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Midland ranks 94 in top 100 places to raise a family
by Kathleen Thurber
Midland Reporter-Telegram
By Kathleen Thurber
Staff Writer
Those who've shied away from the wind and dust of West Texas are starting to learn what Midlanders say they already knew -- there's no place like home.
With its short commutes, accredited museums, decreasing crime rates and consistently low unemployment, Midland ranked No. 94 in a recently released list of the top 100 cities to raise a family in.
"People aren't so caught up in the grind of making the mighty dollar," said Santa Rita Elementary's principal Adrianne Clifton. "People have things in focus here, families are a high priority for people in this community."
In addition to test scores -- TAKS scores released Tuesday showed Midland students making gains in most areas, including reading and social studies -- Best Life Magazine, which released the ranking, also looked at crime statistics, U.S. Census Data, housing prices and health care, among other things.
Crime
Midland's low crime rate of about 5.2 violent crimes per 1,000 people likely helped land it in the top 100. Flint, Mich., which ranked in the bottom 10 cities, had a rate of more than 20 violent crimes per 1,000 people, while Austin -- the highest ranking Texas city at No. 14 -- has about 4.6 violent crimes per 1,000 people, according to FBI data.
"We must be doing something right," said Midland Police Sgt. David Garcia. He said part of what has helped Midland's crime rates decrease from 2003 to 2007 are the community members who aren't afraid to report crimes or incidents in progress.
Garcia said crimes, especially those committed by juveniles, tend to rise during the summer, but overall there aren't consistent periods of criminal activity in Midland.
Culture
Nationally accredited museums and the more than 45 city parks in Midland also were part of the data considered in rankings.
Both the American Airpower Heritage Museum and the Museum of the Southwest are accredited by the American Association of Museums, which has accredited about 775 of the nearly 17,500 museums nationwide.
"It's a credit to the community," said Dewey Blanton with the American Association of Museums, adding that it's unusual for a city of Midland's size to have two accredited museums.
Jennifer Borlinghaus at the American Airpower Heritage Museum said of the about 1,600 monthly visitors during the summer, most are families or grandparents trying to teach their grandkids about World War II.
"It's actually like stepping back in time," she said of the exhibits.
Housing
And while rent costs and median housing prices have continued to rise, the region still falls in the range of affordability when compared with national averages.
Midland's rent per square foot falls about 10 cents below the Texas Metro Average of about 80 cents per square foot, according to the Texas A&M University Real Estate Center. The average median price of homes sold falls at $133,900, more than $10,000 less than the state median and about $90,000 less than the national median.
"There's a lot of good reasons to come here," said Carroll Nall, member services director of the Permian Basin Board of Realtors. Midland's Realtors have been stretched for properties to sell during the last year, but Nall said, there are currently 387 homes for sale, which is about 75 more than have been available in recent months.
Professionals
American Bar Association statistics -- something local law professionals say likely helped Midland -- were also analyzed.
"Midland is a place where the rule of law works," said Harper Estes, president elect of the State Bar of Texas. Estes said Midland allows lawyers to work on the same cases professionals do in larger areas without the hassle of a large city.
Michael Barnhouse, executive director at the Salvation Army said the professional community of Midland provides for its nonprofits and social services more than most.
"The people of West Texas and Midland particularly are just giving people," he said.
Part of that may come from a faith community that's willing to work together, said the Rev. Larry Long at Fellowship Community Church.
Education
For its size, said Midland Christian Superintendent Eddie Lee, the city also has more private school options than most.
"It's just a small town environment with all the extras of a big town," Lee said.
Clifton said Midland's education standards continue to improve because parents here are willing to get involved on campus and in their children's lives.
"We don't settle for mediocrity whether it's a public school or a private school," she said.
Likely keeping Midland lower on that top 100 list, though, is the spending per student in MISD where about $6,652 is spent per pupil. The national average for fiscal year 2006 is $9,138, with the lowest spending in Utah at $5,437 per student, according to U.S. Census Data.
Other factors keeping Midland from inching higher on the list may have included the percentage of children living in single-parent families, which at about 20 percent leaves Midland near average statewide. High rates of uninsured children also may have been a factor as Texas ranks low nationwide with about 24.6 percent of children uninsured compared with a national average of 15.6 percent. Midland-Odessa falls even lower with about 27.4 percent of children uninsured, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Still, when it's tied for the lowest unemployment rate in the country -- 2.6 percent, average commutes are less than 15 minutes, and locals describe an atmosphere of giving, faith and friendliness, most agree Midland earned its spot in this particular hall of fame.
Kathleen Thurber can be reached at kthurber@mrt.com.
On the Net:
The 100 Best Places to Raise a Family from Best Life Magazine:
http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/family-fatherhood/The_100_Best_Places_to_Raise_a_Family.shtml
Other Texas towns in the top 100:
No. 14: Austin
No. 26: Plano
No. 62: San Antonio
No. 65: Denton
No. 69: El Paso
No. 86: Fort Worth
No. 91: McKinney
No. 97: Arlington
In the bottom ten:
Corpus Christi
Waco
Beaumont
Top ten:
1. Honolulu, Hawaii
2. Virginia Beach, Va.
3. Billings, Mont.
4. Columbus, Ga.
5. San Diego, Calif.
6. Des Moines, Iowa
7. Minneapolis, Minn.
8. Madison, Wis.
9. Colorado Springs, Colo.
10. Santa Rosa, Calif.
For the full list click on:
http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/family-fatherhood/The_100_Best_Places_to_Raise_a_Family.shtml
Staff Writer
Those who've shied away from the wind and dust of West Texas are starting to learn what Midlanders say they already knew -- there's no place like home.
With its short commutes, accredited museums, decreasing crime rates and consistently low unemployment, Midland ranked No. 94 in a recently released list of the top 100 cities to raise a family in.
"People aren't so caught up in the grind of making the mighty dollar," said Santa Rita Elementary's principal Adrianne Clifton. "People have things in focus here, families are a high priority for people in this community."
In addition to test scores -- TAKS scores released Tuesday showed Midland students making gains in most areas, including reading and social studies -- Best Life Magazine, which released the ranking, also looked at crime statistics, U.S. Census Data, housing prices and health care, among other things.
Crime
Midland's low crime rate of about 5.2 violent crimes per 1,000 people likely helped land it in the top 100. Flint, Mich., which ranked in the bottom 10 cities, had a rate of more than 20 violent crimes per 1,000 people, while Austin -- the highest ranking Texas city at No. 14 -- has about 4.6 violent crimes per 1,000 people, according to FBI data.
"We must be doing something right," said Midland Police Sgt. David Garcia. He said part of what has helped Midland's crime rates decrease from 2003 to 2007 are the community members who aren't afraid to report crimes or incidents in progress.
Garcia said crimes, especially those committed by juveniles, tend to rise during the summer, but overall there aren't consistent periods of criminal activity in Midland.
Culture
Nationally accredited museums and the more than 45 city parks in Midland also were part of the data considered in rankings.
Both the American Airpower Heritage Museum and the Museum of the Southwest are accredited by the American Association of Museums, which has accredited about 775 of the nearly 17,500 museums nationwide.
"It's a credit to the community," said Dewey Blanton with the American Association of Museums, adding that it's unusual for a city of Midland's size to have two accredited museums.
Jennifer Borlinghaus at the American Airpower Heritage Museum said of the about 1,600 monthly visitors during the summer, most are families or grandparents trying to teach their grandkids about World War II.
"It's actually like stepping back in time," she said of the exhibits.
Housing
And while rent costs and median housing prices have continued to rise, the region still falls in the range of affordability when compared with national averages.
Midland's rent per square foot falls about 10 cents below the Texas Metro Average of about 80 cents per square foot, according to the Texas A&M University Real Estate Center. The average median price of homes sold falls at $133,900, more than $10,000 less than the state median and about $90,000 less than the national median.
"There's a lot of good reasons to come here," said Carroll Nall, member services director of the Permian Basin Board of Realtors. Midland's Realtors have been stretched for properties to sell during the last year, but Nall said, there are currently 387 homes for sale, which is about 75 more than have been available in recent months.
Professionals
American Bar Association statistics -- something local law professionals say likely helped Midland -- were also analyzed.
"Midland is a place where the rule of law works," said Harper Estes, president elect of the State Bar of Texas. Estes said Midland allows lawyers to work on the same cases professionals do in larger areas without the hassle of a large city.
Michael Barnhouse, executive director at the Salvation Army said the professional community of Midland provides for its nonprofits and social services more than most.
"The people of West Texas and Midland particularly are just giving people," he said.
Part of that may come from a faith community that's willing to work together, said the Rev. Larry Long at Fellowship Community Church.
Education
For its size, said Midland Christian Superintendent Eddie Lee, the city also has more private school options than most.
"It's just a small town environment with all the extras of a big town," Lee said.
Clifton said Midland's education standards continue to improve because parents here are willing to get involved on campus and in their children's lives.
"We don't settle for mediocrity whether it's a public school or a private school," she said.
Likely keeping Midland lower on that top 100 list, though, is the spending per student in MISD where about $6,652 is spent per pupil. The national average for fiscal year 2006 is $9,138, with the lowest spending in Utah at $5,437 per student, according to U.S. Census Data.
Other factors keeping Midland from inching higher on the list may have included the percentage of children living in single-parent families, which at about 20 percent leaves Midland near average statewide. High rates of uninsured children also may have been a factor as Texas ranks low nationwide with about 24.6 percent of children uninsured compared with a national average of 15.6 percent. Midland-Odessa falls even lower with about 27.4 percent of children uninsured, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Still, when it's tied for the lowest unemployment rate in the country -- 2.6 percent, average commutes are less than 15 minutes, and locals describe an atmosphere of giving, faith and friendliness, most agree Midland earned its spot in this particular hall of fame.
Kathleen Thurber can be reached at kthurber@mrt.com.
On the Net:
The 100 Best Places to Raise a Family from Best Life Magazine:
http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/family-fatherhood/The_100_Best_Places_to_Raise_a_Family.shtml
Other Texas towns in the top 100:
No. 14: Austin
No. 26: Plano
No. 62: San Antonio
No. 65: Denton
No. 69: El Paso
No. 86: Fort Worth
No. 91: McKinney
No. 97: Arlington
In the bottom ten:
Corpus Christi
Waco
Beaumont
Top ten:
1. Honolulu, Hawaii
2. Virginia Beach, Va.
3. Billings, Mont.
4. Columbus, Ga.
5. San Diego, Calif.
6. Des Moines, Iowa
7. Minneapolis, Minn.
8. Madison, Wis.
9. Colorado Springs, Colo.
10. Santa Rosa, Calif.
For the full list click on:
http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/family-fatherhood/The_100_Best_Places_to_Raise_a_Family.shtml
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of mywesttexas.com.
Because wrote on May 29, 2008 10:28 PM:
" Because, that kind of wait is normal in county hospitals nationwide and there are screwball parents who let their kids run wild everywhere.
Because, unfortunate things happen and intelligent people exercise due diligence.
Because, one assault does great damage to that person but is certainly not grounds for low ratings for the city as a whole.
Because, your statement about violence is inaccurate. Look to Hobbs or Big Spring for increases, not here.
Because, lousy service in the local eateries is simply a symptom of the low unemployment and lax standards are something Midland holds no monopoly on.
Because, one-sidedness is obviously not a crime. I point you to your own post!!!
Because, trashiness, whether you mean litter or moral degredation, is rampant nationwide and we actually have great programs in place to deal with both.
Because, a revitalized downtown is better than a dead onee, which many cities have. Why not pass judgement after we see if people actually do move there?
Because, while you apparently are sitting around coming up with ways to pour out negativity the team the plays in the ball park actually was the best in the minor leagues last year. (Oh, in case you meant stadium instead of ball park, I recommend you reserve a Friday night in the fall and come out. Tomorrows leaders will be out there developing their character.
Because, it is not a tennis court at a park, it is a tennis complex. If you bothered to check your facts you would know that the courts at the jr highs are far from suitable for tournament play. They high school courts are well used, tennis is booming and growing in the city, and luring state and national tournaments would mean revenue for all the new hotels on the loop.
Because, cricket??? Cricket??? And you complain about a ball park and tennis courts??? Cricket???
Finally a very legitimate point: the pagoda (I assume that is the gift) is an important cultural symbol and better care should be taken to preserve it. However, are you really going to say the failure to do so is worthy of deriding Midland? Surely the pathetic brown and flat landscape and the grueling drive to anywhere significant must be greater negative factors than the lack of a cricket facility and a sadly deteriorating pagoda? Just remember, the only thing that really makes Midland great is its people. Pure and simple.
I have a why for you: Why, when you obviously don't like it here, don't you move to Pakistan where you won't have to worry about mall parking lots, there are no ball parks, cricket is revered, downtown is anyplace with more than three huts, tennis is not a major concern, restaurants are a rarity so hair nets won't be a concern, and the mayor can shoot you for having the audacity to speak out against him???
Or. you could just stay here and get a life.
Hmmmmm
Longing for trout and mountains, but proud to call Midland home. "
Because, unfortunate things happen and intelligent people exercise due diligence.
Because, one assault does great damage to that person but is certainly not grounds for low ratings for the city as a whole.
Because, your statement about violence is inaccurate. Look to Hobbs or Big Spring for increases, not here.
Because, lousy service in the local eateries is simply a symptom of the low unemployment and lax standards are something Midland holds no monopoly on.
Because, one-sidedness is obviously not a crime. I point you to your own post!!!
Because, trashiness, whether you mean litter or moral degredation, is rampant nationwide and we actually have great programs in place to deal with both.
Because, a revitalized downtown is better than a dead onee, which many cities have. Why not pass judgement after we see if people actually do move there?
Because, while you apparently are sitting around coming up with ways to pour out negativity the team the plays in the ball park actually was the best in the minor leagues last year. (Oh, in case you meant stadium instead of ball park, I recommend you reserve a Friday night in the fall and come out. Tomorrows leaders will be out there developing their character.
Because, it is not a tennis court at a park, it is a tennis complex. If you bothered to check your facts you would know that the courts at the jr highs are far from suitable for tournament play. They high school courts are well used, tennis is booming and growing in the city, and luring state and national tournaments would mean revenue for all the new hotels on the loop.
Because, cricket??? Cricket??? And you complain about a ball park and tennis courts??? Cricket???
Finally a very legitimate point: the pagoda (I assume that is the gift) is an important cultural symbol and better care should be taken to preserve it. However, are you really going to say the failure to do so is worthy of deriding Midland? Surely the pathetic brown and flat landscape and the grueling drive to anywhere significant must be greater negative factors than the lack of a cricket facility and a sadly deteriorating pagoda? Just remember, the only thing that really makes Midland great is its people. Pure and simple.
I have a why for you: Why, when you obviously don't like it here, don't you move to Pakistan where you won't have to worry about mall parking lots, there are no ball parks, cricket is revered, downtown is anyplace with more than three huts, tennis is not a major concern, restaurants are a rarity so hair nets won't be a concern, and the mayor can shoot you for having the audacity to speak out against him???
Or. you could just stay here and get a life.
Hmmmmm
Longing for trout and mountains, but proud to call Midland home. "
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WHY wrote on May 29, 2008 7:32 AM:
why, when with an emergency one goes to the county hospital that they are forced to pay taxes to, with an emergency and have to wait for hours because of all the NON emergencies that are sitting in the emergency room to "see their doctor"..... eating and letting their kids run wild.
why, when women don't want to go to the midland park mall by themselves and have to park alone.
why, when in broad daylight one is assulted in front of stores at 4:30pm.
why, when violence is going up and the mayor of midland wears rose colored glasses.
why, when going out to eat employees are not required to have health checkups. and employees at food establishments are not required to wear hair nets......covering all their hair.
why, when in midland the local paper has found one guilty before the trial is done. very one sided, mrt.
why, when midland is trashier than it's ever been.
why, when tax money is being wasted on making people believe they want to live down town........? ? ? ? ?
why, when taxmoney is wasted on a wasted ball park...........
why, when money is going to be used for a tennis court at a park when there are tennis courts at schools that stand empty.......
why, when the city says there is a cricket field and not yet has midland seen the first cricket game played.......
why, when a gift from a foreign country sits in weeds falling apart. "