Top Places to Live : County May Not Beat All, But Comes Close

Orange County may not be the best place in America to live, but it’s better than at least 290 others.

That’s the verdict from Money magazine, which ranked the Anaheim-Santa Ana metropolitan statistical area--a.k.a. Orange County--as the 10th-best place in the country to live.

It’s better than Los Angeles (No. 17), San Francisco (No. 12), San Diego (No. 22) and even 38th-ranked Orange County, N.Y., according to the magazine’s study. And it’s certainly better than No. 300, Flint, Mich.

But if you want an even nicer locale, according to the magazine, steer the moving van toward Wheeling, W. Va.

“I’m very, very pleased, because we live in an area of tremendous diversity,” Orange County Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez said of the community’s high ranking. “It’s just a verification that Orange County is perceived in a very positive light in the national arena. It’s a compliment to Orange County and everything it stands for.”

Reported in the August issue of the magazine, the Money survey differs from other best-city rankings in that the magazine polled 226 readers, “a representative sample,” to determine what they thought were the most important characteristics of a desirable place to live. The readers’ choices? Safety of property, personal safety and the likelihood that the houses will increase in value scored highest. The three least important, out of 60 choices, were proximity to an Amtrak station, availability of household help and closeness to a bus terminal.

The weighted variables then were combined with data about the nation’s 300 largest “metropolitan statistical areas” and plugged into a specially designed computer program, which produced the list.

Coming out on top was Nashua, N.H., with its strong economy, first-rate schools and no state income tax. Rounding out the top 10, in order, are: Norwalk, Conn.; Wheeling, W. Va.; Beaver County, Pa.; Danbury, Conn.; Long Island, N.Y.; Oxnard/Ventura, Ca.; Boston’s North Shore, Mass.; Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and Anaheim/Santa Ana.

“That’s fascinating. I’m glad we were in the top 10,” Anaheim Mayor Ben Bay said. “If I were looking for a place to live, I’d look at the same factors (as the magazine).”

Pennsylvania had the most cities in the top 100 with 13, followed by California with 12. California finished with the most cities in the top 50. Michigan fared worst, with five of its cities among the bottom 10 on the list of 300.

According to the magazine: “Orange County offers terrific weather,” noting that only San Diego offered better in the nation. Money was also impressed by the leisure attractions and the development that is under way.

But it also noted the county’s severe lack of affordable housing. “And the roads are often jammed,” the publication states. “Accidents happen. The average annual auto insurance rate of $663 is one of the highest nationwide.”

That’s not all. The Money article concludes with the predictable criticism proferred by people not accustomed to California’s geology:

“One other worry,” it states. “Some experts say there is a 50% chance of a major earthquake within the next 30 years.” Maybe that warning will allay some of Supervisor Don Roth’s concerns.

“Once this thing is published . . . families may come pouring into our area,” said Roth, a former Anaheim mayor, who added he was not surprised by Orange County’s high ranking.

One of the area’s drawing points, he said, is that “only a few spots in the country have the kind of weather we do.”

Indeed, of the top 10, Orange County ranked the highest for weather, rating 96 points out of a possible 100. It also had the worst crime rating of the top 10, coming up with 24 points (one of the article’s authors said the magazine used FBI statistics for crime).

Orange County also got only 11 points for housing--but then second-rated Norwalk, Conn. (where a three-bedroom house can cost from $250,000 to $400,000, the article states), received just two points in that category.

Other scores for Orange County (out of a possible 100 points each) were economy, 50; health, 75; leisure, 87; arts, 57; education, 45, and transit, 33.

Mark Baldassare, UC Irvine sociology professor who directs the university’s annual survey of the county, said that while the reader-chosen criteria for ranking the cities are “not bad indicators,” they are weighted toward upper-middle-income preferences. Indeed, the magazine noted that the readers polled had a median age of 42 and a median household income of $56,000.

“What’s most interesting about this list is what always comes up very high: suburban communities,” he said. “That’s a trend we’ve been seeing in the mid-’80s, a rebirth of northeastern cities and their suburbs.”

He said he would expect that Orange County and Long Island, as major suburbs outside the two top metropolitan areas, be “prime candidates for coming up high. It doesn’t surprise me. When you include the Connecticut suburbs, it’s pretty much what I would expect. That’s where Americans want to live right now, the suburban outposts of major cities in the U.S.”

Then how does he explain the high ranking of Wheeling, W. Va.?

“There are always wild cards, statistical flukes,” Baldassare said.

Wheeling officials, however, think it is entirely appropriate to be ranked so high, even over all California cities.

“I think maybe we have the things you might not have,” said Wheeling Mayor Stella Koerner, obviously excited by all the national media attention on her city of 42,000. “You have nice weather; we have four seasons. . . . In the fall you can’t find anything more picturesque than the hills of West Virginia, and Wheeling’s got the best of it.”

Wheeling has the lowest crime rate in the country, according to the magazine. “We have a peace-loving citizenry, law-abiding citizens. Our taxes are moderate. Wheeling’s been known for a number of years as ‘the friendly city,’ and our natives and citizens demonstrate that,” Koerner said.

Officials of other top-ranked communities also said they were not surprised by their position on the list.

“First, everybody in Nashua knew it was (No. 1), but it’s nice to get national recognition,” said Carl Andrade, president of the city’s Board of Aldermen. The magazine mentioned that Nashua (pop. 75,000) has cold weather and high housing prices but enjoys a low crime rate and proximity to Boston, the Atlantic Coast and the White Mountains.

So what’s Nashua got over California?

“I guess San Diego has the best weather . . . but we have four seasons here,” Andrade said. People come from all around the world to Nashua in the fall for the foliage. In the winter, they ski and ice-fish, and in the spring and summer, they enjoy water sports, he said. Housing prices have appreciated well, “and I don’t know anyone who bought property and hasn’t turned a profit.”

It’s not all idyllic, he admitted. “We’ve had a lot of growth. The highway system hasn’t kept up,” although city officials have designed transportation projects to remedy that.

“The future looks bright,” he said. “And it’s still nothing like being backed up on a Los Angeles freeway, as far as that’s concerned.”

Yes, he’s been to Southern California.

“I think it’s a great place to visit,” Andrade said, but he concurs with the magazine:

“I’d rather live in Nashua, New Hampshire.”

TOP-RANKED AREAS 1. Nashua, N.H.

2. Norwalk, Conn.

3. Wheeling, W. Va.

4. Beaver County, Pa.

5. Danbury, Conn.

6. Long Island, N.Y.

7. Oxnard / Ventura

8. Boston’s North Shore

9. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

10. Anaheim/Santa Ana

11. Houma / Thibodaux, La.

12. San Francisco

13. Central New Jersey

14. Rochester, Minn.

15. Cumberland, Md.

CRITERIA FOR RATING METRO AREAS Money magazine polled a representative sample of its readers (median age 42, median household income $56,000), who were asked to rate 60 factors, ranging from child care to climate. The factors that rated highest, and thus formed the basis for ranking the cities, were:

Low crime rate and personal safety.

Relative health of local economy.

Housing costs.

Quality and availability of health care.

Climate.

Leisure activities.

Availability of cultural activities.

Quality of schools.

Transportation.