(FORTUNE Magazine) – Making an intelligent decision on where to locate requires getting deep into details. These data were compiled from a number of sources by Moran Stahl & Boyer in close consultation with FORTUNE. All ''A'' to ''D'' ratings are based on MS&B's extensive interviews with existing employers and city officials in the individual cities or, in the case of air quality, on the firm's interpretation of Environmental Protection Agency statistics. The growth projections for 18- to 24-year-olds were calculated by National Planning Data Corp. The training-capacity rating measures how well prepared each city is to train workers in new tasks. The SAT scores represent the combined total of math and verbal tests. In some areas students take the ACT test instead, which has a top score of 36 compared with the SAT's 1,600. Suburban SAT scores are generally for the largest suburb. All statistics on employment base come from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, as does the clerical salaries index. Business-related construction costs are tracked by Marshall's Valuation Guide. Tax rates come from the Bureau of the Census, crime statistics from the Department of Justice. The housing figures measure the cost of a median-price existing home and come from the WEFA Group's Real Estate and Construction Service. Commute times are calculated by MS&B. Airport data, from the Federal Aviation Administration, measure congestion in terms of hours of flight delays rather than numbers of flights, producing a few surprises -- New York City, for instance, for all its air traffic, has a low delay experience vs. other major cities. The words ''increasing'' or ''stable'' refer to the outlook for airport congestion in the next ten years. Data aren't always available for an entire urban area, so for Dallas and San Francisco the statistics below omit nearby cities that make them additionally attractive to business. Cost and crime indexes are based on 100 as the average of all U.S. cities.

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