The Best and Worst Run Cities in America

9. Chandler, Ariz.
> Violent crime per 1,000 people: 2.86 (14th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 8.2% (6th lowest)
> Adult population graduated from high school: 91.5% (13th highest)
> Credit rating: Aaa (stable outlook)
> Population: 236,775

Chandler is one of the newest large cities in the U.S. The city was incorporated in 1951, but the population did not truly expand until very recently. In 1980, Chandler, which is located within the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, had a population of 30,000. Now, it has a population of 247,000. There are countless examples of cities that experienced this level of growth, but few, especially in the Southwest, that maintained a healthy economy through the recession. And despite home values dropping precipitously in the city, like the rest of the Phoenix region, Chandler managed to maintain a healthy economy. In 2010, the city had the ninth-lowest unemployment rate among the largest cities, and the sixth-lowest poverty rate. Chandler has been assigned a perfect Aaa stable rating by Moody’s. The credit rating agency justified the rating: “The stable credit outlook reflects Moody’s expectation that management will continue to maintain favorable financial operations and strong reserve levels despite ongoing economic weakness.”

Chandler (city), Arizona

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People QuickFacts	Chandler	Arizona
Population, 2011 estimate	240,101	6,467,315
Population, 2010 (April 1) estimates base	236,139	6,392,015
Population, percent change, April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011	1.7%	1.2%
Population, 2010	236,123	6,392,017
Persons under 5 years, percent, 2010	7.6%	7.1%
Persons under 18 years, percent, 2010	27.6%	25.5%
Persons 65 years and over, percent, 2010	7.8%	13.8%
Female persons, percent, 2010	50.9%	50.3%

White persons, percent, 2010 (a)	73.3%	73.0%
Black persons, percent, 2010 (a)	4.8%	4.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2010 (a)	1.5%	4.6%
Asian persons, percent, 2010 (a)	8.2%	2.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2010 (a)	0.2%	0.2%
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2010	3.7%	3.4%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2010 (b)	21.9%	29.6%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2010	61.7%	57.8%

Living in same house 1 year & over, percent, 2007-2011	78.1%	80.1%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2007-2011	13.4%	13.9%
Language other than English spoken at home, percent age 5+, 2007-2011	21.9%	27.1%
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25+, 2007-2011	92.3%	85.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher, percent of persons age 25+, 2007-2011	39.6%	26.4%
Veterans, 2007-2011	14,893	536,449
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2007-2011	24.5	24.7

Housing units, 2010	94,404	2,844,526
Homeownership rate, 2007-2011	66.2%	66.6%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2007-2011	23.1%	20.6%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2007-2011	$255,100	$197,400
Households, 2007-2011	86,139	2,344,215
Persons per household, 2007-2011	2.70	2.64
Per capita money income in the past 12 months (2011 dollars), 2007-2011	$32,942	$25,784
Median household income, 2007-2011	$71,343	$50,752
Persons below poverty level, percent, 2007-2011	7.9%	16.2%

Business QuickFacts	Chandler	Arizona
Total number of firms, 2007	19,197	491,529
Black-owned firms, percent, 2007	2.5%	2.0%
American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned firms, percent, 2007	1.3%	1.9%
Asian-owned firms, percent, 2007	7.7%	3.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms, percent, 2007	S	S
Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2007	8.1%	10.7%
Women-owned firms, percent, 2007	31.2%	28.1%

Manufacturers shipments, 2007 ($1000)	3,956,031	57,977,827
Merchant wholesaler sales, 2007 ($1000)	4,585,919	57,573,459
Retail sales, 2007 ($1000)	3,608,290	86,758,801
Retail sales per capita, 2007	$14,787	$13,637
Accommodation and food services sales, 2007 ($1000)	500,934	13,268,514

Geography QuickFacts	Chandler	Arizona
Land area in square miles, 2010	64.41	113,594.08
Persons per square mile, 2010	3,665.8	56.3
FIPS Code	12000	04
Counties	Maricopa County

For the worst run cities,

MIAMI FLORIDA has a Cuban American mayor — Tomas Regalado

DETROIT has a black Mayor — Dave Bing (he took over from an impossible situation, so give him the benefit of the doubt, I don’t think even a Ronald Reagan or Rudy Giuliani can do squat about this disaster of a city that took decades to ruin)

Newark, NJ has a black mayor — Corey Booker

San Bernardino has a white mayor — Patrick Morris

Cleveland has a mixed blood mayor ( black and Italian) — Frank Jackson

Stockton, CA has a hispanic mayor — Anthony Silva

St. Louis, MO has a white mayor — Francis Slay

Fresno, CA has a white, female mayor — Ashley Swaerengin

North Las Vegas has a white, female mayor — Shari Buck

Hialeah, Fla. has a Hispanic (Cuban American) Mayor -— Carlos Hernandez

CAVEAT: Sometimes, we gotta give mayors ( especially the ones recently elected ) a chance to prove himself/herself before judging his legacy.

Washington D.C.?????

I agree. If Detroit isn’t #1 then I question their methodology.

I am so happy that Cleveland has standing in SOMEthing.

RE: Washington D.C.?????

The city will be the last to go bankrupt. The Feds will PRINT money if they have to rescue it.

Don’t know what ethnicity has to do with how well as city is run

You didn't notice that none of the top 10 is run by a black mayor (and presumably, mostly black council)?