State of Nashua: How we stack up

NASHUA – To hear Mayor Donnalee Lozeau tell it, the Gate City is the country’s best place to live. Last week, Lozeau heaped praise on Nashua in her annual State of the City address, delivered Tuesday to the Board of Aldermen. “Nashua’s continuing story is inspiring in the face of a national economy and to some extent a state economy that is reported in dire condition,” she said, running through a list of successes, including business development, education and public safety. “We here in Nashua are able to work within a balanced budget, attract businesses, employ workers … all while keeping the tax burden on our property owners at a reasonable level,” she said. The mayor’s praise isn’t without precedent. Nashua has twice been named the best place to live in America by Money magazine, which ranked the city 93rd last year on its list of 100 best small towns. But does that make the praise true? We decided to see how the city stacks up in a variety of areas: business, infrastructure, education and public safety. Business Like other cities across the state and around the country, Nashua business has suffered under the recent recession. Major businesses have left town, including Pretium Packaging and Rexam Plastics. And others have shed jobs.