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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2005

CONTACT: Raymond Beck
City Manager
(573) 874-6338
or
Robert Ross
Public Communications Officer
(573) 874-7220

Columbia receives national 'financially fit' ranking
									
	(COLUMBIA, MO) - According to a report presented Jan. 18 to the
U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., Columbia is the ninth
most financially fit U.S. city with a population less than 200,000. The
study, conducted by the InCharge Education Foundation in Orlando, Fla.,
late last year, examined 314 metropolitan areas across three population
categories.  
	" Being recognized as one of the most financially fit
metropolitan areas reaffirms that Columbia has a positive financial
climate that promotes financial fitness for our citizens," said
Raymond Beck, city manager. "In addition to the economic strengths of
our city, we also offer an outstanding quality of life as evidenced by
other awards and high rankings the city receives."

The analysis utilized five factors to define and measure "financial
fitness:"
	*	Real personal disposable income - total personal income
minus personal current taxes. This is the amount ultimately available to
families for personal expenditures and savings.  
	*	Employment opportunities - Since wages and salaries
produce most of personal income, employment is an important indicator of
financial success - not only at the family level, but also on a local
and national level. It can be expected that greater financial fitness
will be associated with areas with higher employment opportunities. 
	*	Credit worthiness - How well is consumer income covering
consumer expenditures and debts? What is the debt to income ratio?
Excessive consumer debt is the largest threat to economic wellbeing. For
this study, 2003 Equifax average Beacon credit scores were used to
determine the credit worthiness of a metropolitan area.
	*	Levels of savings - Savings is one of the most important
indicators of financial wellness. Savings buys financial security.
Domestic deposits held or accepted in FDIC insured commercial banks in
2003 by metropolitan area were used to measure this factor. 
	*	Refinancing activity - Refinancing is connected to
financial worth, and reflects the ability to convert non-financial
assets - like one's home - into money that can be used to decrease
debt or to spend or invest in things that will deliver higher returns.
	"One of our goals is to retain and enhance those qualities
that make our city and community one of the best places to live, work
and raise a family," Beck said. 

Other recognition the city has received includes: 
*	Expansion Management's 2002 Education Quotient rated the
Columbia Public School District a "Gold District."
*	The 2004 Mayor's Challenge ranked Columbia 14th out of 331 US
metro areas for business expansion and relocation.
*	Forbes listed Columbia the 38th "Best Small Metro for
Business" in a 2004 study that ranked 168 areas with populations up to
335,000.
*	Sprint Business ranked Columbia the "26th Most Productive City
in America" in a 1999 study of 313 metro areas.
*	US Conference of Mayors recognized Columbia for having the
second highest growth rate (22.75 percent) in high-tech output among all
US metro cities in 1999.
*	Restaurant Business Magazine's 2002 site survey named Columbia
the 43rd best spot in the nation to open a new restaurant.
*	Organic Style magazine listed Columbia ninth in their 2003
"healthy cities" study.
*	Sperling's Best Places and MSN Internet service ranked
Columbia ninth out of 331 metropolitan areas in their 2003 "Best
Places to Live in America" study.
*	Expansion Management magazine rated Columbia a five-star city in
their 2003 Quality of Life Quotient.
*	Money magazine named Columbia a runner-up in the small city
division of its "Best Places to Live 2000."
*	The Editor & Publisher Market Guide ranked Columbia the third
best US metropolitan area in 1999 after studying the cost of living
index, crime index and education levels in Columbia.
*	50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family (1997) named Columbia
one of only a few "fabulous" Midwestern communities in which to
raise a family.
*	Fortune ranked Columbia ninth in the nation in their 1997
"Smart Cities" study based on the percentage of citizens who hold
a four-year college degree.
*	Modern Maturity (2000) selected Columbia as one of "The 50
Most Alive Places to Live."
*	Men's Journal listed Columbia the 34th best place to live in
the nation in its 2003 study.

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