By Juanie Prisbrey
Moapa Valley Progress
In its latest issue, national busness magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, unveiled its fifth annual ranking of the Best Places in America to Raise Children. Moapa Valley topped the list as the best community to raise kids in Nevada.
This year, the Bloomberg survey focused on middle-income communities with populations larger than the median for the state, but no greater than 50,000.
The survey evaluated 5,418 communities in the U.S. accounting for factors such as cost of living, crime statistics, number of schools, and close proximity to recreational facilities and job opportunities. These factors added up to the overall quality of life, which was of high consideration for families looking to make the move to small-town living.
According to U.S. Census numbers from the year 2000 cited in the article, Moapa Valley has a population of 7,012 and a median family income of $59,866.
The article highlighted Moapa Valley as home of the Clark County Fair and Rodeo and a host of events such as the Bluegrass Festival and Pomegranate Festival. Also mentioned was Moapa Valley’s unique appeal in being a community where “the farming heritage and rural feel continue today.”
“Of course this isn’t too surprising to those of us who live here,” said Mike Qualheim, a local businessman and member of the Moapa Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “Our community, both its residents and businesses, really go out of its way to support our children. You see it everywhere, whether it is in academics, sports, community service, or the arts.
“When my family has had the opportunity to go and work elsewhere, we have chosen to stay here in the valley, mainly because it is such a great place to raise children,” Qualheim continued. “There is a great heritage of quietly maintaining family values in this community. I’m just glad that there is some recognition of that in this article.”
Bloomberg Businessweek, based in New York City, is a weekly business magazine that has been in circulation since 1929. Its primary competitor is Forbes Magazine.
