The Mormon Times seldom publishes anything without the knowledge/approval of the church leaders, so it's likely that this article that recommends Alaska is also a veiled attempt to create more mormon communities in places where they think they can also control the political and business arenas.

The article does specify that these are the best places to raise an LDS family "outside of Utah." Utah is still number one.

Excerpts from The Mormon Times article: http://www.mormontimes.com/article/18106/Places-with-best-economic-environment-for-LDS-families :

After crunching the numbers, we sorted the list of 361 metropolitan areas from most conducive to LDS families to least. So, if economic environment is your top priority when selecting a place to raise your family, here's our top 10 list, with some commentary on how they made it to the top:

1. Fairbanks, Alaska: With nearly 60 percent of the population earning $75,000 or more, residents enjoy among the highest incomes in the nation. Despite the higher cost of living, Fairbanks has an unemployment rate much lower than the national rate at 6.3 percent.

2. Anchorage, Alaska: Like their Fairbanks neighbors, residents of Anchorage enjoy high incomes with more than 56 percent have family incomes topping $75,000. Unemployment is only slight worse than that of Fairbanks at 6.8 percent. Combined with the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend payments each year (slated to be more than $1,200 per person in 2010) and no state income tax and no state sales tax, LDS families in Anchorage and Fairbanks enjoy an additional benefit.

3. Bend, Ore.: Although Bend is currently experiencing high unemployment, the rate of families in poverty is well below the national average at 6.7 percent. With no state sales tax and with a fairly simple income tax, Bend and other communities throughout Oregon are welcome places for LDS families.

4. Eugene, Ore.: With low child poverty rates and favorable state tax policies, Eugene is still struggling with a 10.5 percent unemployment rate. However, its decline in unemployment over the past 18 months has given Eugene some bonus points, bringing it into fourth place in our rankings.

5. Elmira, N.Y.: Elmira's unemployment rate is nearly two percentage points higher than the national average at 7.8 percent as of August 2010. Combined with a low state sales tax rate of 4 percent and high sales tax on tobacco and alcohol, Elmira presents a good economic environment.

6. Boulder, Colo.: Boasting a consistently low unemployment rate, which is currently only 6.4 percent, Boulder is faring relatively well in these difficult economic times. With only 1.6 percent of families headed by single mothers living in poverty (compared to 5 percent nationally), this is one community you can bank on for good economic opportunities.

7. Corvallis, Ore.: The third Oregon metro area to be in our list of Top 10 communities is Corvallis. It has a current unemployment rate of 7.3 percent. Low poverty rates, combined with the fact that nearly 50 percent of families are earning $75,000 or more, seal the deal for Corvallis to be in our list.

8. Fort Collins, Colo.: Like Boulder, Fort Collins has a low unemployment rate at 6.5 percent. Almost 48 percent of families earn $75,000 or more and only 2.4 percent of single-mother-headed families are in poverty — less than half the national rate.

9. State College, Pa.: State College's 6.6 percent unemployment rate, which has dropped two percentage points in the last six months, is well below the national rate. A simple state income tax structure, although not allowing personal deductions at the state level, gives this town extra points. However, the state's high gasoline tax, at 32.3 cents per gallon, prevents State College from being ranked higher on our list.

10. Sheboygan, Wis.: Just making it into the Top 10 list, this metro area on the shores of Lake Michigan has a decent unemployment rate of 7.7 percent. Less than 1 percent of married couples with children are living in poverty, and high state taxes on tobacco and alcohol help put Sheboygan at No. 10.

Those long, cold winters with nary an hour of sunlight are well suited to Mormon men who will insist their mates spend long hours keeping them warm while huddled up in bed...

It'll help the Mormon growth numbers, that's fersher. Same with Anchorage... And all that darkness will have the ladies popping their Prozac trying to fend off seasonal-affective-disorder...

Might bring back a revival of polygamy...

You should've warned the Oregonites as well, however...

Bend is a tourist town, and I'm laughing at the inclusion of Eugene and Corvallis... I've lived in the latter and spent time in the former... The one might be as liberal as the Bay Area, and the other is tiny but the academics at Oregon State are mostly too sophisticated for LDS stuff... Well, there is that yayhoo, Carl Johannessen who's an emeritus at the University of Oregon and lives in Eugene and insists the Phoenicians sailed to America...

And the two Colorado cities? Boulder... That place is the Haight-Ashbury of the Rockies, and Ft. Collins is a college town as well...

Seriously . . . Thanks for the laugh...

I can say this:

Yes, it absolutely is a college town. I graduated from CU Boulder in May of 2010.

However, it is INCREDIBLY affluent. As a nanny I could easily pull $16-18+ an hour, for one or two kids. Once you get off campus Boulder is a wealthy, upper class town. (Well, on campus it is, too! A studio apartment anywhere near campus will run you $1K/month.) Great public transport, incredibly eco-friendly (Boulder offers curbside composting), local businesses and restaurants cater to the organic/vegetarian/vegan/raw food/gluten free crowd, etc. I now live a little outside of Chicago and am really amazed at the difference in lifestyle/economy out here. It's so different. I'm here for a job, but fully intend to go back to Boulder in the future.

I used to go past TWO ward houses on my half our bus ride to campus. I also drove past one of them near my home on a regular basis, and the parking lot was full of Lexuses (Lexi?), BMW's, high end SUV's, etc. I attended once for my religion class, and I counted families and I only saw one family in the ward with more than 2 kids. Lots of adopted Asain babies, though.

both never mo's. I think those well paying jobs are few and far between. The very highly paid oil company employee's drive the average wage up.

When I was a kid up there with 4 siblings we had a 2500 sq.ft. house. In the dead of winter it was close to being too small. The bigger houses needed for the larger mormon herds would dig into those higher salaries quickly.

I think this is the money shot:

"Combined with the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend payments each year (slated to be more than $1,200 per person in 2010) and no state income tax and no state sales tax, LDS families in Anchorage and Fairbanks enjoy an additional benefit."

In other words, get some big mormon families off the bishop's list of folks that need help, and send them to Alaska where they can receive fund dividend payments for each child.

Maybe they are also harboring a secret love for certain residents of Wasilla?

Or perhaps they'd like to own several automatic weapons, including machine guns?

They secretly understand global warming and are planning ahead?

I thought the most amusing suggestion was Boulder, Colorado. It's got to be one of latté capitals of the world.

Why are those qualities only attractive to Mormons? Wouldn't everybody benefit from living in an area where the cost of living and unemployment rates are low?

What an inane article.

knotheadusc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why are those qualities only attractive to
> Mormons? Wouldn't everybody benefit from living
> in an area where the cost of living and
> unemployment rates are low?
>
> What an inane article.

That is exactly what I was thinking! You would think there would be some mention of politics and religion being conducive to the Mormon way of life. But seriously I asked myself the same question when reading this.

Best places to raise LDS families outside UT
...how the hell did AZ and ID not make the list? But OR did? I don't get it.

Corvallis or Boulder.

Gee.. they forgot Bountiful, British Columbia!!

Hell- I live in Sandy. I'll help them all build handcarts & even load them. Alaska or Bust!!

Which part of Alaska needs a shopping mall?

Hey, I live close to Sheboygan and that place is #1 crazy for Wisconsin!

if it doesn't disturb anyone that they have the highest rates of alcohol abuse, domestic violence, incest, rape and suicide in the nation.)

The whole Matanuska-Susitna Valley (known as "Mat-Su" or "Mad-Zoo") is the meth capital of Alaska. During she who will not be named brief and incompetent "leadership" all these problems got worse.

I follow three Alaskan blogs, and I get the vibe that there is a faction up there that believes they can break away from the States and and set up their own little theocracy.

for quite some time.

Bears.

Alaska has big, tough, fast bears with no respect for priesthood authority. They should try tracting some silver tip grizzlies.

A native Alaskan guy I once worked with up there took me out into the field with him. Later he told me "in bear country I always try to bring somebody slower than me."

"Alaska has big, tough, fast bears with no respect for priesthood authority."

..."But is there a good ward there?"

That translates as, "Will I feel just like I'm living in the most righteous part of Utah?"

From what I understand, the LDS diaspora have been returning to Zion rather than colonizing the globe. Besides, the trek to Missouri will be even farther if you're in Alaska.

(He dead now though.)

I actually lived in Fairbanks for 2 years, and Anchorage for over 20 years, it is a frozen shithole.

Raising a family in Alaska is IMO child abuse. I hated living there.

Someone else mentioned it has the highest rates of alcoholism in the nation. I myself am a recovering addict, this is very true. I hate Alaska and wish I never set foot in the place.

Two of the most liberal areas of the nation. A weird combination of granola hippies, intellectuals, and sports/fitness enthusiasts. I once saw some hippie chick riding her mountain bike through Eugene topless. The Mormons would fit in just about as well as they would fit in the Castro district of San Fransisco.

I've lived in the area. There are some Mormons there, but they are outnumbered by weed smokers. It's a very liberal town. Why weren't there any recommendations for Idaho, a Mormon-friendly state if ever I saw one?

I don't think the authors of this article stepped one foot in Eugene or even in all of Oregon.

I live in Eugene and there is always some stupid granola hippie crap that is going on here. Although I would love to see the mishies end up at the Saturday Market in summer time. Topless hippie chicks with nothing better to do hanging around the court house. LOL