I posted a while back about Edmond’s ranking among Money Magazine’s Top 100 Best Places to Live, but after a friend brought the list to my attention again over the weekend, I took a deeper look at some of the statistical information that went into why Edmond made the list.
I found a few things, in particular, interesting because they’re defiant of so many of the stereotypes that we ‘Okies’ get stuck with:
- While Edmond ranked well above state averages in both reading and math testing, we ranked at an even higher differential in math than the averages of the Top 100 cities, at 17.2% above.
- Edmond has higher-than-average Arts Funding as compared to the other cities ranked in the Top 100.
- Weather-wise, we have considerably more clear days, at 38%, as compared to the 30% average.
- 79.8% of residents have completed at least some level of college, which is higher than the 73.6% average.
Maybe the weather’s not as bad, and we’re not as dumb and unrefined as some might believe. It’s always fun to buck the stereotypes, because people that have never lived here just don’t get it, but here are a few more of the things within this list that emphasize why living in Central Oklahoma is so great:
- ‘Family Purchasing Power’ (which considers median family income and compares it with cost-of-living) is higher-than-average.
- Our $178,250 median home price is far more manageable than the $293,712 median average of the other cities.
- At $1,881 per year, our average property taxes blow the other cities ($4,072) out of the water.
- In the Quality-of-life category, we excel in Air Quality, Personal Crime Incidents, and Commute Times.
Sounds to me like a great place to call home, which is why I do. I’m curious what other factors have so many folks falling in love with our best-kept secret?
About Ryan Hukill
We just moved back to Edmond from downtown OKC last August. We moved because our oldest child was hitting jr. high. Edmond schools can't be beat!
We also appreciate how safe Edmond is. Our kids can ride their bikes down the street. We couldn't do that in our old neighborhood.