The traditional life stages for an average person would be to grow up in a suburb or small town, move out to the city to build their career, and then to move back out to the suburbs to start a family in a "child-friendly" environment. But it isn't like throwing a dart to the board blindfolded and suddenly deciding to move out to Albany, NY; a lot of research has to be done to find the right fit for them. But how? Here's one useful way I recommend for everyone looking to move to a town of their choice!
A City/County's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (CAFR)
Think of it as an organization's public annual financial report shareholders usually read. It tells readers what the company is about, who runs the company, their goals and achievements, future plans, and of course, financial statements- how the company earns and spends its money. It's true that numbers don't lie; a firms allocation of funds can say a lot about an organization.
Example used: Montgomery Co, MD CAFR.
The figures above show how Montgomery County, Maryland, collects and spends its money. It's typical for a county's revenue report to look like the one above, but the expense reports start to differ from one county to another. As shown above, Montgomery Country prioritizes education and public safety as part of their spending which may be great for young families looking to enroll their children to a good school while making sure they're safe.
To compare, the District of Columbia shows a majority allocation of funds to human support services to assist vulnerable residents with healthcare, mental health rehabilitation programs, food stamps, childcare, and financial assistance for families in need. Although the District of Columbia may seem like a great place for the elderly, the cost of living and overall hectic environment may suggest otherwise. More data can be found on the District of Columbia CAFR.
Aside from its financial reports, some CAFRs will even include activity reports like events recently held on the county for residents, vision and mission statements to show which direction the country government looks to work towards and what it will achieve in the short and long run. The majority of the document would be pages upon pages of ledgers, which if you've got the time, would be an interesting read.
Other resources can also be found on the county or city's website like a downtown plan document where there is an abundance of information for residents to browse and learn more. It's a tool that often gets overlooked by many and one that would hugely benefit those who are looking for a new long-term home. It definitely won't tell you everything and one should always take new information with a grain of salt but all in all, it's helpful.