Survey: Ann Arbor best place for women

The time has come for the rest of the country to know what the women of Ann Arbor have known all along. Ann Arbor is a great place to live.

A Ladies' Home Journal survey released Thursday ranked Ann Arbor as the best city for women.

Women reader's were asked to rank the 200 largest cities in the nation on the qualities of a city that are most important to women.

Some of the most important factors for women included average salaries, crime rates, quality of life, health care, public schools and the number of women in government. The survey measured the salary gap between the sexes, the number of discrimination suits women file, the number of women's health specialists, divorce rates and the influence of spirituality on the city.

The survey also included some less significant factors, such as complexion kindness based on UV radiation levels, affordable shopping and good hair days.

"I think it is a wonderful recognition of the excellent quality of life that we have here," Ann Arbor Mayor Ingrid Sheldon said. "The categories judged are important to women. They are issues that we work on seriously as a community."

Besides topping the overall list, Ann Arbor earned a perfect score of 100 regarding child care. Factors affecting that category's score included in-home emergency care for children and child-care scholarship opportunities.

Ann Arbor also was extremely high in the politics category with a score of 94, reflecting a strong presence of women in local government.

Sheldon said the attitude of men in Ann Arbor toward women is part of the reason it is such a women-friendly town.

"I feel men respect the contributions women make, and as a result we are able to be a community that truly works together," Sheldon said.

"I love Ann Arbor," LSA junior Christy Johnson said. "It offers something for everyone, in every walk of life. What ever your interest, you can find it here."

Ladies' Home Journal deemed it "appropriate that America's best city for women bears the name of the two pioneering females who helped settle the place." The city was named for the Ann Allen and Mary Ann Rumsey, whose husbands planted an arbor of oaks in 1824. The Journal concluded that with everything that Ann Arbor has to offer, "it all adds up to a small city with big city qualities."

10-12-98