County grades well for places to live

According to the website Niche, Cass County is a quality place to live. Receiving a B ranking, Niche identifies the cost of living as the best part of Cass County, with jobs, nightlife and commute as its biggest challenges. The rankings are based on a scholastic report card methodology with an A to D rating with no F’s.

According to their website, their “data scientists and user researchers rigorously analyze data and user opinions to assess the key aspects of K-12 Schools, Colleges, and Places to Live. Every month, millions of students and families use the Niche grades and report cards to find the right school or neighborhood.”

Niche says they take into consideration “up-to-date data available from dozens of public data sources along with millions of reviews from students, parents, and residents on Niche.” They claim to use advanced algorithms and statistical techniques to compare, normalize, and connect millions of data points to thoroughly analyze U.S. schools and neighborhoods.

“Our Research Team combines user feedback and insights with industry standards to determine the key components that should make up our various grades.” Niche report cards are said to capture what schools and neighborhoods are really like.

Niche’s overall report card for Cass County: Public Schools - grade B; Housing - B+; Nightlife - C; Good for Families - B+; Diversity - B+; Jobs - C+; Weather – B; Cost of Living - A-minus; Health & Fitness - B minus; Outdoor Activities – B; and Commute - C-minus.

Breaking out their statistics they list the county’s home value at $115,600 with a median rent of $834. They detail a relatively diverse age group but lack young people 18-44. The highest population in Cass County is individuals 45 and older pointing to the county as REAP applications and will hold funding competitions quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024. The funding includes a dedicated portion for underutilized renewable energy technologies. For additional information on application deadlines and submission details, see page 19239 of the March 31 Federal Register.

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