Money Mags. new rankings

[MrsSteel]

Originally Posted by NC man

It wasnt just the recent growth I listed it is alot of the factors which give the ranking, such as schools, affordable homes ect which have gone downhill and eliminated Cary. It no longer is a top 10 or 20 ranked town, Lets face it development effects all these even if only in one year.

All I am saying is that, if you look at the FAQ page that was linked to in previous posts, you will see that the very first thing Money Magazine did was eliminate all towns with populations over 50K from contention. So that alone is why Cary is not on the list.

You are certainly welcome to have your own opinion of Cary and I'm not saying I disagree with you. However, the issue is why Cary wasn't on the list and the main reason is just that the population requirements changed this year and now Cary is considered too large. If these same population restrictions were used to make last year's list, Cary wouldn't have made it then, either.

Cary may be changing, but in this particular instance it was Money Magazine's requirements that changed the most.

Originally Posted by MrsBTA

Look at the FAQ link:
"Start with places that have populations above 7,500 and under 50,000."

When Cary was #5, they looked at cities with over 50,000 and under 300,000 people. That's why you won't find Cary there this year. At the top of the 2007 list, you'll see that they comment this year, they decided to look at smaller towns. You won't find ANY of the previous year's winners on this year's list.

[NC man]

Originally Posted by MrsSteel

All I am saying is that, if you look at the FAQ page that was linked to in previous posts, you will see that the very first thing Money Magazine did was eliminate all towns with populations over 50K from contention. So that alone is why Cary is not on the list.

You are certainly welcome to have your own opinion of Cary and I'm not saying I disagree with you. However, the issue is why Cary wasn't on the list and the main reason is just that the population requirements changed this year and now Cary is considered too large. If these same population restrictions were used to make last year's list, Cary wouldn't have made it then, either.

Cary may be changing, but in this particular instance it was Money Magazine's requirements that changed the most.

You are correct Cary missed that cut but also missed because of large increase of population which also eliminated Cary, before they could even get to the schools ect.

[Fallingwater79]

Originally Posted by NC man

Cary and Raleigh are not the same places they were a year ago, bottom line it was nicer before the schools exploded roads over crowded shopping ctrs on every open corner. Its progress and now some other town will rise to the top and be pulled back down by every one searching for the best place to live. Cary does not belong on the list any more and I predict it will continue to drift down that list in the future. Sorry but thats reality watching it happen first hand because Cary is my home and QL has dropped over the years.

Everything is cyclical and Cary was bound to move down the list due to the rapid growth the whole area is experiencing. It's a catch-22: people want it all but when all shows up, they complain about the traffic and sameness and the people following the trend give it a thumbs down and move on to new locations leaving in it's wake a lot of people asking "Huh? I thought WE lived in the best place in the country?"

If an area has what you're seeking in life and employment and schools, do you really need an article to lead you to it? The uniqueness of an area is not based on rambling shopping malls and 8 lane highways criss-crossing over cookie-cutter tracts of homes.......the flavor of any community takes decades to develop and THAT'S where the real problem lies: our hurry up and get it done attitude......I get that sick feeling that sometime soon, the whole country will be a converged stretch of Targets and Lowes and Olive Garden and Walmart Supercenters and the like and the only distinction will be a sign telling you what state you're in........

[ferrickhead28]

I wonder how they conducted their research? Do they hang out and read what we write on city-data all day?
Should we be worried?

[TuborgP]

Cary, was number 5 and Ellicott City Maryland was number 4. Both were on the list for best small cites and the new rankings is for towns. They also did a best cities and Raleigh was on that list. Cary has not been eligible for the town rankings for year. Nor is Raleigh eligible for the best small city, it isn't one. If you want a small city then don't move to Raleigh and if you want a town then don't move to Cary. Yes this will spur people moving to Apex and Holly Springs and they will grow. Cary is becoming to expensive and the outer burbs are guaranteed to grow and one day may become small cities. 27,000 now can be over 50,000 in a few years. Lets hope they age and grow as well as Cary has.

[MrsBTA]

Originally Posted by NC man

You are correct Cary missed that cut but also missed because of large increase of population which also eliminated Cary, before they could even get to the schools ect.

NC Man - I think you're missing what MrsSteel is saying. Cary's being cut from the list has NOTHING to do with its recent population growth. The ONLY reason it was cut was because Money mag decided to look just at small towns this year. As someone else pointed out, it has been a very long time since Cary's population was under 50,000. I'm sure that if Money had decided to look at the same size places that it has in previous years, Cary would not have dropped off the list.

I suppose you could argue that if Cary had zero growth since 1990, then it would have been eligible...