Posted by: Unknown

Maryland, known as the “Bay State” for its position on the Chesapeake, has a long and rich history as one of the thirteen original colonies. Its largest city, Baltimore, is the 30th most populated city in the U.S., boasting over 614,000 residents.

Baltimore has no lack of attractions. For the nautical types, there’s plenty of sailing and fishing to do on the Chesapeake Bay. Other outdoor activities include skiing at Wisp Resort. For people into history, Maryland holds Fort McHenry, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, the Antietam battleground and the NASA Goddard Visitor Center. Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is a key hub for shopping.

Maryland’s largest industry is “finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing” which accounts for 22.8% of the state’s $393.6 billion GDP. Maryland ranks 15th in the country for total GDP but 5th for per capita personal income ($59,524).

Maryland has a solid public-school system, placing 19th on WalletHub’s ranking of the best school systems by state. But it also boasts some excellent universities, including Johns Hopkins University and the United States Naval Academy.

The variety of available activities, strong economy, and good education combine to make Maryland a great state to raise a family. But some cities within the state are more ideal than others. WalletHub compared more than 120 cities across 21 metrics in order to determine most family-friendly cities. Our data set ranges from number of attractions to median family income to the quality of the school system. Read on for the results, insight from a panel of experts and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

 

Best Places to Live in Maryland

Overall Rank (1 = Best)	City	Total Score	‘Family Life & Fun’ Rank	‘Education, Health & Safety’ Rank	‘Affordability’ Rank	‘Socio-economics’ Rank
1	Columbia,	69.22	19	18	2	39
2	Mays Chapel,	69.12	15	48	26	18
3	Elkridge,	68.93	4	37	9	25
4	North Potomac,	68.58	21	35	24	2
5	North Laurel,	68.39	16	45	6	27
6	Ilchester,	67.40	36	66	1	36
7	Bensville,	67.27	69	38	14	10
8	Clarksburg,	67.23	32	41	17	15
9	Bethesda,	67.05	65	9	12	13
10	Bel Air North,	66.98	57	15	28	11
11	Lake Shore,	66.80	75	39	19	5
12	Urbana,	66.61	30	30	30	4
13	Linthicum,	66.56	52	14	10	26
14	Travilah,	66.37	25	60	43	1
15	Severna Park,	66.15	94	11	5	12
16	Ellicott City,	66.07	83	31	4	9
17	Eldersburg,	65.65	108	36	3	17
18	Crofton,	65.49	86	20	8	16
19	Bel Air South,	65.21	40	33	18	33
20	Annapolis Neck,	64.38	120	10	23	6
21	Halfway,	64.31	13	4	41	58
22	Potomac,	64.19	91	44	15	3
23	Maryland City,	63.88	39	55	20	40
24	Rockville,	63.85	12	19	62	22
25	Bel Air,	63.52	43	6	42	28
26	Damascus,	63.35	79	22	11	41
27	Arnold,	63.31	41	29	16	37
28	Timonium,	63.11	101	2	35	23
29	Kemp Mill,	63.02	17	102	45	19
30	Olney,	62.98	98	59	21	8
31	Odenton,	62.37	82	17	13	34
32	Brock Hall,	62.20	51	98	33	14
33	Cloverly,	61.99	95	42	47	7
34	California,	61.82	33	47	36	42
35	Pasadena,	61.73	26	57	25	47
36	Riviera Beach,	61.13	68	23	31	43
37	Rosaryville,	60.65	81	99	22	24
38	Colesville,	59.69	111	65	29	21
39	Bowie,	59.38	80	8	50	49
40	Redland,	58.69	20	67	64	31
41	Ballenger Creek,	58.01	2	94	56	79
42	Havre de Grace,	57.74	109	7	37	68
43	Parole,	57.63	126	73	7	20
44	Perry Hall,	57.62	114	5	32	48
45	Ocean Pines,	57.60	128	1	81	29
46	Overlea,	56.62	61	49	52	57
47	Gaithersburg,	56.23	35	28	84	45
48	Towson,	56.15	87	54	34	59
49	Lexington Park,	56.12	5	3	57	106
50	Catonsville,	55.69	104	52	48	35
51	Mitchellville,	55.55	112	81	44	32
52	Westminster,	54.96	45	25	54	88
53	Cockeysville,	54.81	53	21	90	38
54	Pikesville,	54.53	117	24	46	61
55	Severn,	54.20	115	51	39	52
56	Carney,	54.18	76	32	70	54
57	Frederick,	53.76	28	34	98	60
58	Takoma Park,	53.58	70	12	102	50
59	Arbutus,	53.46	66	16	66	63
60	Germantown,	53.31	48	75	63	56
61	Annapolis,	53.12	6	50	97	85
62	Joppatowne,	52.83	96	43	61	64
63	Friendly,	52.30	124	127	27	44
64	North Bethesda,	52.24	73	114	60	30
65	Glenn Dale,	52.10	107	68	58	51
66	Accokeek,	51.91	123	69	49	53
67	Lake Arbor,	51.90	64	70	54	90
68	Marlboro Village,	51.84	24	110	83	55
69	Woodlawn (Baltimore County),	51.02	58	56	76	82
70	Easton,	50.79	84	13	103	76
71	Waldorf,	50.47	103	63	51	86
72	Fairland,	50.30	44	117	71	67
73	Owings Mills,	49.91	62	71	79	77
74	Randallstown,	49.40	119	62	40	96
75	Montgomery Village,	49.29	71	96	67	71
76	Ferndale,	49.12	90	39	87	78
77	Calverton,	48.72	102	77	93	46
78	Rossville,	48.53	11	123	99	83
79	Cumberland,	47.96	8	76	59	116
80	Kettering,	47.90	121	87	69	62
81	Aspen Hill,	47.63	29	85	104	70
82	Glen Burnie,	47.15	50	80	73	99
83	Hagerstown,	47.11	22	27	96	117
84	Brooklyn Park,	46.91	46	79	65	112
85	Silver Spring,	46.88	42	53	116	69
86	Rosedale,	46.77	116	89	68	81
87	South Laurel,	46.71	10	103	109	72
88	Glenmont,	46.69	49	74	105	73
89	Milford Mill,	46.49	34	92	82	103
90	Largo,	46.14	100	84	74	93
91	Fort Washington,	46.14	127	115	38	65
92	Greenbelt,	45.75	74	61	101	92
93	Lochearn,	45.64	106	82	78	94
94	Aberdeen,	45.59	105	26	85	113
95	Laurel,	45.33	55	78	108	74
96	Middle River,	45.28	85	72	72	107
97	Parkville,	44.72	97	95	75	97
98	Clinton,	44.61	125	116	53	80
99	Edgewood,	44.44	88	46	77	114
100	Summerfield,	44.24	27	107	92	105
101	College Park,	44.08	113	113	86	75
102	Seabrook,	43.35	18	88	114	87
103	Wheaton,	42.99	60	97	112	66
104	Reisterstown,	42.75	78	90	89	108
105	Forestville,	42.66	89	100	80	104
106	Camp Springs,	40.65	122	120	88	84
107	Lanham,	40.65	56	124	107	89
108	New Carrollton,	39.77	38	64	121	100
109	Elkton,	39.55	9	112	100	110
110	Salisbury,	39.47	1	104	110	118
111	Oxon Hill,	39.09	118	106	95	101
112	White Oak,	39.06	14	86	120	102
113	Essex,	38.28	110	58	94	119
114	Dundalk,	38.10	99	93	91	120
115	Beltsville,	37.18	92	108	117	95
116	Hyattsville,	35.16	63	109	122	91
117	Walker Mill,	34.98	93	91	106	123
118	East Riverdale,	34.56	3	127	123	115
119	Cambridge,	33.80	37	111	113	121
120	Chillum,	33.08	23	125	124	109
121	Suitland,	32.82	77	101	115	122
122	Hillcrest Heights,	32.52	67	121	111	124
123	Coral Hills,	32.45	31	83	119	128
124	Adelphi,	31.20	47	119	127	98
125	Langley Park,	29.79	7	126	128	111
126	Landover,	28.27	54	105	125	126
127	Baltimore,	28.18	72	118	118	127
128	Glassmanor,	25.19	59	122	126	125

Ask the Experts

Deciding where to settle down as a family can be difficult. There are so many factors to balance in order to give children the best upbringing possible. With that in mind, we asked a panel of experts in fields such as family studies and public health to share their insight on how to evaluate Maryland’s cities. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are some tips for young families looking for quality public schools and affordable housing in Maryland?
2. How can local officials in Maryland make their cities more attractive to young families?
3. Looking just within Maryland, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in?

< >

• Richard A. Wright Professor of Geography and Orvil Dryfoos Professor of Public Affairs at Dartmouth College
• Loren Henderson Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of Maryland, Baltimore County & Co-author of the book "Diversity in Organizations: A Critical Examination"
• Josh Packard Associate Professor of Sociology at University of Northern Colorado
• Angie Beeman Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Baruch College
• Tracy Xavia Karner Associate Professor and Department Chair at University of Houston
• Rosalyn Negrón Associate Professor of Anthropology and Core Faculty in Transnational, Cultural & Community Studies at University of Massachusetts Boston
• Rashawn Ray Associate Professor of Sociology, Edward McK. Johnson, Jr. Endowed Faculty Fellow, and Co-Director of the Critical Race Initiative at the University of Maryland
• Assata Zerai Associate Chancellor for Diversity and Professor of Sociology at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
• Anna C. Smedley-López Assistant Professor in Residence at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Richard A. Wright Professor of Geography and Orvil Dryfoos Professor of Public Affairs at Dartmouth College U.S. metro areas are more diverse in terms of their racial make-up than ever. There is broad agreement among scholars on this. Within most/all metros, you will find very segregated neighborhoods. So, for example, Chicago is relatively diverse at the metro scale, but also records very high rates of Black- and Latino-white segregation, measured using the dissimilarity index (Holloway et al.). I would say that the type of diversity that is good for cities is when the diversity of the overall population is reflected in the neighborhoods of that city. Few, if any, U.S. metro come close to that standard. Using conventional methods to measure diversity (entropy, Wright et al.) and simply using population growth from 2000 to 2010 as a measure of economic health, racial diversity is positively created with growth. The correlation is +.44.4 metros had declining populations in this time period: Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and New Orleans. Pittsburgh, according to my data, is the least diverse large metro in the U.S. The places with most mixed-race populations tend to be large metros with a history of immigration. The places with proportionately few mixed-race people tend to be in the South and rural areas. Greater demographic diversity is our future. We need to be aware of that, celebrate our differences, and embrace this future. Diversity means more than race and ethnicity, of course. You can think of diversity in terms of class/income. Or age. Or other measures, such as sexual orientation. Loren Henderson Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of Maryland, Baltimore County & Co-author of the book "Diversity in Organizations: A Critical Examination" Is there a relationship between diversity and economic growth in cities? The short answer is yes, research has shown that there is a relationship between diversity and economic growth. What makes this an interesting social question is that there is not a definitive answer. This question is a part of an on-going debate concerning whether and to what extent diversity matters. Your question, “What are the pros and cons of living and working in a diverse city?” fits squarely within this debate. Diversity in cities can have a positive impact on cities themselves by promoting productivity, enhancing access to goods, and bringing in new perspectives that led to innovation; however, it has been linked to a lack of cultural cohesiveness that can harm business, reduce agreement in public policy, and discourage growth (Bellini et al. 2013). For individuals who live and work in diverse cities, this means greater access to jobs and exposure to the richness of multiple cultural experiences (i.e., food, entertainment, religion, and being around people of different backgrounds). On the other hand, it also means exposure to values and perspectives that are not only different but also sometimes intolerable. Which types of diversity are good or bad for cities? I would argue that urban planners and politicians incorporate Critical Diversity -- the equal inclusion of people from varied backgrounds -- especially those who are considered to be different from the traditional members because of exclusionary practices -- on a parity basis throughout all areas of the city in government, housing, jobs, businesses, and recreation. Celebrating racial and ethnic diversity is important and cities need to value the talents of all would-be members and include them throughout all aspects of the city life. Increasing diversity in industry sectors would also be good for cities because it leads to innovation through knowledge exchange. What can local policy makers do to harness the diversity in their cities to spur innovation? Policymakers can implement legislation that enhances Minority Women and business opportunities throughout the city in order to diversify the workforce and enhance innovation. They can also incorporate living wages, reduce residential segregation, enhance access to transportation and increase access to job training programs that filter workers into middle-class jobs. Josh Packard Associate Professor of Sociology at University of Northern Colorado What are the pros and cons of living and working in a diverse city? Diverse cities provide our economy with a wealth of new ideas and innovation. The greatest breakthroughs in any industry do not occur in isolation, but rather, they are the result of people bringing different, but related, sets of expertise, background and perspective to bear on a new problem. Of course, diversity brings challenges as people must adapt to one another, but these challenges pale in comparison to the benefits of attracting people to bring their unique skills together with others working in the same space. Is there a relationship between diversity and economic growth in cities? Absolutely. As the world becomes more and more connected, it is important that the same multicultural dynamics are mirrored in our local cities. Students today need as much exposure as they can get to different groups of people and knowledge about different cultural norms so they can join a global workforce. What can local policy makers do to harness the diversity in their cities to spur innovation? The first, and most important, thing policy makers can do is take a step back from the immediate moment and understand the long-term consequences of their decisions with regard to diversity. In order to remain truly competitive into the future, our cities need to be hubs for jobs and training opportunities for people to contribute globally. Protectionism may yield immediate, short-term results, but this strategy will not be productive for long. Our competitive advantage will continue to be built based on our willingness to cultivate new and cutting edge ideas, regardless of where they come from. Which types of diversity are good or bad for cities? Diversity is not inherently good or bad. It all depends on how you treat it. The worst kind of diversity for a city would be one that happens accidentally, without an explicit plan in place to cultivate and account for the impact of increasing diversity on all sides. It is easy to point the finger at diversity as a cause of stress in any society, but if we dig just a bit deeper and think more strategically, we’ll see that the stress is almost always caused by a failure of governance as elected officials wait too long and miss the opportunity to be proactive. Angie Beeman Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Baruch College What are the pros and cons of living and working in a diverse city? It's wonderful to live and work in a diverse city. People learn a lot from sharing their experiences and hearing from those who have had experiences unlike their own. As an educator, I find that this leads to fascinating discussions in the classroom and helps to strengthen my own understanding of social problems. However, a "con" is that people believe diversity automatically means that there is no discrimination. The celebration of diversity often gives people permission to deny the existence of racism. Greater diversity does not automatically mean there is greater equality in any setting. Is there a relationship between diversity and economic growth in cities? There have been studies that link greater racial diversity to productivity. Some employers are interested in a diverse workforce for this reason. Studies on education find that racial diversity in schools benefits everyone, students of color and "white" students. Working with people from different backgrounds can stimulate discussion, creativity, and critical thinking. What can local policy makers do to harness the diversity in their cities to spur innovation? Anti-discrimination laws need to be more aggressive. Policy makers should work to ensure there is access to business loans to reduce barriers to obtaining capital. They could support government contracts to minority-owned businesses. They could pursue and/or strengthen anti-redlining policies. These are deep-seated problems and there is no quick fix. People of color can feel like they live in a hostile environment, even in racially diverse cities. This is an issue that begins as early as Kindergarten. Students of color are surveilled more often and punished differently than "white" students for the same behaviors. A recent study found that "white" teachers are half as likely to label African American students as gifted, regardless of test scores, when compared to "white" students. We need to also be careful about how diversity gets defined. Diversity can mean a lot of things. Unfortunately, diversity initiatives can be written in a way that do not benefit racially oppressed groups. Which types of diversity are good or bad for cities? I don't think there is anything inherently bad about diversity. In my classrooms, when I talk about the degree of inequality in the U.S., students will often justify it by saying that the U.S. is diverse. There is nothing about diversity that causes inequality. What causes inequality is how diversity is viewed and how people of color are treated. Tracy Xavia Karner Associate Professor and Department Chair at University of Houston What are the pros and cons of living and working in a diverse city? Diversity can fuel a vibrancy and dynamism that increases the quality of life for all residents. In the case of Houston, our diversity contributes to world-class arts and culture programing, a strong global economic sector and an innovative medical center. Houston is both an international city and a global city due primarily to the diverse citizenry that comes from all over the world. Is there a relationship between diversity and economic growth in cities? There certainly has been in Houston. The energy industry relies on its connections throughout the globe and brings international employees to Houston, which enriches our culture as well as business. Additionally, the Texas Medical Center -- the largest medical campus in the world -- draws students, residents and doctors from all over the world making it a leader in a variety of health care issues. Which types of diversity are good or bad for cities? Ethnic and cultural diversity can have a very positive impact on a city’s economic growth. However, class diversity -- or a large or growing underclass -- can be quite challenging. High income disparity can be a driver for many negative quality of life indicators. Rosalyn Negrón Associate Professor of Anthropology and Core Faculty in Transnational, Cultural & Community Studies at University of Massachusetts Boston Given my own research interests in ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity, I answer these questions with those categories in mind, but of course, a city can be diverse along other categories of difference. For example, urban planners and economists may include the range of products and services available as a type of diversity in their models and assessments. And then there are large global cities -- like New York City and London -- that could be considered super-diverse (a term coined by Steve Vertovec of the Max Planck Institute for Religious and Ethnic Diversity), and that feature high levels of complexity and diversity along multiple domains of difference -- ethnic, racial, cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, immigrant status, national origin, work status, profession, sexuality, lifestyle, etc. Yet, a city need not be so diverse to reap the benefits of diversity for economic development. What are the pros and cons of living and working in a diverse city? Highly diverse cities afford greater opportunities for relationships with people of multiple backgrounds by normalizing diversity and challenging people to adapt to myriad social, cultural and linguistic contexts. In my own research, I study how urban diversity has an impact on development of ethnic flexibility, which is a set of skills and cognitive orientations that enable people to shift between multiple ethnic identifications and cultural frames of reference. Ethnically flexible or multicultural people are more cross-culturally competent (they know how to communicate in and adapt effectively to cross-cultural contexts) and they develop linguistic flexibility. Linguistic flexibility isn't just knowing multiple languages, but could also entail knowing multiple dialects of the same language (e.g., switch between standard English and NY English) or knowing different language styles. The ability to switch between linguistic codes when appropriate is important in a range of work, from sales to education. In short, life in a diverse city can develop a certain level of cultural dexterity that is certainly advantageous to a 21st century life. And I would argue that the sort of psycho-social and cognitive work entailed in cultural dexterity is important for creativity and innovation. Frequent crossing of cultural boundaries and developing an awareness that there is a great deal of difference out there and that we don't all think the same is important for making connections between disparate ideas, views and practices. For example, Ron Burt's work on structural holes suggests that people who are in a position to bridge between different groups that are not otherwise connected to each other, are more likely to innovate because they can connect ideas that would not otherwise cross-pollinate. I think this can scale up to the level of the city, and we need only to look at huge technological and artistic hubs like SF, NYC, Austin, and LA to see how such bridging processes can play out. Another key benefit I see from diversity is the ways in which such diversity contributes to transnational or globalized outlooks, networks and practices. Diverse cities are much more plugged in to the rest of the world, either concretely through human and capital flows, or more abstractly through ideology or a sense of shared fate with others beyond the U.S. national borders. Such global connections establish and maintain pipelines between diverse cities and the best talent around the world, offers conduits for international information and other resource sharing and collaboration, and contribute to flexible forms of citizenship. Though there seem to be key nationalist strains in the world today that seek to curtail globalization and its negative impacts, the overall trend is towards greater global integration and cooperation which will be essential for addressing urgent global concerns like climate change, refugee crises, and terrorism. Urban planners and economists can speak to other benefits, such as the social and cultural amenities that are associated with life in a diverse city. Diverse cities tend to have rich offerings in the arts, food and educational experiences, that in turn attract talent to these cities which contribute to the economic health of that city. Not only do they attract top talent, but because of such resources, particularly in the educational realm, diverse cities develop creative and innovative thinkers who can navigate complexity and can understand and be understood across ethnic and cultural boundaries. In terms of the cons, I can think of a few. Living and working in such diversity can be cognitively and socially taxing, and many may find comfort in homogenous personal networks or neighborhoods where they don't have to constantly negotiate and bridge cross-cultural or cross-ethnic divides. Communication difficulties and miscommunication is more likely in diverse places, which can contribute to conflict and inefficiencies. Robert Putnam has found (with some important caveats) that residents of diverse cities also report lower levels of civic trust and engagement, community cohesion, and altruism. The most vexing issue, and one that can reverse the benefits of diversity if not properly managed, is that given how taxing negotiating diversity can be, diversity can lead to fragmentation and self-segregation. Highly socially and economically unequal cities like NYC are in danger of reversing the benefits of diversity because one can now live in neighborhoods that are highly homogeneous in terms of class, racial, and political categories. People who live and work in such homogenous neighborhoods seldom get to interact with the rich cultural and ethno-racial diversity that exists in other parts of the city. And residents of poor, marginalized, primarily black and Latino/a neighborhoods do not have equal access to the economic benefits of diversity. Finally, as one can see in cities like SF, NYC and London, the attractiveness of diverse cities means that the cost of living is so high that some groups just won't be able to live there, contributing to a less diverse city in the long-term. Is there a relationship between diversity economic growth in cities? Much of the economic research on this depends on varying definitions of ethnicity and different indices for diversity – therefore, conclusions are limited by the validity and reliability of the diversity variables. Also, these studies can't be very conclusive about causal relationships. My general sense from my reading of the literature is that it's complicated. Some studies suggest that diversity is negatively associated with economic growth. Where this is particularly the case is in developing countries that have high levels of diversity, but also high levels of fragmentation and/or polarization (e.g., many countries in Africa, and India). The theory is that fragmentation and polarization lead to conflict and this in turn can decrease incentives for investment, complicate a sense of shared public good that could mitigate rent-seeking behavior, or destabilize governance structures, among other factors. On the other hand, when we look at wealthy and highly diverse cities like NYC, San Francisco and Boston, a number of studies tie diversity to economic growth. In such cities, for example, diversity can lead to economic growth because diversity is known to foster innovation (at multiple levels, whether in teams, cities, or countries), which is critical, of course, to the growth and competitiveness of tech firms, marketing companies, film and music production companies, and so on. Additionally, a city's high levels of diversity suggest that the people living in that city have a high tolerance for difference, are open-minded, and other psycho-social traits that contribute to creativity and innovation. What can local policy makers do to harness the diversity in their cities to spur innovation? Through the creation and implementation of policies that balance the needs of businesses with the needs of an inclusive and tolerant community. This includes policies to mitigate ethno-racial and political polarization; policies, particularly housing policies, that address segregation, control cost of living, create incentives for investment (e.g., by tech firms and finance firms) in poor communities where then can develop human capital in STEM and other critical areas; policies to nurture democratic processes / equal political participation, and civic engagement; design urban planning process and policies based on "the commons"; educational policies designed to identify, nurture, and leverage diverse knowledges, perspectives, and skills and that broaden the participation of diverse people in STEM. Which types of diversity are good or bad for cities? This is an interesting question. I think from what I've written so far, it's fair to say that ethnic, racial and cultural diversity are good sorts of diversity. Though if not managed well, ethno-racial diversity can lead to fragmentation and conflict. I didn't write about knowledge diversity, meaning diversity in ideas, information, and experience -- these are good for cities as well, and very pro-innovation. A bad sort of diversity is what Scott E. Page, and other economists, call "preference diversity." Too much diversity of preference means that city residents will have greater difficulty in agreeing on what is good for the city, and/or the public policies and governance strategies needed to address the broader good. Preference diversity can lead to conflict, including violent conflict, which is anti-innovation and anti-economic growth. Rashawn Ray Associate Professor of Sociology, Edward McK. Johnson, Jr. Endowed Faculty Fellow, and Co-Director of the Critical Race Initiative at the University of Maryland What are the pros and cons of living and working in a diverse city? The pros and cons of a diverse city depend on how one defines diversity and whether they truly embrace diverse perspectives. As a sociologist who studies social inequality, I define diversity in terms of equity related to race, gender, and social class background. I frequently give lectures and workshops to companies and universities and inform them that research shows diversity is important. Pros of diversity include the ability to attract and retain a world-class workforce that becomes civically and socially engaged in local communities. Diversity contributes to economic growth because it allows for companies and local governments to remain relevant and resilient in a changing, technologically-driven world and enhance the cultural competency of local residents. There are few cons to diversity. However, individuals who resist diverse perspectives are more likely to discriminate against racial/ethnic minorities. In this regard, discrimination can circumvent the pros mentioned above. Is there a relationship between diversity and economic growth in cities? There is a strong positive relationship between diversity and economic growth. Moreover, more diversity leads to more economic growth. For example, studies show that cities with more immigrants normally have more economic development, lower levels of unemployment, and lower levels of violent crime. Diversity increases economic growth because it creates healthy competition. People develop more innovative ideas when they see and hear diverse perspectives. In companies, diversity maximizes workplace satisfaction for employees, leads to more satisfied clients who feel their perspectives are being included, and can foster an environment of better learning and understanding. These factors lead to more productive employees. More productive employees create more profit. What can local policy makers do to harness the diversity in their cities to spur innovation? As mentioned above, diversity can lead to some people feeling threatened by more competition. Feelings of threat lead to more prejudice attitudes and more discrimination in the workplace and in local neighborhoods. Policy makers can harness diversity by implementing policies that mitigate discrimination. Incentives can be created for companies and small business that truly embrace diversity. Policy makers can incentivize companies that have clearly defined missions about equity and the importance of diversity in the workplace. Policy makers should mandate that companies have clearly defined competencies and outcomes and take strategic and proactive steps to recruit and retain diverse employees. Local policy makers can evaluate companies based on employee attrition rates, employee satisfaction, and workplace climate satisfaction. Companies can promote participation in external diversity organizations. Civic engagement will foster more learning and cooperation among local residents and create more respectful and collaborative environments. Companies that do not ensure that employees treat others equitably and respectfully should be held legally accountable. Harassment and discrimination have no place in the workplace or in local communities. Which types of diversity are good or bad for cities? Diversity that quickly changes the racial or social class make-up of neighborhoods without properly including the local residents or assessing the impact that increasing housing prices may have on them can be bad. This means that local residents will be shifted elsewhere. Research studies document that forced migration is bad for cities. It increases unemployment, child displacement, and poor health. Good diversity incorporates local residents in development plans and critically assesses the implications of drastic changes in housing costs and housing options. Assata Zerai Associate Chancellor for Diversity and Professor of Sociology at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign What are the pros and cons of living and working in a diverse city? I love living in a diverse town. The pros are that for those of us who have children, our families can be exposed to cultural differences within our friendship circles. My children have grown up attending Passover Seder, celebrating Chinese New Year, Eid al-Fitr, along with Christmas and Kwanza. That our society encompasses many different cultural traditions is not a foreign concept to our next generation of youth who have had the pleasure of living in diverse environments. Sociologist Eduardo Bonilla-Silva argues that white Americans who live in isolation, with little or no contact with African Americans, for example, are more likely to practice "color blind racism" (2003). In a work by Emerson and Smith (2000), they found that American evangelical churchgoers who live in all white neighborhoods, are likely to blame African Americans themselves for a lack of educational and economic advancement and that white conservative Christians’ cultural toolkit not only promotes antistructural explanations for inequality but actually perpetuates economic inequality in American society. They explain that by not seeing the structures that impact on individual initiative, such as access to quality education, segregated neighborhoods that concentrate the already higher black poverty rate and lead to further social problems, and other forms of discrimination, the structures are allowed to continue unimpeded. Is there a relationship between diversity and economic growth in cities? There has been quite a bit of research produced that shows there is a direct relationship between diversity (with inclusion) and successful output (e.g., Society for Women Engineers and ARUP -- a London-based engineering firm). So it would be logical to assume that there is a relationship between diversity and economic growth in cities. I imagine that the definition of diversity in measuring this relationship to economic growth, must include inclusion. I'd hypothesize that diversity and inclusion result in economic growth in cities. What can local policy makers do to harness the diversity in their cities to spur innovation? To spur innovation, diversity is not enough. Diversity is a necessary element, as you need a critical mass of people from varied backgrounds, but diversity is not sufficient. For diversity to be effective, cities also need inclusion to spurt innovation. Current theory says that diversity that is beneficial to organizations requires inclusion, equity and access. Citing human resource management literature (Surowiecki 2004, Ross 2011, Page 2007, and Ely et al. 2001), the Society for Women Engineers (SWE) argues that diversity and inclusion are synergistic. Diversity does not work without inclusion (and vice versa). Which types of diversity are good or bad for cities? I do not think there is diversity that is "bad." But the full benefits of diversity cannot be realized without inclusion. Anna C. Smedley-López Assistant Professor in Residence at University of Nevada, Las Vegas What are the pros and cons of living and working in a diverse city? There are actually many benefits to living in a diverse city. For example, in a diverse city we are exposed to cultural practices different than our own, can learn about the historical influences on different contemporary cultural practices, and in turn take a deeper look at our own potentially taken for granted cultural norms. One benefit to a broader understanding of culture is the preservation of culture. And one of the exciting things that can happen in a diverse city is inter-group activism that works to preserve cultural history. One recent successful initiative here in southern Nevada is the Protect Gold Butte initiative that resulted in a significant piece of land just northeast of Las Vegas receiving a national monument designation. This was an important initiative because Gold Butte is sacred lands to the Southern Paiutes and home to thousands of historic petroglyphs, as well as the desert tortoise. The national monument designation will protect the land from the development and vandalism, and preserve the irreplaceable Paiute petroglyphs. We also benefit from diversity in our work, from different types of knowledges, and understanding. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that working in diverse teams fosters better team problem solving skills, creativity, and innovation. That diversity makes us smarter. And experiencing cultural diversity can also help foster tolerance. This is really important in the quickly diversity U.S. society, especially in today’s political climate. However, many folks also fear diversity. They fear the unknown, they worry about changing cultural practices, and they worry about competition for resources. And a down side to diversity is that often times we see disparities across groups. For example, we often see economic, educational, health, and housing disparities across different racial, gender, and national origin groups in diverse cities. This is especially problematic if we believe that diversity makes us smarter because it not only fosters things like gaps in quality of life, gaps in ability to be civically engaged, but also limits our ability to make sure that folks are present/have access to the innovation table. What can local policy makers do to harness the diversity in their cities to spur innovation? I would advocate that we be intentional about increasing access to and funding education for historically marginalized groups, such as students of color, immigrant students, women, and working poor, especially education that focuses on research skills and promotes innovation. And certainly in the STEM fields, but also in the social sciences. Social scientists are uniquely skilled to help us better understand our social problems in contemporary U.S. society and to help us identify strategies for addressing those problems. If we believe the evidence that diversity fosters problem solving skills, creativity, and innovation, then we need to ensure that our teams are indeed diverse. A second way that we can tap into diversity to foster innovation is to take our research and efforts to be innovative to the communities. I would like to see policy makers support this type of work. There is a precedent in several research and innovation focused disciplines to engage stakeholders in community based participatory research (CBPR). In community focused research such as CBPR researchers partner with community members to identify what research is important to the community, treat community members as the experts of their own lived experiences, and engage in shared decision-making and dissemination of research findings. This can be especially effective in identifying culturally appropriate answers for larger social problems like health disparities and educational gaps. Which types of diversity are good or bad for cities? We can benefit from all types of diversity in our cities. What then becomes the problem is when we see economic disparities and barriers to resources based on these diversities. Vast disparities are bad for cities. When we have large groups of people who cannot access education, a living wage, occupational mobility, healthy foods, health care, this can have negative outcomes for the collective growth and sustainability in our cities. And in turn, limit access to our innovation table.

Methodology

To help families find the best Maryland cities in which to put down roots, WalletHub compared a sample of 128 cities in the state across four key dimensions: 1) Family Life & Fun, 2) Education, Health & Safety, 3) Affordability and 4) Socio-economics. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

We evaluated the four dimensions using 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most suitable conditions for family life.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the cities in our sample.

Family Life & Fun – Total Points: 25

• Playgrounds per Capita: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
• Number of Attractions: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)Note: “Attractions” includes, for instance, museums, theaters and zoos.
• Share of Families with Children Aged 0 to 17: Double Weight (~8.33 Points)
• Weather: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)Note: Based on WalletHub’s Cities with the Best & Worst Weather ranking.
• Average Commute Time: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Education, Health & Safety – Total Points: 25

• Quality of School System: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• High School Graduation Rate: Half Weight (~1.47 Points)
• Air Quality: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Pediatricians per Capita: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Share of Uninsured Children: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)Note: “Children” include the population aged 0 to 17.
• Violent-Crime Rate per Capita: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)
• Property-Crime Rate per Capita: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)

Affordability – Total Points: 25

• Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Housing Costs (accounts for both rental and sale prices) / Median Annual Family Income.
• General Affordability: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Median Annual Family Income / Cost-of-Living Index.

Socio-economics – Total Points: 25

• Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Two-Parent Families: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Families Living Below Poverty Level: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Households Receiving Food Stamps: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Wealth Gap: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, County Health Rankings, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Renwood RealtyTrac, SchoolDigger.com, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Areavibes and WalletHub research.

from Wallet HubWallet Hub


via Finance Xpress