Lee's Summit was recently featured in BusinessWeek magazine as Missouri's best affordable town for raising children. Most important factors in this analysis were school performance, affordability and safety. The magazine selected one town in each state, and Lee's Summit was selected as the top community in Missouri for raising children.
BusinessWeek selected towns with at least 50,000 residents and a median family income between $40,000 and $100,000. The list was then narrowed using the following weighted criteria: school performance; number of schools; household expenditures; crime rates; air quality; job growth; family income; museums, parks, theatres and other amenities; and diversity. School performance was weighted most heavily, according to BusinessWeek officials.
This is BusinessWeek's second annual roundup of the "Best Places in America to Raise Kids." The website featuring Lee's Summit states that the town is "known for its good schools, relatively low crime and affordable housing." To read more about BusinessWeek's ranking, visit http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/nov2008/pi2008117_238652.htm.
This is the second time in the past few months that Lee's Summit schools and community have been recognized by a national magazine. Last summer, Money magazine's annual issue focusing on "America's Best Places to Live" (small cities listing) ranked the Lee's Summit R-7 School District as No. 7 among school districts throughout the nation. The City of Lee's Summit ranked 79th among the 100 towns listed in Money's "America's Best Small Cities."
In Money magazine's August 2008 issue, small cities were displayed with a No. 1 and a No. 2 noting the attribute where each city scored highest. Lee's Summit scored highest in "education" and second highest in "jobs/economy."
Jim Devine is 2010 Missouri Professional Economic Developer of the Year
