In 1999, Kankakee County was rated last out of 354 metropolitan areas ranked in the United States and Canada by the Places Rated Almanac.

Its public libraries hold more volumes than Chicago's, according to Rand McNally's "Places Rated Almanac" (1985).

The Southerners were annoyed several months ago when they found their community listed as the 283d of 329 cities in Rand-McNally's Places Rated Almanac.

Waterbury was rated as one of the "10 Worst Places to Live in America" in the 1999 Places Rated Almanac.

She also pointed out that the 1985 Rand McNally "Places Rated Almanac" named Pittsburgh "America's most livable city," while New York ranked 25th.

In 1985, Rand McNally's "Places Rated Almanac" surprised much of the country by selecting Pittsburgh as its choice location.

That year Odessa was named the second-worst place to live in America by the Places Rated Almanac.

Rochester was ranked as the first 'most livable city' among 379 U.S. metropolitan areas in the 25th edition (2007) of the Places Rated Almanac.

Pittsburgh has also ranked in the top five Most Livable Cities in the 1983, 1985, 1989 and 2007 editions of the "Places Rated Almanac."

For the Places Rated Almanac, the answer is simple: the authors.