The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) announced today that Forbes magazine ranked the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area (MSA) 16th in its recently-released list of the best bang-for-the-buck cities.  Of the 100 largest nationwide MSAs analyzed by Forbes, the Baton Rouge area ranked number sixteen primarily due to its enviable cost of living, stable employment, solid housing market, and commute time.  This is the second Forbes list released in the last month which indicates that the Capital Region is a strong, national economic leader.

Each of the 100 regions was measured across eight categories in order to calculate an average overall ranking: foreclosures as a percentage of housing units, home vacancies, unemployment rates, a three-year job growth forecast, a three-year home price forecast, housing affordability, median real estate taxes, and median travel time to work.  Of these factors, most notable is that the Baton Rouge MSA ranked 1st in the country in the median real estate taxes category, according to U.S. Census data.  The Baton Rouge area’s foreclosure and unemployment rates ranked 11th and 14th out of 100, respectively.

“’Best bang-for-your-buck’ tells a story about a strong competitive position nationally,” said Adam Knapp, BRAC’s President and CEO.  “Job creation, low unemployment, a healthy housing market, and a reasonably low cost of living paint a picture of a healthy economy.”

Topping the Forbes list of best bang-for-the-buck cities was Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA, followed by Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR, and Jackson, MS.  The New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA metro area was the only other Louisiana MSA to make the list, ranking 47th.

For the complete list, visit www.forbes.com/2009/11/30/cities-affordable-cheap-lifestyle-real-estate-housing-foreclosures_chart.html.

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