While the Boston mayoral race heats up to room temperature, U.S. News & World Report has released its list of 10 Cities for Political Junkies.
They are, in descending order (slideshow here):
Reston, VA
Asheville, NC
Walnut Creek, CA
Bethesda, MD
San Ramon, CA
Annandale, VA
Mission Viego, CA
Syracuse, NY
Laguna Viguel, CA
(and . . . drumroll, please . . .)
Brookline, MA
U.S. News description:
It may not be able to claim the title of wealthiest town in America anymore, but Brookline is still very affluent. The median family income is $120,933, much higher than the $77,409 average for the state overall. The high income level partially explains the town’s interest in political affairs.
The People’s Republic sensibility of Brookline explains the rest of the town’s interest in political affairs.
(Full disclosure: The hardworking staff at Campaign Journal lives in Brookline, so there are bragging rights involved here.)
U.S. News described its overall approach to the list this way:
When U.S. News looked for the places where residents have the greatest interest in political affairs, it wasn’t the heavily red or blue areas that popped up . . .
It shouldn’t be surprising that places with a mix of ideologies tend to breed more interest in the political system. Data show that political participation increases in areas where parties are competitive. People are motivated to vote and participate when they know the election won’t be a wash for one side. So, voter turnout in a place often depends on how purple it is, says Thomas Patterson, a professor of government at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
The criteria U.S. News employed in constructing the list were based on data measuring household activity in current events and political affairs, as well as voter registration statistics and subscriptions to political magazines.
(Full disclosure: The hardworking staff at Campaign Outsider subscribes to both The Weekly Standard and The New Republic, thereby perhaps skewing the Brookline results.)
Further disclosure: Who cares?
We’re Number Ten!
Campaign Outsider 
Neat.
Because we have family in Brookline, the yeasty political environment described fits our experience of the place.
But I’m still stuck on and struck by the sentence “The median family income is $120,933, much higher than the $77,409 average for the state overall.”
The state number seems high.
Good to know my household is doing its part in pulling down the mean for MA!
;o)
– Lee
Aren’t some of the places on that list (Reston, Laguna Niguel, perhaps others) planned communities? Aren’t they supposed to be lacking in civic engagement? Oh, and how many have a real newspaper?