Lack of Sunshine Places Philly Suburbs in Bottom Half of National Ranking

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Chester County residents board an Amtrak train at Paoli Station.

According to the federal government, the Philadelphia suburbs are not a desirable place to live.

Chester County scored within the range of low natural amenities, ranking 2,395 out of 3,111 counties in America.
Chester County scored within the range of low natural amenities, ranking 2,395 out of 3,111 counties in America.

The feds devised a measure of the best and worst places to live in America, from the standpoint of scenery and climate, writes Christopher Ingraham for The Washington Post.

This “natural amenities index” is intended as “a measure of the physical characteristics of a county area that enhance the location as a place to live.”

The index combines “six measures of climate, topography, and water area that reflect environmental qualities most people prefer.” Those qualities, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, include mild, sunny winters, temperate summers, low humidity, topographic variation, and access to a body of water.

Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties all scored within the range of low natural amenities, ranking 1,836, 1,937, and 2,395, respectively, out of 3,111 counties in America.

It should be noted that “natural amenities pertain to the physical, rather than the social or economic environment,” the USDA writes.

Judging by The Post’s interactive map, it also seems that there’s an inordinate emphasis placed on warm weather and ample sunshine.

Click here to read more in The Washington Post about the most desirable places to live.

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