Tucson one of “Best Cities for Relocating Families”… Worldwide ERC®, the association for workforce mobility, and Primacy Relocations® announced that Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Provo-Orem, Utah are 2007’s Best Cities for Relocating Families™ among large (1,250,000 population or greater), medium (575,000 to 1,250,000) and small (350,000 to 575,000) U. S. metropolitan areas. Tucson ranked 14th among the mid-sized metro areas and Phoenix ranked 17th among the large metro areas. This survey is conducted each spring and considers factors such as the area’s cost of living, crime rates, education and climate which are combined with more abstract factors such as the arts and cultural scene, focus on diversity and number of physicians per capita. Of course, the housing market—including home prices, home affordability index, appreciation rates, and property taxes—factors heavily into the ranking. According to Michelle Vallejo, President of Primacy, “The cities on this list represent some of the stronger real estate markets and places that are most conducive to a successful family relocation.”

ACCRA first quarter cost of living index released… The Council for Community and Economic Research released the first quarter 2007 report last month. In it, Tucson is shown to have costs slightly higher than the national average (100.4 versus an average of 100). The contributors to this index were grocery items at 106.4, transportation at 105.3 and miscellaneous goods and services at 103.1. Surprisingly, housing, which was given a great deal of press 18 months ago when prices were peaking, came in at 93.9–well under the national average. Of the top ten most expensive cities in which to live, five are in California, three in New York (New York City is number one at 213.7 total index), one in Connecticut and one in Hawaii. Joplin, Missouri heads the list of cheapest cities, with an overall ranking of 81.6.

First large-scale permanent ramp closures begin next week!… The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) continues to prepare for the two-and-a-half year widening of I-10. It is imperative that all businesses and residents are aware of the effects that the closures will have on their commuting patterns and the rest of their daily lives. Click here to view the most recent traffic alert detailing all of the current and upcoming closures to the frontage roads, cross-streets and the Interstate itself.