|
|||||||
|
|||||||
 |
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
Eldersburg
Among Top 100 Places to Live Eldersburg has once again risen to the top as one of the crème de la crème of small-town America, according to CNN Money Magazine. See the ranking here: The quaint suburbia is ranked the 47th best small town to live in within the United States, a step up from its 56 ranking in 2007. This year's ranking also places it slightly above Mt. Airy, which ranked at 53. Mt. Airy and Eldersburg were the only towns in the entire state to even place in the rankings this year. The list this year highlighted towns with populations between 8,500 and 50,000, which excluded some Maryland communities. Among Eldersburg's standout traits? The median yearly family income is just shy of six figures at $98,569, beating the average of the towns listed by about $1,000. Job growth has been fairly significant at 27.68 percent, beating the Top 100 average by almost eight percent. And perhaps not-so-standout traits? For one, the median home price for Eldersburg is $325,000, or about $60,000 above the average of the towns listed. Also, Eldersburg commuters have a median commute time of about 34 minutes, 10 minutes higher than the list average, and one third of residents have a commute that is 45 minutes or longer. Reaction Eldersburg's ranking as one of the best small towns did not bring about much surprise. Jon Allen, president of the South Carroll Business Association, said the area's low crime, recreational activities and strong community provided a good setting for family living. "The sense of community is best represented with school involvement and community support for community members in need," he said. "Yes, it is obviously a bedroom community but that is slowly changing with the addition of major employers such as [GSE Systems]." County Commissioner Michael Zimmer, who lives in the Eldersburg area, was not taken off guard when he heard about the ranking. "I think it's entirely well deserved - we have a lovely community," he said. "Eldersburg has a unique convergence of convenience and quiet." Denise Beaver, deputy director of the Carroll County Department of Economic Development, echoed the praise of Zimmer and expanded it to all of Carroll. "The secret is now out - Carroll County is an excellent place to live, work and raise a family," she said. "Eldersburg and Mt. Airy are examples of our strong family-oriented communities offering a wide variety of safe, affordable places to live, state-of-the-art medical facilities and a high performing school system." "Eldersburg is very much like the other areas in Carroll County. There seems to be a growing vibrancy in the area and great community pride," she added. Accuracy CNN Money is one of the few legitimate sources of town rankings available, others being Internet sites and a few books that have been published. It is certainly the most recognized and quoted by news sources. Despite this there are still concerns of the methods used to rank the towns. One need only look at the comments on the rankings pages to see there are a slew of people that disagree with the ranking, often matched by the number of people that offer verification for it. "[CNN Money's] methodology seems sound, but I'm certain that with anything there could be things missed or generalizations made that misrepresent the factors being measured," said Ross Dangel, an Eldersburg resident and member of the Freedom Area Citizens' Council. Dangel explained that many things are looked over in the rankings, including Eldersburg's lack of a town center and poor walkability. In addition to this, while the Money rankings do take into account number of restaurants and other areas of leisure and culture within a 15 miles radius, they lack to consider the number of these establishments within the town itself. Dangel explained that Eldersburg's lack of close by major retail and restaurant establishments was another item that could use improvement. Others saw no reason to be suspicious of the rankings. "Most reputable magazines, Money Magazine included, base their rankings on lists such as these on quantifiable research," Denise Beaver said. "I do think that the lists provide an example of small town American living." Impact But what does this mean for the town? Some residents think that it will create a bigger appreciation for the town. Jon Allen mentioned that he hopes it will bring about a greater sense of pride for Eldersburg. "I don't think Eldersburg residents know how they good they have it," Allen said. "Hopefully this rating will help people appreciate Eldersburg more and provide attention and respect it deserves." Commissioner Zimmer saw it as a reinforcement of what town residents already knew. "I think people in Eldersburg pretty much know it's a wonderful place to live, but it's nice to be acknowledged by someone looking at objective criteria - so it's sort of a pride factor," he explained. And still others hoped for something a bit loftier. "This reinforces what I've been saying for a while now that Eldersburg needs its own ZIP code," Dangel joked. "Or how about a big welcome sign at 26 and 32 saying 'Eldersburg - Circa 1750'?"
Links: 2009 - Money Magazine - Eldersburg Ranked #47 2007 - Money Magazine - Eldersburg Ranked #56
Live in Eldersburg? |
|
|
||||||
