Ky cities that are most/least 'vulnerable' (Frankfort, Richmond: mortgage, home equity)

[johnsonkk]

America's Most And Least Vulnerable Towns (Forbes)

Three towns (cities?) in Kentucky made this list. Richmond (#18), Frankfort (#74), and Paducah (#82). This list places the most economic 'vulnerable' cities at the top of their list - so the cities near the bottom (see link) are deemed less vulnerable.

List: America's Most And Least Vulnerable Towns - Forbes.com

Story: http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2008/10/09/cities-vulnerable-towns-forbeslife-cx_rr_1009vulnerable.html (broken link)

Methodology
To evaluate the strength of Main Streets across America, we used August unemployment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and 2007 Census data on median income, poverty, education and outstanding mortgage debt (http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/10/10/ap5538843.html?partner=lingospot - broken link) in 141 towns. Called micropolitan areas by the Census, these towns have an urban core of at least 10,000 people, but no more than 50,000.

Though there are more than 500 micropolitan areas in the United States, the Census does not track demographic data for populations less than 65,000. The populations of the towns in the survey range from 65,000 to 188,000 residents. Figures on median income, poverty and unemployment gave us a better understanding of the local quality of life, as well as the state of the economy. Data on education levels addressed workforce competitiveness and readiness, while data on outstanding mortgage debt offered insight into home equity and the stability of the housing market.

Micropolitan areas were given a ranking in each category, which were then summed for a total score. Lower scores indicate poor performance, while higher scores indicate strong performance.