Quality of Life in Selected US High-Tech Regions
Air Quality Data
Crime Data
Housing Data
Median Housing Sales Prices
Residential Building Permits Issued
Traffic Data
__________________________________________________________
Air Quality Data▲
Table
Air Quality (annual data), 1995-2005
Chart
Air Quality (annual data), 1995-2005
Download table and chart as an Excel file
Source: US Environmental Protection Agency.
To locate Air Quality Data:
Go to http://www.epa.gov
Under "Quick Finder," click on AIR.
Scroll down to "Browse these EPA Air Subtopics" and click on "Air Quality."
Click on "AirTrends."
Scroll down and click on "Air Quality Index Information" in the left toolbar.
Under "Data Available through 2005 Status and Trends," click on "Number of Days with Air Quality Index Values Greater than 100 at Trend Sites, 1990-2005, and All Sites in 2005, Ozone Only" and open either the .xls or .pdf. file.
__________________________________________________________
Crime Data▲
Table
Crime Rates (annual), 1990-2005
Chart
Crime Rates (annual), 1990-2005
Download table and chart as an Excel file
Notes: The Crime Index, measured by the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, is composed of the violent crimes of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, and the property crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Austin's crime index has dropped steadily since 1990 when the index was 8,579 per 100,000 persons to 4,480 per 100,000 persons in 2005. Data for 2003-2005 are based on revised definitions of Metropolitan Statistical Areas effective in 2003; therefore, data for 2003-2005 are not necessarily comparable to previous years. The data for Austin for 2003 are not available from the FBI; therefore, the 2003 data were estimated.
Source: US Department of Justice, US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States--2005.
To locate Crime Data:
Go to www.fbi.gov
Click on "Reports and Publications" in the left hand toolbar.
Scroll down and click on "Uniform Crime Report: Crime in the United States"
Click on "year"
Click on "Table 6 -- By Metropolitan Statistical Area"
__________________________________________________________
Housing Data
__________________________________________________________
Median Housing Prices▲
Table
Median Housing Prices (annual), 1986-2006
Chart
Median Housing Prices (annual), 1992-2006
Download table and chart as an Excel file
Notes: The Median Housing Sales Price of existing single-family houses is computed by determining the midway point between the least expensive and most expensive of all existing single-family home sales in the metropolitan statistical area. For example, the median price in Austin is $163,800 in 2005.
Source: National Association of REALTORS, Median-Sales Price of Existing Single-Family Homes for Metropolitan Areas (annual).
To locate Median Housing Prices Data:
Go to www.realtor.org
Click on "Research" in the left hand toolbar.
Click on "Existing Home Sales" under Research in the left hand toolbar.
Click on "Metropolitan Area Prices."
Click on "Date" of current release or on "spreadsheet" for historical data.
__________________________________________________________
Residential Building Permits Issued▲
Tables
Residential Building Permits Issued (annually), 1990-2006
Charts
Single-Family Residential Building Permits Issued (annually), 1990-2006
Download annual data tables and chart as an Excel file
Notes: Statistics are based upon reports submitted by local building permit officials in response to a mail survey. They are obtained using Form C-404, "Report of New Privately-Owned Residential Building or Zoning Permits Issued." When a report is not received, missing data are either (1) obtained from the Survey of Use of Permits (SUP) that is used to collect other information on housing starts, or (2) imputed. Imputations are based on the assumption that the ratio of current month authorizations to those of a year ago should be the same for reporting and non-reporting places.
Source: Real Estate Center, Texas A&M University. College Station, Texas.
To locate building permit data for Austin, Boston (1990-1998), Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Raleigh-Durham, San Antonio, and San Jose MSAs:
Go to http://recenter.tamu.edu
Click on "Data"
Click on "Building Permits"
Under Building Permit Activity, click on "Residential: US Metropolitan (MSA) Data"
Scroll down until you locate the metropolitan area needed and then click on "A" for annual data or "M" for monthly data under single-family, 2-4 family, or 5+ family.
To locate building permit data for Boston MSA from 1999 to current year:
Go to http://www.census.gov
Click on "Subjects A to Z" in upper toolbar
Click on "C"
Scroll down and Under Construction, click on "Building Permits"
Click on "Permits by Metropolitan Area"
Click on "monthly data"
Scroll down until you locate December (Year) and then click on "Housing Units: Year-to-Date".
__________________________________________________________
Traffic Data▲
Table
Traffic Data (annual), 1996-2003
Charts
Travel Time Index (annual), 1996-2003
Rush Hours (annual), 1996-2003
Download tables and chart as an Excel file
Notes: The Travel Time Index (TTI) is the ratio of rush hours (peak period travel time) to non-rush hours (free-flow travel time.) The TTI estimates the average amount of extra time it takes to travel a specific distance in rush hours compared to non-rush hours. For example, in 2003, if it requires one hour to travel a specific distance in non-rush hours, it would require one hour and 20 minutes in Austin, an hour and 22 minutes in Dallas-Fort Worth, an hour and 25 minutes in Houston, and an hour and 13 minutes in San Antonio to travel the same distance during rush hours. Non-rush hour speed is estimated at 60 mph on freeways and 35 mph on major streets. Speeds less than that are an indication of delay.
Number of rush hours = estimate of the number of hours in a 24-hour day when the highway system has congestion.
The Texas Transportation Institute conducts an annual survey of travel patterns in 75 cities in the US. From this survey, the Urban Mobility Study is published. Release of the next Urban Mobility Study is scheduled for early September 2007. Data for 2004 was not published because the 2006 Urban Mobility Study was not released in 2006 by TTI.
Source: Texas Transportation Institute, The Texas A&M University System, Annual Urban Mobility Study.
To locate traffic data:
Go to http://mobility.tamu.edu
Click on "...Annual Urban Mobility Report"
In right-hand toolbar, click on "... Annual Urban Mobility Report..."
Click on "Congestion Data for Your City" in right hand toolbar
Click on map and then city name.
▲ Top Page
|
