Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 18, 1994 TAG: 9412190013
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: G4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF DEBELL STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Whatever its shortcomings, this part of the country has a good "quality of life."
It's not necessary to define the term. Folks know what it means.
And they don't mind disagreeing with studies that indicate local quality of life isn't as good as they think it is.
Anne Piedmont just shakes her head when asked about Money magazine's recent conclusion that Roanoke ranks 200 rungs below No. 1 Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C., in terms of livability.
"It's hard to figure where they're getting their information," said Piedmont, who is head of research for the Economic Development Partnership of Roanoke Valley. "I don't think it reflects what the community has to offer at all."
The man on the street doesn't have to try to quantify quality of life to know what it means. It means the air is clean, the water is safe to drink and there's small likelihood of being murdered or beaten up.
It means there are things to do - entertainments as diverse as bowling and opera, hiking and watching minor league sports. It means the schools are OK, that there are colleges for those who want to go and jobs for those who don't.
It means the cost of living is moderate, job commutes are relatively brief and serious traffic congestion is practically unheard of.
It means there's pleasing scenery and a climate of distinctive seasons with only rare extremes like last winter's ice attack.
It's all true, though folks may differ on what's most important.
It's true for other places, too. In fact, there are places that may have even more agreeable climates. Their air and water may be a little cleaner. They may be even safer, and they may have entertainment and amenities of superior quality.
Taxes are lower in certain other localities, and other school systems have better graduation rates, fewer dropouts and better pupil/teacher ratios. Other places have more and better colleges, more and better jobs.
At the same time, there are plenty of places against which the Roanoke region compares favorably.
That's the way it is with this squishy, highly subjective subject. One locality's quality of life may not actually be better than another's, statistically speaking, but its residents may darn well think it's the best place outside of Heaven.
So what if it's short on top-rank cultural amenities? They may be into personal safety. For them, the crime rate matters more than the number of museums.
Others take the opposite point of view. For them, routine access to Broadway or the Met is well worth the risk of getting stalled in traffic or mugged on the way home.
More formal measures of quality of life vary broadly from place to place and time to time, depending on how it's measured, the sources of information and the weight given to various indicators.
Roanoke's current low murder rate may be enough to raise its stock in upcoming livability ratings, particularly in a time when there is intense pubic interest in crime. Conversely, last winter's icing could hurt the region's reputation weather-wise.
Franklyn Moreno, executive director of the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance, said the rough winter of 1993-94 has raised the interest of some industrial prospects in weather-related school closings.
The University of Kentucky rated 253 urban areas for quality of life in 1988 and placed Roanoke at No. 17, citing such factors as the climate, favorable pupil/teacher ratios and housing costs.
Last year, Zero Population Growth Inc. ranked the valley among the least stressful places in the United States from the standpoints of crime, health, education and other indicators affecting children.
The metro area finished 24th of 239. Roanoke County placed 9th among 493 counties and Roanoke was rated 36th best among 195 cities in ZPG's "Children's Stress Index."
Houston, Los Angeles and Miami were among the worst places.
"The Index findings show that, in general, the larger the area's population, the greater the stress on its youngest residents," ZPG executive director Susan Weber said. "Bigger isn't always better; in fact, it's almost always worse for children."
Blacksburg ranks 56th overall among 151 places dubbed "premier" retirement locations in "Retirement Places Rated" by David Savageau and Richard Boyer. It ranks 16th in "services offered," including medical care, libraries, transportation and continuing education opportunities.
In G. Scott Thomas' "Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities," Blacksburg is the only Virginia community given a favorable rating. Thomas ranks it 138th among 219 "micropolitan" areas in the country.
Another rating book, "The 100 Best Small Towns in America," includes Bedford. It ranks 38th on the basis of population growth, income, crime rates, education and other indicators.
In the most recent (1993) "Places Rated Almanac," the Roanoke Valley ranks 89th among 343 localities. Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Richmond all placed higher in the overall rating, while Danville (262) and Norfolk (97) finished lower.
Cities were evaluated for cost of living, job growth, transportation facilities, health care, education, crime, the arts, recreation and climate. Among Virginia metro areas, Roanoke placed highest only in the climate category.
The book described the valley's climate as "moderate" and "invigorating," with only rare extremes of temperature. On the minus side, it said, the Roanoke River is "liable to flood."
Perhaps the best known city rating - or at least the most publicized - is Money magazine's annual list of "The Best Places to Live in America."
The most recent appeared in September. It crowned North Carolina's Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metro area as the nation's most livable place.
The Roanoke Valley placed at No. 201 in the list of 300 localities -- much closer to the bottom of the list than the top. Not particularly impressive for a place that likes to say it has a good quality of life.
Among Virginia metropolitan areas, Roanoke placed second to Charlottesville (No. 77) in the magazine's report. Richmond, Norfolk, Lynchburg and Danville all finished with lower livability ratings.
Last year, Roanoke ranked 81st in the report.
"Your economy cooled quite a bit between '93 and '94," said Sheryl Nance-Nash, who co-wrote the Money magazine story with Marguerite T. Smith. They cited declines in job-growth projections and housing starts as evidence of the cooling.
The Money writers declined to release detailed information on the research, which was carried out for the magazine by a private firm.
Money's conclusions are a mystery to Anne Piedmont of the Economic Development Partnership. With low unemployment and "practically no empty buildings," she said, the local economy is healthy. And the violent crime rate is so "miraculously low" that it's attracting national publicity, including a highly favorable report on National Public Radio.
"Whatever they're basing their ratings on really isn't what experience shows in the Roanoke Valley," Piedmont said.
"Of course," she joked, "if they said we were No. 1, I'd be saying it's very valid."
by CNB