What does AGURB it mean?

Carson City was ranked as a "top 100 agurb" by Author Jack Schultz in his 2004 book "Boomtown USA" published by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. For more information visit www.naiop.org. This comes after Carson City received a low rating from the authors of "Cities Ranked & Rated: Your Guide to the Best Places to Live in the U.S. & Canada," a Wiley Publishing book.

What's an agurb?

An agurb is a prospering rural town with a tie to agriculture and a location outside a metropolitan area.

What does the book say about Carson?

Author Jack Schultz ranked Carson City as a top 100 agurb out of 397 small towns and cities. He wrote that the top 100 agurbs consistently rated higher than the others statistically and in how they employ his keys to success. Statistics he considered: education, recreation, culture, cost of living, taxes.

He also wrote that Carson City is "known as the 'Manufacturing Hub of Nevada' because more than 150 manufacturers employ almost one in six local residents.

"Its close proximity to the higher-cost state of California has been a boon for Carson City."

What Nevadans say about being rated as a top agurb:

Nevada State archivist Guy Rocha said calling Carson City an "agurb" is interesting because the Eagle Valley hasn't had a lot of agriculture in the last 30 years. Rocha also said he has never heard Carson City called the manufacturing hub of Nevada, but he doesn't dispute it. Rocha also puts the capital city's population at about 57,000 which designates it as an urban area, not rural.

Mary Pierczynski, Carson City School District superintendent, said the high rating confirms the good work teachers and parents have done in the district's 10 schools.

"I think we have tried to maintain many things in this district that a lot of school districts have given up," she said. "We've kept music in the elementary schools. We have a big fine arts program at the high school."

Northern Nevada Development Authority Executive Director Ron Weisinger said publicity is always good. "This gives Carson City one more notch in its belt of wonderful things the community does as far as accomplishments."