The Times-Dispatch released statistical info today from the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce that reveals Richmond ranks well when compared to seven other metropolitan areas.

The Richmond area, which had the fifth largest population at 1.19 million, ranked first or second in eight of the 11 major categories in the report. It had the lowest overall unemployment rate and lowest percentage of families with incomes that fall below the poverty line. It also had the second lowest number of violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents….

…However, the cost of living in the Richmond area was generally higher, and mortgage costs were a major factor in that. More than three-fourths of Richmond-area mortgages carry monthly payments of $1,000 or more, second only to the Raleigh area, where almost 78 percent of mortgages are that high. Renters in the Richmond area also pay a higher percentage of their income on housing compared to the other regions, except for Jacksonville.

The Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked well against six others in the following categories. The Richmond MSA includes the counties of Amelia, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, King and Queen, King William, Louisa, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George and Sussex and the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg and Richmond:

Lowest mortgage costs: 6
Lowest rent costs: 6
Lowest unemployment rate: 1
Highest median household income: 2
Highest per capita income: 2
Fewest families below the poverty line: 1
Most Fortune 1000 companies: 2
Highest Educational Attainment: 3
Fewest violent crimes per 100,000 residents: 2
Fewest property crimes per 100,000: 2
Shortest average commute time: 2

Source: Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce