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Thanks LoveAutumn--I must confess I had forgotten about that forum. When it first started I went there a few times and then I guess I just forgot it was there. Senior moment...
Virginia 6th most future livability out of 50 states....from 24/7 WSJ today.
6. Virginia
> Future livability score: 16.8
> Full-time employment: 9th best
> Job creation index: 16th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 20th best
Virginia has one of the lowest poverty rates in the country, as well as one of the highest median incomes. The housing market is improving, as evidenced by the 4.8% increase in home prices between the first quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. While the state is not exceptional in any of the 13 metrics Gallup uses to create its Future Livability score, it is in the top 25 in every category but one — obesity, in which it ranks 26th. The state’s unemployment rate in June was just 5.7%, the 10th lowest in the country. The state also has the ninth-highest percentage of residents employed full-time.
For those of us who like our lists I realize that NoVa does skew the stats but I think alot of states have one area that is usually stronger than the rest of the state (usually a large metro area) so it's not that unusual in that regard, IMO..
Virginia 6th most future livability out of 50 states....from 24/7 WSJ today.
6. Virginia
> Future livability score: 16.8
> Full-time employment: 9th best
> Job creation index: 16th best
> Outlook on life in five years: 20th best
Virginia has one of the lowest poverty rates in the country, as well as one of the highest median incomes. The housing market is improving, as evidenced by the 4.8% increase in home prices between the first quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. While the state is not exceptional in any of the 13 metrics Gallup uses to create its Future Livability score, it is in the top 25 in every category but one — obesity, in which it ranks 26th. The state’s unemployment rate in June was just 5.7%, the 10th lowest in the country. The state also has the ninth-highest percentage of residents employed full-time.
For those of us who like our lists I realize that NoVa does skew the stats but I think alot of states have one area that is usually stronger than the rest of the state (usually a large metro area) so it's not that unusual in that regard, IMO..
As much as I like the Wall Street Journal, some of this is just not ringing true. Ninth highest percentage of residents employed full time? Even if you take Nova out of the picture, I find this hard to believe. I can't believe the employment situation is so bad in Roanoke that it pushes the state to 9th place.
Same goes for the obesity claim. Again, it would have to be Roanoke skewing the results. As a person who walks daily and does a lot of outdoor exercise I read a lot of sports articles and I'm pretty aware of such things. The DC metro area usually scores at the top of those lists. Like California, this area attracts a lot of fit young people who are competitive at work, and that means they tend to be competitive at the gym too. (And these days a high percentage of our residents moved here from the California beach cities, having left the aerospace industry for the Dulles Tech Corridor; beach people tend to be fit and when they move here they get into kayaking and hiking and stay fit.). Richmond, Charlottesville and Hampton Roads are very outdoors oriented and usually place fairly high, too.
I can't believe obesity is so bad in Roanoke that it would make the heavy people in one little town outweigh all the fit people in the other cities. Besides, I've been to Roanoke and I don't recall the people there being unusually heavy (which they would have to be to counter balance the entire DC metro area).
LOL for all that I hate these "top ten" lists, since Tuborg is interested in Reston I thought he'd get a kick out of seeing the writ up on Reston in the Money Magazine list.
As much as I like the Wall Street Journal, some of this is just not ringing true. Ninth highest percentage of residents employed full time? Even if you take Nova out of the picture, I find this hard to believe. I can't believe the employment situation is so bad in Roanoke that it pushes the state to 9th place.
Same goes for the obesity claim. Again, it would have to be Roanoke skewing the results. As a person who walks daily and does a lot of outdoor exercise I read a lot of sports articles and I'm pretty aware of such things. The DC metro area usually scores at the top of those lists. Like California, this area attracts a lot of fit young people who are competitive at work, and that means they tend to be competitive at the gym too. (And these days a high percentage of our residents moved here from the California beach cities, having left the aerospace industry for the Dulles Tech Corridor; beach people tend to be fit and when they move here they get into kayaking and hiking and stay fit.). Richmond, Charlottesville and Hampton Roads are very outdoors oriented and usually place fairly high, too.
I can't believe obesity is so bad in Roanoke that it would make the heavy people in one little town outweigh all the fit people in the other cities. Besides, I've been to Roanoke and I don't recall the people there being unusually heavy (which they would have to be to counter balance the entire DC metro area).
Not everyone is in the "DC" income category to afford a gym and decent foods, or a beach/kayaking lifestyle. Those who can are toward the top half of the pyramid. People who are poorer, even if educated, are forced to make worse food choices and have little time or incentive to "work out." I'm sure there are economically poorer people all over the state of VA, outside of both Roanoke and NOVA.
Not everyone is in the "DC" income category to afford a gym and decent foods, or a beach/kayaking lifestyle. Those who can are toward the top half of the pyramid. People who are poorer, even if educated, are forced to make worse food choices and have little time or incentive to "work out." I'm sure there are economically poorer people all over the state of VA, outside of both Roanoke and NOVA.
Yes, yes, and yes. I think there are pockets of poor people all over the state. Yes, even in wealthy Fairfax etc., charming Alexandria, lots in Loudon county. And not all high income people are "fit and healthy" and love to go to the gym. That's like having tunnel vision.
There are lots of DC lower income blacks moving out of DC into Va. and Md. because they are being shoved out by the young monied whites. DC's once deep and steeped culture of blacks is becoming a thing of the past, sadly.
Not everyone is in the "DC" income category to afford a gym and decent foods, or a beach/kayaking lifestyle. Those who can are toward the top half of the pyramid.
You're right, of course, but it's more like the people who can afford the lifestyle here make up 4/5 of the pyramid, not half the pyramid. It's just the way it worked out--people with money are the ones who move in, people without money tend to move out, so the balance becomes wealthier as the years go by. This is why my county (Loudoun) is the wealthiest county in the US and the county next door (Fairfax) is the second wealthiest. It's not that we have such a huge number of gazillionaires, it's because upper middle class people are moving here in droves. It's making the percentage of well off people unusually high, and the percentage of poor people is unusually low.
But I absolutely agree with you that there are some people who are poorer than others. Maybe not a huge number, but probably more than most of us realize. For example there are people who grew up in the area, never owned property (so they never got that advantage), never got one of the high paying jobs you find here, but also never left the area because its home.
There are lots of DC lower income blacks moving out of DC into Va. and Md. because they are being shoved out by the young monied whites. DC's once deep and steeped culture of blacks is becoming a thing of the past, sadly.
People are moving in, but the ones moving to Virginia are the ones who can afford to pay at least $1,000/month rent. We were just having a discussion about this on the Nova board. We found one place in Dale City that had a studio apartment under $1000, and other than that everything else in the area seems to be over the $1,000 mark. You can't even rent an apartment and then share it with a whole bunch of friends, since they have strict laws about that. Not saying that poor people don't move to Virginia, but it would be difficult to find a place to live.
I've done alot of research on VA, particularly NoVa and Central VA, and agree that even $1k is very hard to find unless you want a 600 sq ft apt.
Caladium, please read my post in the "women retiring alone" thread if you get a chance...I'd like to hear your view.
I always thought of myself as a middle income person, worked all my life and did OK for myself over the years, but alot of us are now facing the lower middle income category economically. If $100k-250k is what the government thinks is middle income, then that leaves alot of us out. I'm not asking for anything fancy in my retirement years as far as housing, but as a renter, I am finding it especially difficult to either find rents within a reasonable cost ($1k), or something that isn't a dump. It is getting very discouraging. My "abode" is the most important to me....seems even places that have very little going for themselves have high rents.
Please don't get me wrong, I've very grateful for what I have, since alot of others are worse off. But I am getting a little discouraged, with retirement only about a year away.
Last edited by loveautumn; 08-29-2012 at 12:38 PM..
Reason: add
You're right, of course, but it's more like the people who can afford the lifestyle here make up 4/5 of the pyramid, not half the pyramid. It's just the way it worked out--people with money are the ones who move in, people without money tend to move out, so the balance becomes wealthier as the years go by. This is why my county (Loudoun) is the wealthiest county in the US and the county next door (Fairfax) is the second wealthiest. It's not that we have such a huge number of gazillionaires, it's because upper middle class people are moving here in droves. It's making the percentage of well off people unusually high, and the percentage of poor people is unusually low.
But I absolutely agree with you that there are some people who are poorer than others. Maybe not a huge number, but probably more than most of us realize. For example there are people who grew up in the area, never owned property (so they never got that advantage), never got one of the high paying jobs you find here, but also never left the area because its home.
NOVA has a thriving well educated and affluent population with all of lifes goodies to keep them happy. There is poverty/lower middle class residents but they are not usually the dominant focus of life. It is a rich market for employment especially in certain areas. Much of it fueled by the federal government and related contractors etc. It will be interesting how this all plays out over the next few years as our national finances play out. Some of the wealthiest counties in the country are in NOVA and Maryland.
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I realize that NoVa does skew the stats but I think alot of states have one area that is usually stronger than the rest of the state (usually a large metro area) so it's not that unusual in that regard, IMO..
