Best Places to Live best big cities rank: 4
Population: 341,500
Population, age 50+: 74,353
Population growth, age 50+: 27.61%
Taxes
City stats
State income tax rate (highest bracket)
8.25%*
State income tax rate (lowest bracket)
6.00%*
Retirement tax break from state?
No
State property taxes
Below average
Sales tax
7.00%
State gas tax (cents per gallon)
29.9***
Housing
City stats
Median home price
$203,012
Home price gain (2004-2005)
4.80%
Financial
City stats
Median household income (per year)
$51,787
Auto insurance premiums (Average for the state)
$2,203
Quality of life
City stats
Air quality index (% of days AQI ranked as good)
64.6%
Personal crime risk (100 is nat'l average; lower is better)
104
Property crime risk (100 is nat'l average; lower is better)
123
Personal crime incidents (per 100,000)
580
Property crime incidents (per 100,000)
3,768
Leisure and culture
City stats
Movie theaters (within 15 miles)
12
Restaurants (within 15 miles)
1,816
Bars (within 15 miles)
59
Public golf courses (within 30 miles)
41
Libraries (within 15 miles)
26
Museums (accredited by AAM within 30 miles)
5
Colleges, universities and professional schools
6
Ski resorts (within 100 miles)
0
Weather
City stats
Annual precipitation (inches)
46.49
Clear days
111
High temp in July ° F
87.9°
Low temp in Jan ° F
30.1°
Health***
City stats
Hospitals (within 30 miles)
46
Doctors' offices
297
Body mass index (avg. for residents)
27
Cancer mortality (per 100,000, age-adjusted)
213.3
Cardiac mortality (per 100,000)
182.4
Meet the neighbors
City stats
Median age
31.9
Completed at least some college (% of residents)
54.9%
Married
42.0%
Divorced
9.3%
*Income tax notes:
These states allow personal exemption or standard deductions as provided in the IRC. Utah allows a personal exemption equal to three-fourths the federal exemptions. The tax brackets reported are for single individuals. For married taxpayers, the same rates apply to income brackets ranging from $21,250 to $200,000. Lower exemption amounts allowed for high income taxpayers. Tax rate scheduled to decrease after tax year 2007.
**Gas tax notes:
The gas tax is indexed for inflation in Nebraska, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. North Carolina's indexed rate is revised every six months.
***County data
