How Arizona Ranks: Top Tens, Bottom Tens
There are a myriad of websites, blogs and publications that rank states, counties and cities. It's a big business! On this page you'll see some of the best and worst rankings that I have come across about Phoenix, the metro area and the State of Arizona.
Sometimes the rankings are insightful and sometimes they are just plain silly. They make interesting cocktail party conversation, but if you intend to base any life decisions on them, I have a few warnings:
I'm done with the warnings. Just, please, don't assume ranking lists are all valuable, or even true. Read more than the headlines. Or, at least, limit their use to cocktail party small talk unless you do more research.
Here they are! The lists! The lists!
Who published it: Guns & Ammo Magazine (2015)
Rank: Arizona #1
What they are ranking: States. When the article started at #51 and worked it's way to #1, I knew to scroll all the way down to the bottom! The rankings were based on right-to-carry laws, restrictions on semiautomatic weapons, whether or not the state further restricts the National Firearms Act, laws relative to self-defense and property rights, shooting sports and training facilities. Arizona ranked at the top in every category.
You might also be interested in:
More »
Who published it: U.S. Department of Education (2015)
Rank: Arizona #1 (worst)
What they are ranking: States, but not really graduation rates. They were ranking loan default rates, and assuming that those correspond to graduation rates based on historical trends. Arizona's default rate was 18% (2013) compared to a national average of 11%. According to azcentral.com, however, "State education officials cautioned Monday that the statistics could be skewed by large numbers of students in other states who are getting degrees online from for-profit schools based in Arizona." Without naming names, that would probably relate mostly to University of Phoenix, headquartered here. So, does this ranking mean much? Not really. The Dept. of Education claims that the state schools have a graduation rate of nearly 60%, higher than the national average.More »
Who published it: DailyMeal.com (2015)
Rank: Phoenix Public Market, Phoenix #10
What they are ranking: Farmer's Markets. "There are plenty of qualities that we value in a good farmers market. Some important ones to consider are the quality and variety of products sold, how affordable products are, and what kind of public endorsement and recognition each particular farmers market receives. We also value the atmosphere we experience at the market, how friendly and helpful the vendors are, and what kind of information is made available to us about the market and its vendors."
You might also be interested in:
More »
Who published it: Forbes.com (2015)
Rank: Tempe #25
What they are ranking: Cities, although I'm not sure why Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan (not cities) and New York, New York are all listed in the top 25. "The final 100 cities were identified by considering factors of concern to Millennials such as ease of commuting, the percentage of residents age 25 to 34, the percentage of Millennials that moved to the city in the past year, crime, median rent, ethnic diversity, and unemployment. The ranking also values quality of life considerations, such as proximity to bars, coffee shops, and restaurants."
You might also be interested in:
More »
Who published it: BankRate.com (2015)
Rank:
Mesa, #1
Prescott, #3
Tucson, #4
What they are ranking: Cities, although they mention metro Phoenix in the description. Mentioned several times: took into consideration residents who are retirement age and how they felt about their sense of well-being and enthusiasm for the city. Also playing a part in the ranking "the cost of living is relatively low, and the Tax Foundation says Arizona has one of the lower overall tax burdens in the country."
You might also be interested in:
More »
Who published it: WalletHub (2015)
Rank: Scottsdale, 4th Best
What they are ranking: 100 most populated U.S. cities, considering facts like golf courses, shopping, parks, attractions, cost of entertainment, swimming pools and spas. Scottsdale came in 21st in the recreation and activities ranking, but ranked high for food, entertainment, and rest/relaxation.
You might also be interested in:
Who published it: Huffington Post Travel (2015)
Rank: one of the six. I'm not sure they were ranked, but Phoenix was mentioned sixth.
What they are ranking: They rank Phoenix, but they probably didn't mean just the City of Phoenix, although the Desert Botanical Garden, specifically mentioned, is located there.
You might also be interested in:
Who published it: U.S. Department of Transportation (2015)
Rank: 9
What they are ranking: 2014 Scheduled Domestic and International Enplanements on U.S. and Foreign Airlines. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport had 20.26 million passenger in 2014. The rank moved up one from the previous year. In general, U.S. airlines carried 2.6 percent more passengers on domestic flights and 2.4 percent more passengers on international flights in 2014 than in 2013 for a systemwide increase of 2.6 percent.
You might also be interested in:
More »
Who published it: GOBankingRates.com / 2014
Rank: #1 Worst
What they are ranking: U.S. states. Arizona was ranked as the worst state in the country for affordable banking. The ranking took into account interest rates and deposit account fee information.
My comment: When I compared Arizona's results to the state with the most affordable banking, the items that stood out were low interest rates paid on accounts, high minimum balance requirements, and higher monthly maintenance fees.
You might also be interested in:
More »
See More Arizona Rankings on the Next Page >>
Sometimes the rankings are insightful and sometimes they are just plain silly. They make interesting cocktail party conversation, but if you intend to base any life decisions on them, I have a few warnings:
- Many of the rankings are published by entities that are trying to sell a book or document with more details. For the great majority of people, there is no reason to purchase those publications. Others create online slide shows to make you click through to see results so they can show you more ads.
- When I see rankings, whether good or bad, the disclosure of the methodology is important. What is a methodology? It is a description of how data was obtained and how it was used to come up with a rank. If a methodology is not provided, chances are there was nothing scientific about the ranking. Some methodologies result in questionable results. Here is an example. If you look at a ranking of city crime, and a city is ranked as having more crime than another city, it might be important to you to check the methodology to see how different crimes were evaluated. Would a high number of stolen bicycles concern you as much as violent crimes, like rape or murder? Just sayin'.
- Some rankings don't matter. What do I mean by that? Well, the rank may be true, but the difference between a rank of 25 or a rank of 50 might actually be a very small number.
- This warning is a big one: beware of surveys that don't compare apples to oranges, or have misleading titles! I often see rankings about Phoenix, AZ that are not really about Phoenix at all, but they are about the Phoenix metro area, which is actually defined as all of Maricopa and Pinal Counties. That's more than 30 cities, not just Phoenix.I have also seen rankings that rank cities where the methodology shows that they didn't follow their own parameters. A survey about Scottsdale may include information about ASU (in Tempe) or a ranking that mentions the number of bars in Phoenix may include bars in Glendale.
- Some rankings are only for certain size cities or counties. For example, cities with populations over 100,000 or the top 50 metro areas. So the rank takes on some meaning, there are 381 MSAs, 41 counties with a population over 1 million, 293 cities with population over 100,000, and nine cities over 1 million according to the U.S. Census estimate, 2013.
- With respect to rankings that include Greater Phoenix, beware of those that include weather, since results that include our extreme summer weather often skew the results of the ranking, either positively or negatively. Does having 300 days of sunshine mean that we go outdoors more often, get more exercise and are thinner than other people? Maybe yes, maybe no.
I'm done with the warnings. Just, please, don't assume ranking lists are all valuable, or even true. Read more than the headlines. Or, at least, limit their use to cocktail party small talk unless you do more research.
Here they are! The lists! The lists!
Best State for Gun Owners
Who published it: Guns & Ammo Magazine (2015)
Rank: Arizona #1
What they are ranking: States. When the article started at #51 and worked it's way to #1, I knew to scroll all the way down to the bottom! The rankings were based on right-to-carry laws, restrictions on semiautomatic weapons, whether or not the state further restricts the National Firearms Act, laws relative to self-defense and property rights, shooting sports and training facilities. Arizona ranked at the top in every category.
You might also be interested in:
More »
College Graduation Rate
Who published it: U.S. Department of Education (2015)
Rank: Arizona #1 (worst)
What they are ranking: States, but not really graduation rates. They were ranking loan default rates, and assuming that those correspond to graduation rates based on historical trends. Arizona's default rate was 18% (2013) compared to a national average of 11%. According to azcentral.com, however, "State education officials cautioned Monday that the statistics could be skewed by large numbers of students in other states who are getting degrees online from for-profit schools based in Arizona." Without naming names, that would probably relate mostly to University of Phoenix, headquartered here. So, does this ranking mean much? Not really. The Dept. of Education claims that the state schools have a graduation rate of nearly 60%, higher than the national average.More »
Best Farmers Markets in America
Who published it: DailyMeal.com (2015)
Rank: Phoenix Public Market, Phoenix #10
What they are ranking: Farmer's Markets. "There are plenty of qualities that we value in a good farmers market. Some important ones to consider are the quality and variety of products sold, how affordable products are, and what kind of public endorsement and recognition each particular farmers market receives. We also value the atmosphere we experience at the market, how friendly and helpful the vendors are, and what kind of information is made available to us about the market and its vendors."
You might also be interested in:
More »
Best Cities for Millennials
Who published it: Forbes.com (2015)
Rank: Tempe #25
What they are ranking: Cities, although I'm not sure why Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan (not cities) and New York, New York are all listed in the top 25. "The final 100 cities were identified by considering factors of concern to Millennials such as ease of commuting, the percentage of residents age 25 to 34, the percentage of Millennials that moved to the city in the past year, crime, median rent, ethnic diversity, and unemployment. The ranking also values quality of life considerations, such as proximity to bars, coffee shops, and restaurants."
You might also be interested in:
More »
America's 10 Best Cities for Retirement
Who published it: BankRate.com (2015)
Rank:
Mesa, #1
Prescott, #3
Tucson, #4
What they are ranking: Cities, although they mention metro Phoenix in the description. Mentioned several times: took into consideration residents who are retirement age and how they felt about their sense of well-being and enthusiasm for the city. Also playing a part in the ranking "the cost of living is relatively low, and the Tax Foundation says Arizona has one of the lower overall tax burdens in the country."
You might also be interested in:
More »
Best & Worst Cities for Staycations
Who published it: WalletHub (2015)
Rank: Scottsdale, 4th Best
What they are ranking: 100 most populated U.S. cities, considering facts like golf courses, shopping, parks, attractions, cost of entertainment, swimming pools and spas. Scottsdale came in 21st in the recreation and activities ranking, but ranked high for food, entertainment, and rest/relaxation.
You might also be interested in:
- Summer Specials at Scottsdale Resorts
- Summer Specials at Phoenix Resorts
- Local Resorts with Fantastic Pools
- Summer Golf Deals
6 Best Cities to See Spring Blooms
Who published it: Huffington Post Travel (2015)
Rank: one of the six. I'm not sure they were ranked, but Phoenix was mentioned sixth.
What they are ranking: They rank Phoenix, but they probably didn't mean just the City of Phoenix, although the Desert Botanical Garden, specifically mentioned, is located there.
You might also be interested in:
- Desert Botanical Garden
- How and Where to See Arizona Wildflowers
- Wildflower Photos
- Cactus Flower Photos
U.S. Airports Ranked
Who published it: U.S. Department of Transportation (2015)
Rank: 9
What they are ranking: 2014 Scheduled Domestic and International Enplanements on U.S. and Foreign Airlines. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport had 20.26 million passenger in 2014. The rank moved up one from the previous year. In general, U.S. airlines carried 2.6 percent more passengers on domestic flights and 2.4 percent more passengers on international flights in 2014 than in 2013 for a systemwide increase of 2.6 percent.
You might also be interested in:
More »
Affordable Banking
Who published it: GOBankingRates.com / 2014
Rank: #1 Worst
What they are ranking: U.S. states. Arizona was ranked as the worst state in the country for affordable banking. The ranking took into account interest rates and deposit account fee information.
My comment: When I compared Arizona's results to the state with the most affordable banking, the items that stood out were low interest rates paid on accounts, high minimum balance requirements, and higher monthly maintenance fees.
You might also be interested in:
More »
Don't Stop Here!
See More Arizona Rankings on the Next Page >>
Source...