Selma cracks list of top 10 exciting cities
Published 8:54 pm Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Selma is the place to be in Alabama.
Or, it’s at least in the top 10.
National online real estate brokerage firm Movoto Real Estate ranked Selma tenth on a list of the 10 most exciting places in the state.
Of the 64 cities across the state that were considered for the list, Selma was only bested by Phenix City, Enterprise, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, Fairhope, Mobile, Montgomery, Florence and Birmingham — which was awarded the highest ranking.
“Sometimes, to people who don’t live here it can seem like there isn’t much to do in Selma, but I really think this list goes to show there actually is,” said Ashley Mason, tourism director for the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce.
The Movoto ranking rated 64 cities in the state with populations above 10,000 during the 2010 Census. Among the criteria considered in the ranking were population density, live music events per capita and active life options — including parks and activities — per capita.
Selma placed 7th overall in the category of arts and entertainment options per capita, the city’s highest categorical ranking.
Randy Nelson, content manager for Movoto, said the company compiles rankings like these for every state with a few different audiences in mind.
“We’re creating these rankings for residents of the states we look at, who love to get into the differences between their towns, and also for people who are looking for places to live in these states and want a more happening city or town to call home,” Nelson said. “We’re a real estate brokerage, after all.”
Nelson said the company hopes the rankings provide people with a new perspective on the city they call home.
“We think it’s really interesting to look at your hometown in a different light sometimes,” Nelson said. “And, we’re also a bunch of math nerds, so applying statistical analysis to something like how exciting a place is presents a really fun challenge.”
Nelson said the company assembles similar studies comparing cities in all 50 states, along with other nationwide rankings.
Mason said Selma’s high ranking is made even more impressive when considering the number of great cities across the state.
“It’s incredible, especially when you consider how many cities there are in the state that were considered for this list,” Mason said. “And we beat out the likes of great cities like Auburn and Foley.”