'Business Week' ranks Cleveland in top 50

National publications rank Cleveland

Late in 2007, Cleveland, Tennessee, was ranked nationally as one of 50 best places to raise a family. The special report, cited on BusinessWeek.com, evaluated communities on safety, community and education.

Cleveland scored first place in the crime category, meaning it had the least amount of violent crime, and 16^th in the cost-of-living category, which measured household expenditures compared with national averages. The city ranked 43 out of 50 for test scores, 36 for recreational and cultural activities, and 46 for schools.

“We already knew Cleveland/Bradley County is a great place to raise a family,” Chamber President Jerry Bohannon said. “But our marketing efforts are helped tremendously when we have the credibility of national publications recognizing our community as a good place to live.”

Several years ago The Wall Street Journal recognized the quality of life in Cleveland/Bradley County after covering the 1996 Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Competition on nearby Polk County’s Ocoee River. They merely discovered something we had known for years.

And not long ago Forbes Magazine conducted a survey and found that our community was one of the top communities in the nation to do business. This notable business magazine verified something we have known for years—we have a very good environment in which businesses and industries can prosper.

The Business Week article identified our community as one of the top 50 communities in the United States in which to raise kids. We’ve got a great selection of organizations and programs where kids can participate and grow with healthy bodies and minds.

And recently, USA Today identified Cleveland, Tennessee, as the top community where housing values have remained strong and with the least effect of the downturn in the housing industry.

While some might be amazed that the Cleveland/Bradley County, Tennessee, area continues to show up on these national surveys, we’re not surprised. For more than eight decades, the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce has been a presence in economic development, education, healthcare, recreation, culture and other significant areas that enhance our quality of life.

To see the other cities named in the Business Week article, click here.