06/11/03
From Staff reports
Huntsville Times
After just missing the top 10 in Forbes magazine's list of best places to do business last month, Huntsville made the top 5 in a similar ranking in this month's Employment Review magazine.
Employment Review's June cover story lists Huntsville the No. 4 place in the country to live and work, based on housing costs, taxes, unemployment rate, health care, arts, recreation and projected job growth through 2008. No. 1 was Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.; No. 2 was Madison, Wis.; No. 3 was Austin, Texas; and No. 5 was Atlanta.
Huntsville's vital statistics included a cost of living that's 95 percent of the national average; a median home cost of $101,000; 4.4 percent unemployment and projected job growth of 17 percent over the next five years. Huntsville's stable economy and history of technical innovation in space and defense also were cited.
"Huntsville is a unique city that maintains its balance between being a town with a rich heritage steeped in Southern traditions and being a progressive, high-tech city dedicated to innovation and exploration," the article states. "What makes this Southern gem so appealing is its affordability and low unemployment during difficult economic times."
The full article can be viewed at www.employmentreview.com.
The ranking is the latest in a string of media accolades for Huntsville this year. Forbes ranked Huntsville No. 11 in a list of best places to do business in its May 22 issue. The city also was featured in Expansion Management magazine in January, Family Digest in March, Southern Living in April.
