Only, with our QLQ, it’s the 329 metropolitan statistical areas across the nation, not hotels and restaurants.

And the subject, of course, is long-term quality of life considerations for expanding or relocating companies, not short-term lodging or brief dining experiences.

Still, Mobil and Expansion Management do have a couple of things in common.

First, it’s all about travel.

With Mobil, it’s about where to stay or dine during pleasure or business travel — with few expectations of continuous long-term service. Maybe some return visits.

With Expansion Management’s readers, it’s about expanding or relocating companies — and in their travels, the expectation is always long-term relationships.

Second, it’s about high standards, quality and service.

Mobil cites “commitment to excellence” in its evaluation of lodging and dining establishments. Five-star winners enjoy the distinction of offering guests a memorable, one-of-a-kind experience, every time.

Expansion Management’s evaluation of MSAs is also concerned with excellence, but of a more daily, permanent nature rather than a transient memorable experience. Expanding and relocating companies are looking for a quality home for business operations, and, at today’s home prices, they can’t afford to make a miscalculated facility decision.

For a better idea of what we consider good business-quality-of-life, let’s look at the categories that determined our ratings.  

Four Star Communities

Peace of Mind Crime may not pay, and is costly both for individuals and businesses.

MSAs were ranked on the incidence of property and violent crimes, as well as the overall crime index. 

When it comes to quality of life from an individual or company perspective, low crime rates provide a sense of security — an expectation that they may not fall victim to personal injury or property loss.

Likewise, we believe peace of mind comes from a little elbowroom at home or at work. The neighbor in Robert Frost’s “Mending Walls” says “good fences make good neighbors.” Like the first neighbor in Frost’s poem, we are not fence advocates. 

However, our QLQ places value on privacy and open spaces. Low population density provides some of that space, and with it, in our opinion, peace of mind.

Home ownership is also still pretty widely accepted as a part of the American dream. This category, the second most heavily weighted in the QLQ, ranks MSAs on housing affordability for median-income families and fair market rents for three- and four-bedroom rental housing units.

And seeing as how we prefer ownership to renting, housing affordability was given more weight than fair market rents.

Give Me Shelter

Accordingly, our QLQ recognizes the value of adult education in the overall quality of life in the MSA.

MSAs with higher levels of high school and four-year college graduates among the 25 years and older population ranked higher in this category.

School Days, School Days

Median family income, per capita income, and per capita disposable income levels were combined with cost of living adjustments, state/local tax burdens, family and individual poverty levels, and unemployment rates to rank the MSAs.

Comfortable Living

From a business perspective, lower average annual wages can mean lower employment costs, and more opportunity for a company to become the employer-of-choice in the local labor market.

Higher unemployment rates can mean a buyer’s market in the  labor pool, and, tempered by  higher levels of high school and  college graduates, can mean  an available and skilled labor  force and lower training costs.

A higher proportion of 18 to 34-year-olds in the population can mean plentiful young workers, mature middle managers, and potential for employees and the company to grow together.

And if these factors don’t mean quality of life for your business, we’ve failed Intro to Business 101.

Employment Opportunity Index

MSA scores were proportionally adjusted based simply on the availability of two-year associate’s degree, four-year bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctoral-granting institutions of higher learning.

This category emphasizes the role of junior or community colleges in employment training programs as well as adult education, but also recognizes the increasing value of local four-year and greater degree-producing programs in retention and recruitment efforts.

Have Hub, Can Travel Our travel category is defined by the availability of large, medium and small hub airports as qualified by the Federal Aviation Administration in terms of air carrier passenger enplanements.

The 29 large, 42 medium and 68 small hub airports account for over 97 percent of the total U.S. enplanements from 451 FAA-towered and federal contract tower airports, compared to less than 3 percent enplaned at the remaining non-hub airports.

These qualifications identify those MSAs that are most suited to long-distance passenger travel, whether for pleasure or business trips.

MSA scores were proportionally adjusted based on the local presence of large, medium and small hub airports.

Final rankings What does it all mean? The overall QLQ defines those MSAs that provide superior quality of life to employees and employers alike.

So visit a five- or four-star community, and prepare for a long and satisfying stay.

You may never leave.

For the Special 1999 Ratings Issue contact knichols@newhope.com.