North America's Most and Least Expensive Cities for Facility Maintenance and Repair

New York City has Highest Maintenance and Repair Costs in the U.S. in a Recent Whitestone Research Survey

SANTA BARBARA, CA - September 13, 2005 - Whitestone Research announced today the release of the tenth edition of the Whitestone Building Maintenance and Repair Cost Reference, 2005 - 2006. This year's edition includes detailed maintenance and repair cost statistics for 200 U.S. metropolitan areas and 10 Canadian cities.

The average M&R cost per square foot ranged from $3.66 in New York City to $1.20 in Beaufort, South Carolina. In Washington DC, the benchmark city for Whitestone's Building M&R Cost Reference, the cost increased by 4.7% over the past year. The overall M&R costs for the 200 U.S. cities increased by 5.2% in 2004.

Comparison of M&R Costs by Metropolitan Area

2005 Ranking	City	Cost per Square Foot*	Annual Increase (%)
1	New York, NY	$3.66	8.09%
2	Yonkers, NY	$3.32	8.87%
3	San Francisco, CA	$3.13	5.79%
4	Trenton, NJ	$3.00	7.76%
5	San Jose, CA	$2.99	5.12%
6	Philadelphia, PA	$2.96	5.71%
7	Hilo, HI	$2.95	8.71%
8	Honolulu, HI	$2.95	8.71%
9	Stamford, CT	$2.93	7.95%
10	Oakland, CA	$2.93	6.89%
11	Newark, NJ	$2.92	8.20%
12	Jersey City, NJ	$2.92	8.07%
13	New Brunswick, NJ	$2.83	9.56%
14	Boston, MA	$2.81	7.83%
15	Atlantic City, NJ	$2.80	5.52%
16	Camden, NJ	$2.79	5.47%
17	Lowell, MA	$2.69	5.45%
18	Norwalk, CT	$2.65	7.85%
19	Danbury, CT	$2.65	8.69%
20	Chicago, IL	$2.63	3.76%
21	Minneapolis, MN	$2.60	7.71%
22	Kansas City, MO	$2.58	6.51%
23	Los Angeles, CA	$2.55	8.24%
24	Detroit, MI	$2.55	5.52%
25	Wilmington, DE	$2.54	6.81%
26	St. Louis, MO	$2.54	8.09%
27	Juneau, AK	$2.52	6.93%
28	Norwich, CT	$2.52	7.20%
29	Fairbanks, AK	$2.52	6.29%
30	New Haven, CT	$2.51	6.91%
31	Waterbury, CT	$2.51	7.65%
32	Anchorage, AK	$2.50	6.97%
33	Santa Barbara, CA	$2.49	6.60%
34	Sacramento, CA	$2.49	5.19%
35	Pittsburgh, PA	$2.49	4.28%
36	Stockton, CA	$2.49	5.55%
37	Anaheim, CA	$2.48	5.47%
38	Hartford, CT	$2.47	7.62%
39	Oxnard, CA	$2.46	5.77%
40	Worcester, MA	$2.43	6.83%
41	Riverside, CA	$2.42	5.35%
42	Brockton, MA	$2.42	7.26%
43	Cleveland, OH	$2.42	6.03%
44	Providence, RI	$2.40	5.31%
45	Seattle, WA	$2.40	3.45%
46	Salem, OR	$2.39	5.50%
47	Las Vegas, NV	$2.39	5.70%
48	Eugene, OR	$2.38	5.60%
49	Fall River, MA	$2.38	5.70%
50	Rockford, IL	$2.38	3.73%
51	San Diego, CA	$2.36	5.24%
52	Parkersburg, WV	$2.36	5.65%
53	Gary, IN	$2.35	6.53%
54	Milwaukee, WI	$2.35	6.56%
55	Portland, OR	$2.34	2.99%
56	Bakersfield, CA	$2.33	6.23%
57	Fresno, CA	$2.32	6.11%
58	Toledo, OH	$2.32	5.81%
59	Buffalo, NY	$2.31	5.99%
60	Duluth, MN	$2.31	7.86%
61	Olympia, WA	$2.30	6.13%
62	Tacoma, WA	$2.30	6.13%
63	Charleston, WV	$2.29	6.26%
64	Indianapolis, IN	$2.28	7.04%
65	Springfield, IL	$2.27	5.26%
66	Akron, OH	$2.27	7.67%
67	Scranton, PA	$2.27	5.62%
68	Harrisburg, PA	$2.26	7.16%
69	Baltimore, MD	$2.26	7.14%
70	Reading, PA	$2.26	6.02%
71	Medford, OR	$2.26	5.15%
72	Springfield, MA	$2.25	5.93%
73	Columbus, OH	$2.25	5.92%
74	Washington, DC	$2.23	4.65%
75	Rochester, MN	$2.20	4.97%
76	Davenport, IA	$2.20	7.29%
77	Springfield, OH	$2.20	6.74%
78	Rochester, NY	$2.18	6.51%
79	Youngstown, OH	$2.18	4.41%
80	Terre Haute, IN	$2.18	6.34%
81	Ann Arbor, MI	$2.18	2.67%
82	Cincinnati, OH	$2.17	5.81%
83	Evansville, IN	$2.16	7.21%
84	Madison, WI	$2.15	6.00%
85	Dayton, OH	$2.15	6.45%
86	Flint, MI	$2.15	4.34%
87	Richland, WA	$2.14	4.16%
88	Peoria, IL	$2.14	3.53%
89	Albany, NY	$2.13	7.22%
90	Kokomo, IN	$2.13	4.95%
91	Moline, IL	$2.12	4.46%
92	Erie, PA	$2.12	4.35%
93	Louisville, KY	$2.11	7.15%
94	Lansing, MI	$2.11	2.79%
95	Syracuse, NY	$2.09	7.45%
96	South Bend, IN	$2.08	6.25%
97	Topeka, KS	$2.08	7.32%
98	Eau Claire, WI	$2.07	3.77%
99	Cedar Rapids, IA	$2.07	6.92%
100	Reno, NV	$2.07	3.67%
101	Carson City, NV	$2.07	3.27%
102	Cumberland, MD	$2.07	7.66%
103	Battle Creek, MI	$2.05	4.24%
104	Green Bay, WI	$2.05	4.68%
105	Denver, CO	$2.05	4.07%
106	Utica, NY	$2.03	5.99%
107	Muncie, IN	$2.03	3.60%
108	Saginaw, MI	$2.01	2.81%
109	Atlanta, GA	$2.01	3.61%
110	Spokane, WA	$2.01	3.60%
111	Des Moines, IA	$2.01	3.50%
112	Bowling Green, KY	$2.00	7.99%
113	Omaha, NE	$1.99	5.85%
114	Boulder, CO	$1.99	4.12%
115	Owensboro, KY	$1.94	6.01%
116	Concord, NH	$1.94	5.60%
117	Manchester, NH	$1.94	5.60%
118	Memphis, TN	$1.94	4.42%
119	Pueblo, CO	$1.94	2.75%
120	Watertown, NY	$1.94	3.72%
121	Kalamazoo, MI	$1.93	4.01%
122	Springfield, MO	$1.93	3.73%
123	Toronto, ON	$1.93 (2.41 CAN)*	11.97%
124	Houston, TX	$1.91	5.67%
125	Colorado Springs, CO	$1.91	1.80%
126	New Orleans, LA	$1.90	3.45%
127	Albuquerque, NM	$1.90	4.86%
128	Daytona Beach, FL	$1.89	4.39%
129	Phoenix, AZ	$1.87	3.96%
130	Nashville, TN	$1.87	5.03%
131	Boise, ID	$1.86	1.86%
132	Marquette, MI	$1.86	2.01%
133	Portland, ME	$1.86	3.94%
134	Fort Lauderdale, FL	$1.84	1.39%
135	Sioux City, IA	$1.84	3.57%
136	Birmingham, AL	$1.84	6.13%
137	Hamilton, ON	$1.84 (2.31 CAN)*	11.09%
138	Billings, MT	$1.83	5.38%
139	Miami, FL	$1.83	1.25%
140	Wichita, KS	$1.82	2.56%
141	Huntsville, AL	$1.82	4.56%
142	Lawton, OK	$1.81	5.02%
143	London, ON	$1.81 (2.26 CAN)*	10.99%
144	San Antonio, TX	$1.80	4.41%
145	Salt Lake City, UT	$1.80	3.03%
146	Altus, OK	$1.80	4.29%
147	Pocatello, ID	$1.80	2.72%
148	Vancouver, BC	$1.80 (2.25 CAN)*	17.41%
149	Lewiston, ME	$1.79	3.64%
150	Beaumont, TX	$1.79	4.00%
151	Austin, TX	$1.78	3.66%
152	Tucson, AZ	$1.78	4.74%
153	Oklahoma City, OK	$1.78	4.80%
154	Richmond, VA	$1.78	3.23%
155	Little Rock, AR	$1.77	2.22%
156	Ogden, UT	$1.76	2.43%
157	Ottawa, ON	$1.76 (2.20 CAN)*	10.03%
158	Las Cruces, NM	$1.75	3.34%
159	Alamogordo, NM	$1.75	3.33%
160	Great Falls, MT	$1.74	1.25%
161	Norfolk, VA	$1.72	5.19%
162	Dallas, TX	$1.72	3.13%
163	Jacksonville, FL	$1.72	2.45%
164	Virginia Beach, VA	$1.72	5.37%
165	Fargo, ND	$1.71	2.26%
166	Fort Worth, TX	$1.70	3.73%
167	Shreveport, LA	$1.70	3.72%
168	Lexington, KY	$1.69	5.00%
169	Calgary, AB	$1.69 (2.12 CAN)*	3.81%
170	Fort Smith, AR	$1.68	4.47%
171	Mobile, AL	$1.68	4.18%
172	Waco, TX	$1.67	2.89%
173	Edmonton, AB	$1.67 (2.10 CAN)*	10.03%
174	Knoxville, TN	$1.65	2.54%
175	Burlington, VT	$1.65	2.60%
176	Biloxi, MS	$1.65	2.38%
177	Rutland, VT	$1.65	2.42%
178	Wichita Falls, TX	$1.63	4.06%
179	Tuscaloosa, AL	$1.63	3.83%
180	Quebec City, QC	$1.63 (2.04 CAN)*	7.79%
181	Newport News, VA	$1.62	2.77%
182	Bismarck, ND	$1.61	1.68%
183	Macon, GA	$1.61	3.38%
184	Tampa, FL	$1.60	1.39%
185	Orlando, FL	$1.60	1.91%
186	Montreal, QC	$1.60 (2.01 CAN)*	6.87%
187	Corpus Christi, TX	$1.58	2.92%
188	Sioux Falls, SD	$1.58	0.58%
189	Amarillo, TX	$1.57	1.14%
190	Hampton, VA	$1.55	2.46%
191	Chattanooga, TN	$1.54	3.21%
192	El Paso, TX	$1.53	1.70%
193	Grand Rapids, MI	$1.52	0.47%
194	Savannah, GA	$1.52	3.16%
195	Tulsa, OK	$1.51	1.65%
196	Cheyenne, WY	$1.49	3.50%
197	Winnipeg, MB	$1.47 (1.83 CAN)*	14.55%
198	Lubbock, TX	$1.42	0.79%
199	Columbus, GA	$1.40	2.88%
200	Rapid City, SD	$1.40	2.27%
201	Roanoke, VA	$1.37	2.51%
202	Charlotte, NC	$1.36	4.42%
203	Tallahassee, FL	$1.35	0.23%
204	Raleigh-Durham, NC	$1.35	1.58%
205	Winston-Salem, NC	$1.35	1.52%
206	Jackson, MS	$1.33	2.15%
207	Greensboro, NC	$1.32	1.93%
208	Columbia, SC	$1.31	1.46%
209	Charleston, SC	$1.30	1.96%
210	Beaufort, SC	$1.20	2.20%

Source: Whitestone Maintenance & Repair Cost Reference, 2005 - 2006

Notes:
* M&R cost of a model 2 Story Office building over a 50-year period as per the data defined in the Whitestone Building Maintenance and Repair Cost Reference, 2005– 2006. Canadian Prices are adjusted to the US Dollar using the June 15, 2005 source data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The figures for Whitestone Research's costs are based on data conducted in March 2005. The 2005 comparisons are based on a similar survey conducted in March 2003. The information is used by governments and major companies to protect the purchasing power of their employees when transferred abroad. The choice of cities surveyed is based on the demand for corresponding data from companies and government organizations.

The index is based on cost of living expressed in US dollars. Therefore, if the dollar weakens against the local currency of a city, the city becomes more expensive and moves up the index, even if prices expressed in local currency remain the same or even go down. Canadian Prices are adjusted to the U.S. Dollar using the June 30, 2005 source data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

About Whitestone Research
Whitestone Research, with headquarters in Santa Barbara, California, specializes in applied economic research and software development. Whitestone products and services are used every year by hundreds of major corporations, government agencies, and public and private institutions. For additional information, send an email request to contact@whitestoneresearch.com or call (800) 210-0137.

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