Chalk up another kudo for Salt Lake City.
City & State Magazine, read primarily by state and local government officials nationwide, ranked Salt Lake City No. 1 among 195 cities in terms of economic strength in its Dec. 6 issue.The "Up and Coming Cities Report," as it's known, places the city just above Indianapolis and Lansing, Mich.
While the report isn't likely to reach the living rooms of most Americans, Mayor Deedee Corradini said the survey is one more weapon against prevailing misconceptions about the city and the state.
"Wherever I go, people still look at me funny when I say I'm from Salt Lake City," she said. "There's still this perception out there. To have this kind of a rating is helpful in dispelling that."
Corradini tackles some of those myths in the story that accompanies the magazine report, assuring readers they can buy alcoholic drinks in Utah.
She said the city consistently ranks high on such lists because of the quality of life it offers.
The magazine notes that Salt Lake City and Boise, which was ranked 13th, are the only two Western cities in the top 25. The cities appear to be bucking an economic downturn in the West. Midwest and Southern Atlantic cities dominated the list.
The ranking comes on the heels of the "Places Rate Almanac," which ranked the Salt Lake City-Ogden metro area as the eighth-best place to live in North America. In recent years, Fortune Magazine also ranked Salt Lake City No. 1 in terms of places to do business.
Public officials believe the good publicity is fueling migration to the Salt Lake area.
Corradini said the important thing is that the city plans for the growth.
"We have to manage it carefully so we don't lose our quality of life and become like any other city," she said, noting she thinks air pollution, especially this time of year, is a problem.