Every year it seem the city of Yonkers is in debt, or at least in budget crisis of some sort.

Maybe the city fathers ought to look to its own citizens for a lesson in bottom-line management. According to the November issue of Men’s Health Magazine, the people of Yonkers are doing pretty darn well when it comes to handling personal debt.

The magazine analyzed economic data in 100 major American cities and ranked them from worst to best in terms of individual debt. Letter grades were also assigned.

Las Vegas, Nev. was ranked 100th, or worst, and given an F-grade. Following in order of financial ineptitude were Aurora, Col.; Atlanta, Ga.; Sacramento, Calif.; Detoit, Mich.; and Jacksonville, Fla. All of them got F’s.

Yonkers received an A- and ranked 9th ahead of Wichita, Kan. (10th) and behind Bangor, Maine (8th). The City of Hills is always mentioned as the fourth largest city in New York state, but it beats the field in keeping the wolves away from the door.
New York City gets a B (14th), Rochester gets a C+ (31st) and Buffalo receives a D+ (71st).

The rankings were based mortgage foreclosures, cost of housing, bankruptcy rates, credit card debt and other factors. Though Vegas is the gambling capital of the U.S., that fact wasn’t necessarily cited as the reason for “Sin City’” poor showing. Men’s Health suggested that low employment and a housing bust may be the culprits.

Incidentally, anked first with an A+ in debt management are the people of Billings, Mont. I’ve always liked Billings.