Two teens were injured Saturday afternoon during a crash off Interstate 80 in Pottawattamie County. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2005 Chevy Malibu entered the median off of I-80 westbound at the Neola exit at around 1:10-p.m. The vehicle slid across the westbound lanes, entered a ditch and struck a tree. The names of the 16-year old driver and a 15-year old passenger in the car, were not released. The teens were transported by Neola Rescue to Mercy Hospital. The Patrol says the passenger was wearing their seat belt, but the driver was not.
Mayor Tom Hanafan said the showing was indicative of a bolstering metro area. Council Bluffs – the only Iowa city listed – fell 10 spots behind Bellevue, Neb., which was tied at 21st with La Vergne, Tenn. Papillion, Neb., ranked 33rd.
Midwest City, Oklahoma, was ranked first because it had the lowest overall cost of living. Food and utilities costs also were lower than average. The median price for a house was $76,600 while the median household income was $44,396. Property taxes were 24 percent below the national average while sales and state income taxes were 56 and 17 percent above average.
The realtor blog surveyed 139 cities, which comprised suburbs and other communities near the 50 largest cities in the United States.
**************
The top 10 most affordable suburbs in the U.S., according to Movato Real Estate:
1. Midwest City, Okla.
2. Moore, Okla.
3. Cimarron Hills, Colo.
4. Pearland, Texas
5. Greenwood, Ind.
6. Clarksville, Ind.
7. Universal City, Texas
8. Schertz, Texas
9. Fishers, Ind.
10. Cibolo, Texas