Worst Places to Live In Iowa (article)
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I hate lists like this because it doesn't tell the whole story.
#1 If you have a lot of money it can make a bad town seem good and if you're broke it can make a great town seem horrible. There are plenty of people in Waterloo or any of these other towns that are living a better life than those in the "Top 10 Iowa towns".
#2 City size really matters. It's really hard to say something like "Des Moines is great". Well what part of Des Moines? Besides driving through on 235, I haven't been east of the east village in probably 10 years.
#3 City size really matters part 2. I went to middle and high school in a town of less than a 1,000 that would probably be considered a hell hole by most. Floods every other year, one bar for entertainment, low income, etc. but that doesn't tell the whole story. What doesn't get mentioned is how close the community is and the feeling you get running into old friends. Living in a place like Des Moines if I go out on the town there is about a 5% chance that I'll run into one person I know. I know 2 or 3 neighbors and we've lived in this house for 10 years. If I went to my hometown today I could walk into the bar and know 75% of everyone in there. If I wanted entertainment in my old hometown it took me 15 minutes to drive to Cedar Falls. If I want entertainment/dining in Des Moines I go downtown and it takes me 20 minutes.
I guess after reading the actual story, that is kind of what they are saying.
#1 If you have a lot of money it can make a bad town seem good and if you're broke it can make a great town seem horrible. There are plenty of people in Waterloo or any of these other towns that are living a better life than those in the "Top 10 Iowa towns".
#2 City size really matters. It's really hard to say something like "Des Moines is great". Well what part of Des Moines? Besides driving through on 235, I haven't been east of the east village in probably 10 years.
#3 City size really matters part 2. I went to middle and high school in a town of less than a 1,000 that would probably be considered a hell hole by most. Floods every other year, one bar for entertainment, low income, etc. but that doesn't tell the whole story. What doesn't get mentioned is how close the community is and the feeling you get running into old friends. Living in a place like Des Moines if I go out on the town there is about a 5% chance that I'll run into one person I know. I know 2 or 3 neighbors and we've lived in this house for 10 years. If I went to my hometown today I could walk into the bar and know 75% of everyone in there. If I wanted entertainment in my old hometown it took me 15 minutes to drive to Cedar Falls. If I want entertainment/dining in Des Moines I go downtown and it takes me 20 minutes.
I guess after reading the actual story, that is kind of what they are saying.
You've obviously never been to Keokuk. It should have been number 1, 2 and 4 on that list.
Correct, essentially Keokuk would be better than probably half of the towns in Louisana/Mississippi. I can't speak for Keokuk, but Fort Madison lost a LOT of it's appeal once the bypass was created to connect Burlington and Keokuk. No one drives on HWY 61 any more. The new fertalizer plant will help bring business in the SE valley, but of course it won't solve all.
Lee County and DSM county just aren't doing that great. Plus, Hawkeye-centric area rable rable.
I can't drive thru the town without smelling the corn processing plant. That's saying something as I used to work there for a few years :twitcy:
You do know what the 2nd most liberal county in Iowa is, don't you?
I think the list pretty well lined up with most people's perceptions. Webster City and Maquoketa surprised me, but just using raw data I get it.
Fort Dodge is the town I'm most surprised not to see here.
How can you be mad, he lists the specific statistics he uses to create the list. The numbers don't lie.
The numbers don't lie, but that doesn't mean the place is inherently bad.
That's the argument that dmclone is making, and I somewhat agree with it. I also agree that these statistics illustrate what are probably the least desirable cities in Iowa over 5,000.
I am surprised Fort Dodge, Oelwein, and Marshalltown didn't make the list. I would have guessed Webster City, Maquoketa, and Mt. Pleasant to be off that list and the aforementioned towns to be on.
FWIW, the top 10 are:
Urbandale
North Liberty
Marion
Ankeny
Clive
Sioux Center
Orange City
Bettendorf
Coralville
Waverly
I am not really surprised by any of these. Maybe Bettendorf? But I am not familiar enough with that area to really know.
FWIW, the top 10 are:
Urbandale
North Liberty
Marion
Ankeny
Clive
Sioux Center
Orange City
Bettendorf
Coralville
Waverly
I am not really surprised by any of these. Maybe Bettendorf? But I am not familiar enough with that area to really know.
I love how Waterloo, a city of 70,000, gets this terrible reputation for things that happen in an 8 block area. Really good things going on in most of the city and growing fairly rapidly to the south, but everyone overreacts about a small area that you have to literally go out of your way to get to.
Yes, I live in Waterloo. One of the best decisions we've made.
Yes, I live in Waterloo. One of the best decisions we've made.
I would agree with this for the most part. 98% of the city is great, and part that is bad you have to go out of your way to find.
Webster City?? WTF? Over Marshalltown? I don't care what the data says. That makes absolutely no sense.
Great answer. I think Iowa City is a **** hole. Coralville is pretty nice though.
