INTRODUCTION

Cities of the United States (CUS) provides a one-stop source for all the vital information you need on 189 of America's top cities—those fastest-growing, as well as those with a particular historical, political, industrial, and/or commercial significance. Spanning the entire country, from Anaheim to Virginia Beach, each geographically-arranged volume of CUS brings together a wide range of comprehensive data. The volumes include: The South; The West; The Midwest; and The Northeast.

Within each volume, the city-specific profiles organize pertinent facts, data, and figures related to demographic, economic, cultural, geographic, social, and recreational conditions. Assembling a myriad of sources, CUS offers researchers, travelers, students, and media professionals a convenient resource for discovering each city's past, present, and future.

For this completely updated fifth edition, eleven new cities have been added, providing even greater access to the country's growing urban centers. The new city profiles include:

• Akron, OH
• Aurora, IL
• Casper, WY
• El Paso, TX
• Fort Smith, AR
• Henderson, NV
• Huntington, WV
• Mesa, AZ
• Nampa, ID
• Overland Park, KS
• Warwick, RI

Key Features Unlock Vital Information

Cities of the United States offers a range of key features, allowing easy access to targeted information. Features include:

• Section headings—Comprehensive categories, which include History, Geography and Climate, Population Profile, Municipal Government, Economy, Education, Research, Health Care, Recreation, Convention Facilities, Transportation, and Communications (including city web sites), make it easy for you to locate answers to your specific questions.
• Combined facts and analysis—Fact-packed charts and detailed descriptions bring you the statistics and the rest of the story.
• "In Brief" fact sheets—One-page "at a glance" overviews provide the essential facts for each state and each city profiled.
• Economic information—Detailed updates about such topics as incentive programs, development projects, and largest employers help you rate the business climate using criteria that matter to you.
• Directory information—Contact information at the end of many entry sections provides addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses for organizations, agencies, and institutions you may need to contact.
• Detailed maps—City landmarks, mileage scales, and regional insets allow you to locate many of the points of interest described in main city entries, as well as provide a greater perspective on the city in which you are interested.
• Selected bibliography listings—Historical accounts, biographical works, and other print resources suggest titles to read if you wish to learn more about a particular city.
• Web sites for vital city resources—Access points to URLs for information-rich sources, such as city government, visitors and convention bureaus, economic development agencies, libraries, schools, and newspapers provide researchers an opportunity to explore cities in more detail.
• Enlightening illustrations—Numerous photographs highlight points of interest to you.
• Handy indexing—A referencing guide not only to main city entries, but also to the hundreds of people and place names that fall within those main entries, leading you directly to the information you seek.

Designed For a Variety of Users

Whether you are a researcher, traveler, or executive on the move, CUS serves your needs. This is the reference long sought by a variety of users:

• Business people, market researchers, and other decision-makers will find the current data that helps them stay informed.
• People vacationing, conventioneering, or relocating will consult this source for questions they have about what's new, unique, or significant about where they are going.
• Students, media professionals, and researchers will discover their background work already completed.

Hurricanes of 2005 and Their Impact on the United States

The powerful hurricanes of 2005—Hurricane Katrina on August 29 followed by Hurricane Rita on September 24—devastated the Gulf Coast region of the United States. From Alabama to the shores of Texas, these two hurricanes had profound impact—from the loss of lives to the loss of infrastructure (utilities, roads, commerce), industry, and manufacturing. Cities directly hit by these hurricanes, such as New Orleans, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi, will undergo recovery efforts for years to come, and it is unknown at the time of publication of Cities of the United States, 5th edition just how long and how far-reaching that recovery will be.

It is also important to note that not only are the cities hit directly by these hurricanes affected; cities that have offered refuge to evacuees and contributed greatly to the relief efforts will continue to be affected as they work to aid the recovery efforts, putting their own development initiatives on hold. Cities such as Mobile, Alabama; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Jackson, Mississippi will also continue to experience the effects of these unprecedented natural disasters.

The essays profiled herein for the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas were updated prior to August 2005 and reflect information that was then current.

Definitions of Key Statistical Resources

Following are explanations of key resources used for statistical data:

ACCRA (The Council for Community Economic Research; formerly the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association): The Cost of Living Index, produced quarterly, provides a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences among urban areas. Items on which the Index is based have been carefully chosen to reflect the different categories of consumer expenditures, such as groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services; taxes are excluded. Weights assigned to relative costs are based on government survey data on expenditure patterns for midmanagement households (typically the average professional worker's home, new construction with 2,400 square feet of living space). All items are priced in each place at a specified time and according to standardized specifications. Information regarding ACCRA and the Cost of Living Index can be found at www.accra.org. Please note that the ACCRA Cost of Living Index and ACCRA housing price information are reprinted by permission of ACCRA.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA): The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provides that each Metropolitan Statistical Area must include (a) at least one city with 50,000 or more inhabitants, or (b) a U.S. Census Bureau-defined urbanized area (of at least 50,000 inhabitants) and a total metropolitan population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England). The term was adopted in 1983. The term "metropolitan area" (MA) became effective in 1990. During the 2000 Census, the MSA standards were revised, establishing Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs). CBSAs may be either Metropolitan Statistical Areas or Micropolitan Statistical Areas. It is important to note that standards, and therefore content of 1990 Census MSAs, are not identical to 2000 Census MSA standards. Additional information regarding MSAs can be found at http://census.state.nc.us/glossary/msa.html.

FBI Crime Index Total: The total number of index offenses reported to the FBI during the year through its Uniform Crime Reporting Program. The FBI receives monthly and annual reports from law enforcement agencies throughout the country. City police, sheriffs, and state police file reports on the number of index offenses that become known to them. The FBI Crime Index offenses are: murder and non-negligent manslaughter; forcible rape; robbery; aggravated assault; burglary; larceny; motor vehicle theft; and arson.

Estimates of population: Between decennial censuses, the U.S. Bureau of the Census publishes estimates of the population using the decennial census data as benchmarks and data available from various agencies, both state and federal, including births and deaths, and school statistics, among other data.

Method of Compilation

The editors of Cities of the United States consulted numerous sources to secure the kinds of data most valuable to you. Each entry gathers together economic information culled in part from the U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics and state departments of labor and commerce, population figures derived from the U.S. Department of Commerce/Bureau of the Census and from city and state agencies, educational and municipal government data supplied by local authorities and historical narrative based on a variety of accounts. Along with material supplied by chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, and other local sources, background information was drawn from periodicals and books chosen for their timeliness and accuracy. Through print resources, web sites, email contact, and/or phone calls with agency representatives, the information reflects current conditions.

Acknowledgments

The editors are grateful for the assistance provided by dozens of helpful chambers of commerce and convention and visitors bureau professionals, as well as municipal, library, and school employees for their invaluable generosity and expertise.

Comments and Suggestions Welcome

If you have questions, concerns, or comments about Cities of the United States, please contact the Project Editors:

Cities of the United States
Thomson Gale
27500 Drake Road
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
Phone: (248)699-4253
Toll-free: (800)347-GALE
Fax: (248)699-8075
URL: http://www.gale.com