By SCOTT SCHWEBKE, Ogden Standard Examiner
May 10, 2007

    OGDEN — For the second time in a month, the Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan statistical area is receiving national recognition for its economy and quality of life.
    The Ogden-Clearfield MSA, which includes Davis, Weber and Morgan counties, has been ranked as the nation’s sixth best place to live by Sperling’s BestPlaces, a Portland, Ore.-based research firm.
    The ranking is included in the recently released book, “Cities Ranked & Rated.”
    The Logan metro area that includes part of southern Idaho finished 12th, Provo-Orem placed 13th and the Salt Lake City area finished 27th.
    The study measured a variety of statistics, including population, economy, jobs, cost of living, climate, education, health care, crime, transportation, leisure, arts and culture.
    Utah fared well in the study largely because housing costs are affordable, crime rates are low, there is relatively little traffic congestion and many outdoor recreational opportunities exist, said Bert Sperling, president of Sperling’s BestPlaces.
    “This was Utah’s year to shine,” he said. “It’s still relatively undiscovered.”
    The Ogden-Clearfield MSA ranked 84th in Sperling’s previous best places study published in 2004. The aim of the study, launched 20 years ago, is to help consumers make good choices when considering a move to another city, Sperling said.
    “I hope people will use it to look at potential places they may not have thought of,” he said.
    The Ogden-Clearfield MSA’s ranking provides valuable exposure, said Neka Roundy, events coordinator for Davis County Department of Community and Economic Development.
    “It puts us on a different playing field,” she said.
    The ranking is valuable because it provides objective information that assists in business recruitment, said Dave Harmer, Ogden’s director of community and economic development.
    “They (business prospects) expect me to be biased,” he said.
    “But it’s not me saying it (that the Ogden-Clearfield metro area is a good place to live). You have a ranking saying it.”
    Last month, Forbes Magazine ranked the Ogden-Clearfield MSA as the 11th best place in the nation for business and careers based on job growth, educational amenities and other factors.