THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 17, 1995 TAG: 9508170503
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
Gainesville, Fla., which gained national attention from the murders of five college students in 1990, is now the best place to live in the United States, Money magazine said in an annual ranking released Wednesday.
Yuba City, Calif., once notorious for another series of murders, finished last in the ranking of the nation's 300 biggest metropolitan areas by the glossy personal finance monthly.
Hampton Roads slid to No. 283, down from 224.
Gainesville, a college town cited for its gracious charm and a relaxed way of life, climbed from No. 7 in 1994 to the top spot this year due in part to its strong economy. Yuba City, an agricultural area north of Sacramento, fell from No. 291 as poor weather damaged farmland.
``The starkest comparison between the two is if you just look at the economies,'' said Richard Eisenberg, an assistant managing editor at Money.
Gainesville boasted 6.2 percent job growth last year and its unemployment rate stands at 2.8 percent. In contrast, almost one-fifth of Yuba City residents are out of work.
It was in Yuba City in 1971 that authorities exhumed the bodies of 25 migrant farm workers hacked to death by Juan Corona.
Each year, Money magazine examines a range of categories to compile its list. This year the criteria included the economy, health, crime, housing, education, weather, transit, leisure and the arts, based on data gathered from a poll of its readers.
By those categories, Florida is hot in more than just the weather.
Gainesville aside, four other Florida municipalities ranked in Money's Top 10.
``The prime reason: According to our data, no other part of the country has had such strong recent employment growth, sizzling - yet still affordable - housing values and dazzling prospects for job creation,'' Money says in the cover story of its September issue. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
The best places to live in the country, as ranked by Money magazine.
Numbers in parentheses show 1994 ranking.
[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]
KEYWORDS: DESIRABILITY RANKING HAMPTON ROADS by CNB