Why I'm Better Than You

Okay, I really don't think I'm better than you, but I needed a catchy title to go with the report that Money magazine’s 19th annual survey of the Best Places to Live in America ranks Colorado Springs No. 1 in the big city category, population of 300,000 or more. (Gazette Link Here) (Money Magazine Link Here)

Knowing my faithful and wonderful readers are from places in or around the Mesa, New York, Omaha and other wonderful places to live, I just had to brag a little about my town.

My real point is that what propelled Colorado Springs to the top of the list wasn't necessarily the city's characteristics alone. Sure education, housing price, weather and other things contributed to the ranking, but my favorite quote from the Gazette article was:

The Springs benefited from a change in methodology in the Money survey this year. In 2005, the editors had focused on communities of 14,000 people or larger but this year decided to alter their guidelines and include only those cities of 50,000 or more.

This magnified look at each community — and that breakout — pushed Colorado Springs to the top of the list. It was not even mentioned in the top 100 under the previous format.

So perhaps my title statement could be true. If I just massage the numbers a little I am better than you.