Dec

10

Grandview: One of America’s fastest dying towns?

December 10, 2008 | 6 Comments

The southern suburb of Grandview has the dubious distinction of being named the 8th fastest dying town in America, as ranked by Forbes Magazine.  Forbes cites a doubling of the poverty rate since 2000, falling incomes, and falling house prices.

Many of the towns on the list are similar to Grandview – older, inner ring suburbs who have been left behind as well-educated and affluent suburbanites move on down the highway to the next exit, quickly followed by the companies that provide jobs.

Forbes: America’s Fastest Dying Towns

Forbes: profile of Grandview, MO

Categories: Suburbs


Comments

6 Comments so far

  1. Jeffrey Edelman on December 11, 2008 7:31 am

    The terrifying truth is that America is certainly the 8th fastest dying country in the world right now, relative to where it was only a few short years ago.

    We’re all in this together.

  2. Ryan on December 11, 2008 10:50 am

    Well, you can’t really call a town “Grandview” when there is no Grand View to speak of… Perhaps people are finally realizing that the facade of suburban living is just a gimmick, smoke and mirrors. At least Lee’s Summit has a historic summit where Lee came over…doesn’t it?

  3. mainstream on December 15, 2008 5:41 pm

    Have you been to Grandview lately? eck, the place is nasty. Always has been, really.

  4. bob on December 17, 2008 5:37 pm

    i live in grandview and the place sucks like crap. the schools ghetto, we have no stores, and all the delevopment and jobs went to belton and raymore, and our leaders suck at doing there jobs. back in the 90’s when bannister was still kicking we had EVERYTHING a movie theather, sams, a furniture store. Now that bannister left and people started shopping in johnson county we have nothing and our town sucks

  5. Claudia on December 19, 2008 5:28 pm

    Grandview may not be a thriving community right now, but jobs have actually increased in the city and has only a small number of households (0.2%), not bad for a first suburb. I believe it was bad journalism on Forbes part: crunching data from afar and cherry picking to tap thurths, as Mary Sanchez mentioned on her editorial. Grandview is actually having some positive changes(schools, for example)and what we need is for people like BOB, who has no sense of community pride, to leave the city!!!

  6. Bob on December 30, 2008 12:19 pm

    I will not let my wife go to Sam’s anymore. She was approached by some ghetto thug in the Sam’s parking lot demanding money while getting into our car. The Grandveiw policeman told us they make these reports everyday his advice was to go somewhere else! Now we just stay on the highway and head to Belton for our shopping. I am sure Sam’s will soon close it’s doors also because of lost business. Grandview has been taken over by Gangbangers.

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