when a defense football player goes from college to the pros, and doesn't have to sport all those silly little "points" stickers on his helmet.