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The following are data not evaluated by the website but which offer insight into the community’s success:* 95.2 percent of residents graduate high school or higher* 66.4 percent have a bachelor’s degree or beyond* Median housing value is $288,800* Per-capita income in the past 12 months is $53,217 (in 2014)Source: 2010-2014 American Community Survey
Signal Mountain is the third most successful city in the state, according to career advice website zippia.com. The town is among 97 others in the state with more than 5,000 residents that were ranked by the site.
The rankings were determined using data on the cities’ poverty level, median household income and unemployment rate from the 2010-2014 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, according to the website. After ranking the cities according to each of those three sets of criteria, the site averaged each city’s rankings to determine their “Success Score.”
Signal Mountain scored well for its high median household income of $97,092, its low poverty rate of 1.6 percent and its low unemployment rate of 3.1 percent.
“I think there are many things that make Signal Mountain an outstanding community, but those criteria don’t make my list,” said town of Signal Mountain Mayor Dick Gee, when asked to comment on the ranking. “People in the town are affluent, but that’s not what makes them successful; it’s because of the kind of people they are.”
He described the town’s citizens as people who like to be productive and involved in the community, and who enjoy socializing and creating things.
“You can’t create a recipe for attracting those kinds of people,” he said as to why he thinks Signal Mountain attracts residents who are successful.
Gee said a few of the factors that make the town a good place to live are good schools, safety, scenic beauty and unique features for a town of its size, such as the Signal Mountain Playhouse.
Beating out Signal Mountain for the top spots on the website’s rankings were Arlington, located near Memphis in Shelby County, at No. 1, and Brentwood, a suburb of Nashville, at No. 2.
Contact Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com or 757-6508.