Best Performing Cities 1 - 10 2009 Rank (employment, generations, Mexicans, legal)

[DanoTex]

So my point would be that the 8 of the top 10 are in southern states where conservatism is mainstream. Are those who believe the cities stand alone- that the state doesn't have anything to do with economic performance? Seems to be a whole lot of red on the Texas map....................



Dano

[CityPerson09]

Originally Posted by DanoTex

So my point would be that the 8 of the top 10 are in southern states where conservatism is mainstream. Are those who believe the cities stand alone- that the state doesn't have anything to do with economic performance? Seems to be a whole lot of red on the Texas map....................



Dano

Texas is still obviously a conservative state. Just remember all that red in the pan handle and west Texas probably has the same population as Dallas County

[joejitsu]

Quanity vs quality.

There might be more red areas, but lots of people live in those blue areas. The suburbs outside of those blue areas are becoming more blue too.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by joejitsu

Quanity vs quality.

There might be more red areas, but lots of people live in those blue areas. The suburbs outside of those blue areas are becoming more blue too.

But for the most part, the liberals in Austin don't venture past their own city or the other blue dots. They would rather live in their own small enclave.

[CityPerson09]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

But for the most part, the liberals in Austin don't venture past their own city or the other blue dots. They would rather live in their own small enclave.

I can tell ya that's not the case

[diva360]

Originally Posted by DanoTex

So my point would be that the 8 of the top 10 are in southern states where conservatism is mainstream. Are those who believe the cities stand alone- that the state doesn't have anything to do with economic performance? Seems to be a whole lot of red on the Texas map....................



Dano

I think this is disingenuous. Don't we all know that it is population, not geographical expanse, that counts in electoral politics? States only matter insofar as their influence over the electoral college in general elections. If size really mattered in any appreciable way, then before 2008, people would have been talking about Alaska all the time. After all, it is the largest state in terms of land mass.

Having lived in a college town in the Upper Midwest, then Austin, TX, and now the NYC/NJ metro area, I can say that sometimes the state matters, and sometimes it doesn't. Austin was special enough to me that it could have been anywhere, outside of the BBQ and Tex-Mex, basically. I would have been happy in Austin if it were anywhere else in the US. There are similar things about NJ. Northern Jersey is like NY; southern Jersey is like Philly. Lifelong residents say this, not newcomers like me. And the "redness" of NC is not the same "redness" as MS. I think it is less states than it is regions and sub-regions. Then, as others have pointed out, there are enclaves within regions. Santa Fe comes to mind here.

[whoisjongalt]

I never really considered Austin as part of Texas.

[joejitsu]

Originally Posted by whoisjongalt

I never really considered Austin as part of Texas.

Too bad because it is the best city in Texas.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by DanoTex

Cities in the South seem to be doing quite well. Salt Lake makes sense as well- conservative stronghold after all.
Anyone know how Olympia broke into the top 10?

Of course Texas rules as usual What do ya think?

2009 Best Performing Cities - 200 Largest Metros
Best Performing Cities 1 - 10 2009 Rank
1 Austin-Round Rock, TX MSA
2 Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX MSA
3 Salt Lake City, UT MSA
4 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA
5 Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX MSA
6 Durham, NC MSA
7 Olympia, WA MSA
8 Huntsville, AL MSA
9 Lafayette, LA MSA
10 Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA

Dano

Given a huge trillion dollar farm bill and all the military spending, you would expect that they would do well. Much of the military spending goes to the south because that is where most of the installations are. Do you think Killeen Texas would be in the top without Ft Hood? Or San Antonio without Lackland AFB and Ft Sam Houston? I doubt it.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by DanoTex

So my point would be that the 8 of the top 10 are in southern states where conservatism is mainstream. Are those who believe the cities stand alone- that the state doesn't have anything to do with economic performance? Seems to be a whole lot of red on the Texas map....................



Dano

Note that the areas where people actually live are blue. Texas consist of Dallas-Ft Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and El Paso. The rest of the state is not worth an indian nickle.