data

I've long been a fan of research. I'd be insane to pursue a PhD if I didn't like research. I have a curious mind (intellectually curious...and strange). I enjoy looking up information. I like to discover things. I can get lost in data. I recently completed a large research project for my housing policy course. We were asked to look at Census data (not an easy task) and write an analysis of the housing market in our chosen city. I chose my hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico. I still love New Mexico. It is a part of who I am. Since moving I have seriously considered moving back at least three times - I've considered it many more times then that. You might ask, why don't I live there? Basically, there aren't enough jobs and the cost of living is too expensive. I've thought that, but it's a whole other thing to have data to prove it! What did I find in my school research project? Santa Fe has become a resort and retirment town, as a result it is increasingly unaffordable to long-term residents. I'm not the only native of my generation who have moved away for this reason. Many who would have liked to stay, simply couldn't afford it. They own a home over 50 miles away and commute in for work or to visit their extended family. A few (very few of the overall) statistics follow. In the years between 1990 and 2000, in Santa Fe:

• a 74.1 percent increase in seasonal, occasional and recreational use housing
• the largest population increase was among households headed by a person 75 years old or older
• 20 percent of owners and 36 percent of renters have a severe housing burden, spending more than 35 percent of their income on housing

There were many more statistics that supported the previously held assumption about the housing market in my home town. It is interesting how data can support what we already suspect. Ah, the wonder of data...