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I'm trying to rap my head around this website that someone posted in a Seattle thread called Area Vibes - that calculates each cities livability score. After plugging in the scores for the following cities, the results are below. I don't know if I agree or disagree (I'm waiting on the comments and thoughts of others).
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Atlanta - 78
Boston - 73
Chicago - 70
Dallas - 78
DC - 74
Denver - 74
Houston - 79
LA - 75
Miami - 71
Minneapolis - 72
NY - 73
Philadelphia - 68
SD - 78
SF - 76
Seattle - 77
* I know it's all about preference but some of these are an interesting calculation.
Interesting site. The scores in Philly seem to range from 78 (zip codes in Center City/Chestnut Hill) to 58 in Fairhill (the cities poorest neighborhood). My zip code was a 67 citing Lots of Local Amenities, Sunny Weather, High Income per Capita and Stable Housing Market as positives. Not sure why it gave a D for cost of living as I live in a very socioeconomically diverse and affordable neighborhood.
One thing I noticed is their weather ranking system is fkn stupid and I don't get it. And when you look at what data they are using it looks like they are using record high and low temperatures over the past 3-7 years instead of averages.
My zip code south of downtown in Denver (Golden Triangle) received a 74. It gave us a D for education crime and a D+ for employment but downtown is literally a 1/2 mile away. The D for COL is very accurate.
One thing I noticed is their weather ranking system is fkn stupid and I don't get it. And when you look at what data they are using it looks like they are using record high and low temperatures over the past 3-7 years instead of averages.
How would that "screw over" SF -- practically the most weather-benign city in the U.S.?
I think in some big cities like NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, LA, etc it depends all on where you live. So in Chicago for example, most of the crime that plagues what people believe about the city actually happens away from areas, where if you have a decent job, you'd be living. Obvious exceptions but most people with nice Accounting jobs aren't flocking to anywhere near Englewood or the middle of Austin/Humboldt Park. I don't really see any of the violence someone in Washington might hear all about in the media. Not even close. For me, it's extremely livable where I live. Where I live, I don't own a car nor need one. I have tons within walking distance right out my door, etc. Very safe. I walked home alone at 3am for 1.25 miles on Friday night. No big deal as it's very safe. But in other parts of the city it's not like that. They basically put the Livability ranking for Chicago in the mid point of the city which is in the Bridgeport neighborhood. Not that the area isn't unlivable, but other parts of the city are much better for that. SO...
I wish they could make the ratings more localized. It would be really interesting to see if they could do that and IMO more useful overall for a number of actual cities in the US.
How would that "screw over" SF -- practically the most weather-benign city in the U.S.?
I didn't say anything about SF being "screwed" over but the data they show really isn't reflective of actual conditions/averages at all for several cities I looked up. And with few exceptions it seems to highly favor cities with extreme heat like AZ and FL cities.
I didn't say anything about SF being "screwed" over but the data they show really isn't reflective of actual conditions/averages at all for several cities I looked up. And with few exceptions it seems to highly favor cities with extreme heat like AZ and FL cities.
I was a little surprised to see "sunny weather" listed for every zip code I plugged in for Philly. That may be true today but certainly not all Winter.
@marithisu, I agree on the central location. I guess when you put in your zip code or neighborhood you get a more accurate assessment. It does seem to favor cities that actually have some forms of extreme heat (sunbelt), which I wonder if that is the consensus of the general public.
My area of my city got an 89. Its just as well, I love living there.
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