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 6, 2006 - Whitestone Research announced today the release of the eleventh edition of the Whitestone Building Maintenance and Repair Cost Reference, 2006 - 2007. This year's edition includes detailed maintenance and repair cost statistics for 200 U.S. metropolitan areas and 10 Canadian cities.

Average M&R cost per square foot range from $3.84 in New York City to $1.42 in Beaufort, South Carolina. In Washington D.C., the benchmark city for Whitestone's Building M&R Cost Reference, the cost increased by 7.4% over the past year. The overall M&R costs for the 200 U.S. cities increased by 8.7% in 2005.

Comparison of M&R Costs by Metropolitan Area

2006 Ranking	City	Cost per Square Foot*	Annual Increase (%)
1	New York, NY	$3.84	4.78%
2	Yonkers, NY	$3.51	5.70%
3	San Francisco, CA	$3.28	4.83%
4	Newark, NJ	$3.19	9.19%
5	Jersey City, NJ	$3.18	9.08%
6	Trenton, NJ	$3.18	6.17%
7	Stamford, CT	$3.16	7.77%
8	Philadelphia, PA	$3.16	6.61%
9	San Jose, CA	$3.15	5.49%
10	Oakland, CA	$3.12	6.58%
11	Honolulu, HI	$3.12	5.74%
12	Hilo, HI	$3.12	5.74%
13	New Brunswick, NJ	$3.11	9.92%
14	Camden, NJ	$3.06	9.67%
15	Atlantic City, NJ	$3.03	8.44%
16	Boston, MA	$2.98	5.99%
17	Lowell, MA	$2.85	6.02%
18	Waterbury, CT	$2.84	13.16%
19	Norwalk, CT	$2.83	6.72%
20	Danbury, CT	$2.83	6.69%
21	Chicago, IL	$2.82	7.02%
22	Minneapolis, MN	$2.75	5.81%
23	Kansas City, MO	$2.74	6.24%
24	Los Angeles, CA	$2.73	7.01%
25	Juneau, AK	$2.72	7.75%
26	Detroit, MI	$2.71	6.38%
27	Stockton, CA	$2.71	8.98%
28	St. Louis, MO	$2.71	6.80%
29	Hartford, CT	$2.71	9.60%
30	Wilmington, DE	$2.69	5.94%
31	Sacramento, CA	$2.69	7.98%
32	Fairbanks, AK	$2.69	6.80%
33	Norwich, CT	$2.68	6.55%
34	New Haven, CT	$2.68	6.60%
35	Anchorage, AK	$2.67	6.88%
36	Anaheim, CA	$2.67	7.87%
37	Santa Barbara, CA	$2.67	7.03%
38	Oxnard, CA	$2.66	7.94%
39	Riverside, CA	$2.65	9.57%
40	Brockton, MA	$2.65	9.34%
41	Providence, RI	$2.65	10.34%
42	Pittsburgh, PA	$2.64	6.08%
43	Worcester, MA	$2.60	6.93%
44	Fall River, MA	$2.58	8.43%
45	Cleveland, OH	$2.57	6.30%
46	Salem, OR	$2.57	7.28%
47	Las Vegas, NV	$2.56	7.25%
48	San Diego, CA	$2.56	8.72%
49	Eugene, OR	$2.56	7.22%
50	Bakersfield, CA	$2.53	8.84%
51	Fresno, CA	$2.52	8.63%
52	Parkersburg, WV	$2.52	7.06%
53	Rockford, IL	$2.52	6.10%
54	Milwaukee, WI	$2.52	6.98%
55	Seattle, WA	$2.52	4.90%
56	Gary, IN	$2.51	6.81%
57	Toledo, OH	$2.49	7.64%
58	Duluth, MN	$2.49	7.89%
59	Reading, PA	$2.48	9.96%
60	Portland, OR	$2.48	5.76%
61	Buffalo, NY	$2.48	7.28%
62	Scranton, PA	$2.47	8.93%
63	Tacoma, WA	$2.47	7.30%
64	Olympia, WA	$2.47	7.16%
65	Springfield, IL	$2.46	8.00%
66	Springfield, MA	$2.44	8.31%
67	Charleston, WV	$2.44	6.36%
68	Indianapolis, IN	$2.44	7.05%
69	Medford, OR	$2.43	7.75%
70	Harrisburg, PA	$2.42	7.26%
71	Baltimore, MD	$2.42	7.03%
72	Akron, OH	$2.41	6.13%
73	Terre Haute, IN	$2.40	10.15%
74	Columbus, OH	$2.40	6.84%
75	Washington, D.C.	$2.39	7.43%
76	Cedar Rapids, IA	$2.38	14.62%
77	Madison, WI	$2.37	10.18%
78	Springfield, OH	$2.37	7.65%
79	Rochester, NY	$2.36	8.26%
80	Dayton, OH	$2.36	9.75%
81	Moline, IL	$2.35	10.73%
82	Davenport, IA	$2.34	6.55%
83	Kokomo, IN	$2.34	9.97%
84	Cincinnati, OH	$2.34	7.96%
85	Rochester, MN	$2.34	6.24%
86	Youngstown, OH	$2.33	7.01%
87	Ann Arbor, MI	$2.33	7.05%
88	Richland, WA	$2.32	8.01%
89	Louisville, KY	$2.31	9.52%
90	Evansville, IN	$2.30	6.65%
91	Eau Claire, WI	$2.29	10.28%
92	Peoria, IL	$2.29	6.69%
93	Erie, PA	$2.29	7.97%
94	Flint, MI	$2.28	6.11%
95	Reno, NV	$2.26	9.13%
96	Carson City, NV	$2.26	9.55%
97	South Bend, IN	$2.25	8.24%
98	Syracuse, NY	$2.25	7.47%
99	Cumberland, MD	$2.25	8.74%
100	Albany, NY	$2.24	5.14%
101	Lansing, MI	$2.24	6.37%
102	Utica, NY	$2.23	9.82%
103	Topeka, KS	$2.23	7.24%
104	Battle Creek, MI	$2.23	8.51%
105	Muncie, IN	$2.23	9.74%
106	Green Bay, WI	$2.22	8.25%
107	Denver, CO	$2.19	7.05%
108	Atlanta, GA	$2.16	7.19%
109	Omaha, NE	$2.15	8.13%
110	Bowling Green, KY	$2.15	7.50%
111	Des Moines, IA	$2.15	6.97%
112	Manchester, NH	$2.15	10.55%
113	Toronto, ON	$2.14 US $2.50 CAN*	11.12%
114	Spokane, WA	$2.14	6.41%
115	Saginaw, MI	$2.13	5.72%
116	Pueblo, CO	$2.12	9.21%
117	Owensboro, KY	$2.12	8.86%
118	Watertown, NY	$2.10	8.39%
119	Boulder, CO	$2.10	5.58%
120	Springfield, MO	$2.09	8.52%
121	Memphis, TN	$2.08	7.48%
122	Houston, TX	$2.08	8.83%
123	Concord, NH	$2.08	7.14%
124	New Orleans, LA	$2.08	9.33%
125	Kalamazoo, MI	$2.08	7.41%
126	Albuquerque, NM	$2.05	8.24%
127	Fort Lauderdale, FL	$2.05	11.27%
128	Daytona Beach, FL	$2.05	8.47%
129	Colorado Springs, CO	$2.04	6.85%
130	Birmingham, AL	$2.04	10.91%
131	Huntsville, AL	$2.03	11.56%
132	Hamilton, ON	$2.02 US $2.37 CAN*	9.54%
133	Sioux City, IA	$2.02	9.56%
134	Phoenix, AZ	$2.02	7.88%
135	Miami, FL	$2.01	9.79%
136	Nashville, TN	$2.01	7.61%
137	Vancouver, BC	$2.01 US $2.34 CAN*	11.89%
138	Marquette, MI	$2.01	7.65%
139	Boise, ID	$1.99	7.07%
140	Beaumont, TX	$1.99	11.58%
141	London, ON	$1.99 US $2.33 CAN*	9.99%
142	Ottawa, ON	$1.98 US $2.32 CAN*	12.47%
143	Wichita, KS	$1.97	7.85%
144	San Antonio, TX	$1.97	8.93%
145	Lawton, OK	$1.96	8.03%
146	Altus, OK	$1.96	8.79%
147	Richmond, VA	$1.95	10.12%
148	Salt Lake City, UT	$1.95	8.15%
149	Lewiston, ME	$1.95	8.82%
150	Portland, ME	$1.95	4.87%
151	Tucson, AZ	$1.95	9.31%
152	Austin, TX	$1.94	8.97%
153	Billings, MT	$1.94	5.88%
154	Pocatello, ID	$1.92	6.82%
155	Oklahoma City, OK	$1.92	7.85%
156	Little Rock, AR	$1.92	8.41%
157	Jacksonville, FL	$1.91	11.09%
158	Las Cruces, NM	$1.91	9.34%
159	Alamogordo, NM	$1.91	9.36%
160	Norfolk, VA	$1.89	9.42%
161	Virginia Beach, VA	$1.89	9.88%
162	Lexington, KY	$1.88	11.32%
163	Dallas, TX	$1.88	9.24%
164	Ogden, UT	$1.88	6.77%
165	Shreveport, LA	$1.87	10.19%
166	Calgary, AB	$1.86 US $2.18 CAN*	9.92%
167	Fort Worth, TX	$1.86	9.61%
168	Mobile, AL	$1.86	11.01%
169	Waco, TX	$1.85	10.65%
170	Great Falls, MT	$1.85	6.43%
171	Edmonton, AB	$1.83 US $2.14 CAN*	9.27%
172	Montreal, QC	$1.83 US $2.14 CAN*	14.15%
173	Fort Smith, AR	$1.83	9.06%
174	Orlando, FL	$1.82	14.02%
175	Tuscaloosa, AL	$1.82	11.66%
176	Quebec City, QC	$1.82 US $2.12 CAN*	11.82%
177	Macon, GA	$1.82	12.69%
178	Knoxville, TN	$1.82	10.02%
179	Biloxi, MS	$1.81	9.93%
180	Fargo, ND	$1.81	5.91%
181	Wichita Falls, TX	$1.81	10.80%
182	Newport News, VA	$1.81	11.48%
183	Tampa, FL	$1.80	12.33%
184	Burlington, VT	$1.77	7.35%
185	Rutland, VT	$1.77	7.32%
186	Corpus Christi, TX	$1.76	11.21%
187	Bismarck, ND	$1.75	8.23%
188	Amarillo, TX	$1.74	10.83%
189	Sioux Falls, SD	$1.73	9.97%
190	Chattanooga, TN	$1.72	11.57%
191	Hampton, VA	$1.71	10.92%
192	Raleigh-Durham, NC	$1.71	26.94%
193	Savannah, GA	$1.70	12.05%
194	El Paso, TX	$1.69	10.29%
195	Tulsa, OK	$1.66	10.13%
196	Grand Rapids, MI	$1.63	7.71%
197	Cheyenne, WY	$1.63	9.23%
198	Winnipeg, MB	$1.62 US $1.89 CAN*	10.49%
199	Winston-Salem, NC	$1.61	19.30%
200	Columbus, GA	$1.60	14.20%
201	Roanoke, VA	$1.59	15.50%
202	Lubbock, TX	$1.57	10.62%
203	Charlotte, NC	$1.56	14.77%
204	Rapid City, SD	$1.54	10.06%
205	Columbia, SC	$1.53	16.87%
206	Tallahassee, FL	$1.53	12.79%
207	Charleston, SC	$1.53	16.92%
208	Greensboro, NC	$1.51	14.01%
209	Jackson, MS	$1.49	12.56%
210	Beaufort, SC	$1.42	19.08%

Source: Whitestone Maintenance & Repair Cost Reference, 2006 - 2007

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, 2006– 2007. Canadian Prices are adjusted to the US Dollar using the March 31, 2006 exchange rate from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The figures for Whitestone Research's costs are based on data conducted in March 2006. The 2006 comparisons are based on a similar survey conducted in March 2005. 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 March 31, 2006 source data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

About Whitestone Research
Whitestone Research, with offices in Washington, DC and Santa Barbara, California, specializes in applied policy research and software development. Whitestone products and services are used every year by hundreds of major corporations, government agencies, and public and private institutions. Contact us at contact@whitestoneresearch.com or call (800) 210-0137.

News Contact:
Marcel Rivera
Whitestone Research Corporation
(805) 884-9174
contact@whitestoneresearch.com.

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