Development News From Southwest Indiana

Tri-State cities rank among best
By Caroul Wersich, Courier & Press staff writer , June 10, 2005
Evansville and Henderson, Ky., are jointly ranked as 14th among medium-sized markets in an annual Best Cities for Relocating Families study.

The study was sponsored by Washington, D.C.-based Worldwide Employee Relocation Council (ERC) and Memphis-Tenn.-based Primacy Relocation.

Study officials said the ranking is based on both short-term and long-term factors that could determine the likelihood of a successful relocation.

Evansville and Henderson, Ky.'s appearance and general friendliness were cited for the rating out of 50 cities.

Elder care and assisted-living opportunities in the communities also played a role.

The elder care and assisted-living factors were added to the study this year to broaden the definition of "the American family," officials said.

Last year Evansville and Henderson jointly ranked as 10th.

The broadening of the determining factors are believed to possibly have played a role in the slightly lower ranking this year.

Even so area observer Marian Thomas, director of corporate relations for ERA First Advantage Realty Inc. in Newburgh, said the rating is important.

"It shows we are doing so many right things in reaching out to all different groups of people. It's wonderful our area is that desirable to be rated that high," she said.

Worldwide ERC and Primacy teamed with BestPlaces - a massive data base on metro areas - in conducting the survey. BestPlaces provided quantitative analysis.

Worldwide ERC is an organization that provides leadership, advocacy, education and networking to global work force mobility professionals.

Primacy is a third-party relocation services provider.

PO Box 20127, Evansville, IN 47708-0127 TEL: 812-423-2020 E-mail: info@swidc.org