CITY COMPARISON TABLE

Montpelier,
VT

Salt Lake City,

UT

405,007

Savannah,
GA
137,690

7,847

186,740

People

60.16% White
30.17% Black
10.9%
Hispanic

40.58% White
54.71% Black
5.06%
Hispanic

96.76% White
0.18% Black
0.45%
Hispanic

78.95% White
2.88% Black
21.4%
Hispanic

Health

Air quality:
82

Air quality: 88.1

Water quality:
47
Health Cost:
94.5

Air Quality: 96.7

Water quality:
60
Health Cost:
104

Air Quality: 72.5

Water quality:
68
Health Cost:
92.8

Unemployment
Rate: 7.10%
Future Job
Growth: 36.8%
Income Taxes:
6.00%

Unemployment
Rate: 3.60%
Future Job
Growth: 39.9%
Income Taxes:
3.55%

Unemployment
Rate: 2.90%
Future Job
Growth: 43.50%
Income Taxes:
5.00%

Median home
cost: $208,500
Property Tax
Rate: $18.22

Median home
cost: $263,100
Property Tax
Rate: $7.68

FOCUS
Population

Economy

Raleigh,
NC

Water quality:
90
Health Cost:
99.6
Unemployment
Rate: 4.30%
Future Job
Growth: 43.10%
Income Taxes:
5.80%

Housing

Median
home cost
$179,400
Property Tax
Rate: $8.49

Median home
cost: $93,700
Property Tax
Rate: $9.35

Rankings
(list your fav 5)

#3 Most
Romantic
#3 Best for
sleep
#13 Best place
to live
#14 Most
secure large
city
#17 Healthiest

#92 Best and

Worst for Crime
#98 Most popular
for the Holidays
#156 Best to live
at
#235 Best Green
City
#6 Best college in
GA

Avg. July High:

89
Avg. Jan. Low:
31.5
Violent Crime:
56.5
Property
Crime: 49.1
$9,257 per
student
Ca. 16
students per
teacher

Avg. July High:

92
Avg. Jan. Low:
38.9
Violent Crime:
82
Property Crime:
71.6
$11,084 per
student
Ca. 14.2
students per
teacher

Avg. July High:

78
Avg. Jan. Low:
6.7
Violent Crime:
41.9
Property Crime:
58.8
$15,807 per
student
Ca. 10.8
students per
teacher

#1 Fiscally Fit
#2 Most
Romantic
#5 Healthiest
#10 On the
Edge of
Greatness
#13 Best for
Seniors
Avg. July High:
90
Avg. Jan. Low:
26.7
Violent Crime:
68.2
Property Crime:
82.9
$7,691 per
student
Ca. 22.7
students per
teacher

Commute
Time: 21.37
Auto:

Commute
Time: 19.15
Auto: 75.56%

Commute
Time: 19.86
Auto: 57.96%

Commute
Time: 19.38
Auto: 68.66%

Climate

Crime

Education

Transportation

Not ranked

79.42%

Cost of Living

0.50%
higher than
average

17.00% lower
than average

14.7% higher
than average

15.00%
higher than
average

Religion

Catholic:
11.3%
Baptist:
10.85%
Islam: 1.14%

Catholic: 56.9%
Baptist: 19.46%
Islam: 0.23%

Catholic:
21.58%
Baptist: 0.77%
Islam: 0.00%

Catholic: 8.71%
Baptist: 0.84%
Islam: 0.44%

Voting

Democrat:
54.9%
Republican:
43.5%
$99,000

Democrat:
55.5%
Republican:
43.5%
$107,000

Democrat:
69.6%
Republican:
27.6%
$102,000

Democrat:
38.3%
Republican:
58.6%
$92,000

Median Salary
Chief Executive
Officer

COMPARISON OF CITIES-COST OF LIVING (COLA)

Relocating for education, a job, or for other reasons involves more than
cramming your clothes in a suitcase and throwing your goldfish in the
backseat of the car. Research enables you to familiarize yourself with
prospective cities and geographical regions to analyze and compare cost of
living, jobs prospects, climate, entertainment and social life, rental rates,
home prices, education, crime, shopping, public transit, and more. These
sites offer you a chance to look at different cities as you explore the prospect
of relocating. Although I have several sites listed, use the first site for this
comparison.
http://www.bestplaces.net/
http://www.city-data.com/
http://www.moving.com/real-estate/compare-cities/index.asp
http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/moving-cost-of-livingcalculator.aspx
http://www.areaconnect.com/crime/compare.htm
http://www.townhunter.com/TownHunter/home.aspx

Some of the information may not be exactly the same on the various sites.
You may have to evaluate the findings differently. For instance, instead of an
actual number, you may instead get a percentage higher or lower. Keep in
mind the goal of this activity. To find out what to expect if you were moving
to a new location. Choose cities in four major geographical areas of the
country.