Augusta isn't the best place in the country to raise children, but it's far from the worst, according to a national research group dedicated to bettering the quality of life for children.
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Overall, the Washington-based group Population Connection ranked the Garden City 35th among 80 large American cities, with an overall grade of "B" for being a child-friendly place.
The rankings are based on statistical data from the Census Bureau and a dozen other sources that compare information on poverty levels, health, education and other factors, said Tim Cline, the organization's communication director. In all, 16 indicators were used in the 2004 analysis.
"This is not a chamber of commerce sort of thing to get people to move to a particular place," he said. "We're an outside organization with no ax to grind; our perspective is from an outsider looking in."
The top five child-friendly large cities were Des Moines, Iowa; Spokane, Wash.; Madison, Wis.; Fremont, Calif.; and Yonkers, N.Y., while the lowest-ranking city was Birmingham, Ala.
Augusta, in particular, has quality education programs for children, including the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, where thousands of young visitors are exposed to environmental education programs each year, according to the group's report card.
"We like to think there are quality education programs in every city, and we like to highlight them," Mr. Cline said.
Population Connection has published its Kid-Friendly Cities report card for nine years, and sometimes changes the indicators it uses to determine rankings, he said. Large cities such as Augusta are ranked separately from the 20 "major" cities, in which Seattle was ranked No. 1 and Cleveland was No. 20.
What makes a child-friendly city?
"There are lots of indicators, but cities that have a very low teen pregnancy rate tend to finish high in the report," Mr. Cline said. "The reason isn't just teen pregnancy. There are a lot of other issues wrapped up in that. High teen pregnancy indicates higher crime rates, higher poverty levels and higher numbers of people without health insurance."
Also, cities with rapid population growth often are ranked lower because of the negative effects of urban sprawl, he said.
"As cities sprawl and parents move farther out to escape the problems of the city, they tend to spend less time with their kids because they spend more and more time getting to and from work. Parents who don't have to do that commuting spend more time with their kids."
Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119,
or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.
Best for Children
Rankings of the top child-friendly cities in the large cities category and other cities of interest. (There are 80 cities in the category.)
1. Des Moines, Iowa
2. Spokane, Wash.
3. Madison, Wis.
4. Fremont, Calif.
5. Yonkers, N.Y.
35. Augusta
Rankings of top Kid Friendly Cities in the large cities category and other cities of interest. There are 80 in the category.
1. Des Moines, Iowa
2. Spokane, Wash.
3. Madison, Wis.
4. Fremont, Calif.
5. Yonkers, N.Y.
11. Raleigh, N.C.
35. Augusta39. Charlotte, N.C.
51. Jacksonville, Fla.
61. Tampa, Fla.
