Electric companions
YAKETY-YAK
Number of phone calls placed each day in metro area, in millions:
New York-58
Chicago-54
Los Angeles-42
Detroit-30
Dallas-23
Boston-12
Washington-6 (bureaucrats never return calls)
GOING MOBILE
Number of cellular phone subscribers in metro area:
Busy signal: Los Angeles-340,000
Second: New York-250,000
Third: Chicago-240,000
Fourth: Washington/Baltimore-220,000
Fifth: Detroit-140,000
SMILE!
Percentage of households owning a video camera:
In focus: Houston-6.3%
Second: Los Angeles-6.2%
Third: Dallas-6%
Fourth: New York-5.2%
Fifth: Chicago-4.9%
Out of the picture: Detroit-4.1%
Strictly business
HOME SWEET CORPORATION
Fortune 500 headquarters in metro area:
New York-52
Chicago-35
Dallas-16
Los Angeles-16
Houston-14
Philadelphia-12
Boston-11
All others-10 or fewer
BUYING POWER
Retail sales in billions for metro area in 1990:
First: Los Angeles-$68.2 (thank heaven for Valley girls)
Second: Chicago-$49
Third: New York-$46.7
Fourth: Philadelphia-$35.2
Fifth: Washington-$33.9
Sixth: Boston-$33.4
SEEING RED
Business failures in city in 1990, according to Dun & Bradstreet:
Houston-1,034
Dallas-716
New York+-704
Los Angeles-463
Chicago-409
Detroit-187
Boston-172
(+Manhattan only)
BANK SHOTS
S&L failures in metro area (1990-91):
Houston-7
Los Angeles and New York-6
Atlanta-3
Chicago and Dallas-2
Boston and Philadelphia-1
Detroit and Washington-0
SWEET ROLLS
Number of Rolls-Royce dealers in metro area:
Los Angeles-4
Chicago-3
New York-3
All others-2 or fewer
The financial front
EARNING POWER
Average family income for metropolitan region in 1990:
Washington-$50,584
Boston-$46,193
Houston-$42,643
Atlanta-$42,224
Dallas-$41,836
Detroit-$41,025
Chicago-$40,769
Philadelphia-$39,449
Los Angeles-$38,425
New York-$36,435
HOME ALONE
Percentage of population in the city owning a home:
Atlanta-64%
Chicago and Philadelphia-62%
Boston-57%
Los Angeles-54%
New York-53%
REAL ESTATE REALITIES
The nation`s hottest real-estate markets, according to the April U.S. News and World Report:
First: Philadelphia, where the median-priced existing home sells for $121,913- a 9.8% increase over 1990.
Fourth: Chicago, where the median-priced existing home sells for $126,221-up 6.6% from 1990.
Forty-first: Houston, where the median-priced existing home sells for $74,865, a 4.2% rise from 1990.
And the coolest:
First: Boston, where the median-priced existing home sells for $176,379, a 0.3% increase over 1990.
Fourth: Los Angeles, where a median-priced existing home costs $215,113, up 0.4% from 1990.
Ninth: Atlanta, where a median-priced existing home runs $87,962, a 1.4% rise from 1990.
STOCKING UP
Percentage of households in metro area owning common or preferred stock:
First: Houston-10.6%
Second: Dallas-10.2%
Third: New York-9.9%
Eighth: Chicago-7.4%
Tenth: Detroit-6%
TAXING THOUGHTS
Average annual state and local taxes per household in the city:
First: New York-$6,353
Second: Washington-$5,193
Third: Boston-$4,969
Fourth: Detroit-$3,931
Fifth: Los Angeles-$3,856
Sixth: Chicago-$3,230
Tenth: Houston-$1,225
Politics & education
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
Percentage of city population registered to vote:
Dallas-80.4%
Philadelphia-58.3%
Atlanta-53.5%
Washington-51.6%
Detroit-51.3%
Boston-36.6%
Los Angeles-35.4%
Chicago-33.2%
And the percentage of registered voters who actually turned out for the 1988 presidential election:
Los Angeles-72%
Dallas-69%
Chicago-67.1%
Philadelphia-67.1%
Washington-65.8%
Boston-65.3%
UPPERCLASSMEN
Percentage of adults with four or more years of college, in the metro area:
Washington-38%
Boston-33%
Houston-32%
New York-25%
Chicago-24%
Los Angeles-21%
Detroit-18%
BORED OF EDUCATION
Annual high school dropout rates, city public school system:
First: Atlanta-20%
Second: Los Angeles-16.8%
Third: Dallas-15%
Fourth: Detroit-14%
Fifth-Chicago-13.2%
Tenth: New York-8.7%
Dining data
FOOD FIGHT
Best food cities in America, according to a 1989 Gallup poll:
First-New York
Fourth-Chicago
Sixth-Boston
Seventh-Dallas
And the best for entertainment and nightlife:
First-New York
Second-Los Angeles
Fourth-Chicago
Fifth-Washington
Seventh-Atlanta
BITE SIZE
Average monthly expenditure per household for dining out:
Washington-$199
New York-$192
Los Angeles-$182
Chicago-$179
Boston-$171
Dallas-$170
Philadelphia-$169
WITHOUT RESERVATION
Favorite restaurant of 1991 Zagat Survey reviewers and cost of dinner for two, including one drink and tip:
New York-The Four Seasons, $128
Boston-L`Espalier, $106
Chicago-Ambria, $100
Los Angeles-Chinois on Main, $88
Dallas-The Mansion on Turtle Creek, $84
Washington-L`Auberge Chez Francois, $84
LOTSA DOUGH
Number of pizza shops, metro area:
Mamma mia!: New York-682
Second: Chicago-604
Third: Boston-594
Fourth: Philadelphia-465
Fifth: Los Angeles-447
Tenth: Washington-165
Destination, please
WELCOME MATTERS
Number of tourists visiting city in 1990, in millions:
First: Los Angeles-27.8
Second: New York-25
Third: Washington-19
Fourth: Atlanta-15.7
Fifth: Chicago-12.2
SWELL HOTELS
Number of four-star hotels listed in 1991 Mobil Travel Guide:
New York-10
Los Angeles-9
Chicago and Washington-8
Boston and Houston-6
LODGING INNS & OUTS
Average cost of an overnight stay:
First: New York-$267.33
Second: Washington-$207.97
Third: Chicago-$185.83
Fourth: Boston-$184.82
Fifth: Los Angeles-$170.98
Sixth: Philadelphia-$144.80
Tenth: Dallas-$119.32
PLANE TRUTHS
Number of airlines serving city:
New York (JFK)-78
Los Angeles (LAX)-66
Chicago (O`Hare)-42
Boston-38
Philadelphia-26
HoustonIntercontinental-24
Atlanta-23
Dallas and Detroit-22
Washington (National)-16
GET OUTTA TOWN
Favorite vacation destination:
Los Angeles-Hawaii, Mexico
New York-Bahamas, Caribbean, London
Chicago-Bahamas, Caribbean
Sources: American Medical Association; American Newspaper Publishers Association; American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons; American Symphony Orchestra League; Atlantic Bell; Boston Celtics; Boston Red Sox; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. Dept. of Labor; C&P Telephone; CACI Marketing Systems; Carlson Travel; Network CB Commercial Real Estate Group Inc.; Centers for Disease Control; Chambers of Commerce for cities; Chicago Bulls; Chicago Cubs; Corporate Travel Magazine; Detroit Pistons; Detroit Tigers; Dun & Bradstreet; Environmental Defense Fund; Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.;
film boards for cities; Gallup Organization; Illinois Bell.
International Directory of the Performing Arts; Los Angeles Dodgers; Los Angeles Lakers; Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory; mayor`s offices for cities; medical associations for cities; Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.; Michigan Bell; Mobil Travel Guide; Nation`s Restaurant News; National Association of Realtors; National Cancer Institute; National Center for Health Statistics;
National Climactic Data Center; New York Yankees; NYNEX; Official Airline Guide; Pacific Bell; Philadelphia Phillies; Places Rated Almanac; police departments for cities; RCR Publications Inc.; Resolution Trust Corp.;
Runzheimer International; school districts for cities; Screen Actors Guild.
Southern Bell; Southwestern Bell; Superior Courts for counties; American Booksellers Association; Texas Transportation Institute; 1991 Information Please Almanac; The World Almanac and Book of Facts; Tower Records/Tower Video; U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Department of Education; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Federal Highway Administration; visitors and convention bureaus for cities; voter
registration offices for cities; Zagat Survey.
