Lancaster has been named the eighth most secure place to live among mid-sized cities in the United States, according to the Fifth Annual Farmers Insurance Group of Companies study.

Michael Sprunger, executive director of Lancaster City Living, which promotes home ownership and improvement within the city, isn't surprised.

Sprunger adds the latest study results to a growing list of recent kudos validating Lancaster's favorable quality of life, despite the economic downturn.

"Within the last couple months, Forbes Magazine named Lancaster County one of the 10 best places to ride out the recession," he says. "And in November, Kiplinger.com (a personal-finance and business resource), listed Lancaster as one of six 'safe havens in real estate.' "

Both Forbes magazine - a business publication - and Kiplinger.com credited Lancaster County's sturdy housing market and slow growth as keys to offset a recession.

And there's more.

Yahoo! Travel's biggest domestic Movers & Shakers - destinations that got the biggest increase in page views in Yahoo! Travel Guides - included Lancaster.

National hard times, perhaps.

"But there's a lot of good news out there for Lancaster," Sprunger says.

Here's what the Fifth Annual Farmers Insurance Group of Companies study, compiled by database experts at www.bestplaces.net, evaluated.

The study took into consideration crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, housing depreciation, foreclosures, air quality, life expectancy and job-loss numbers in 127 U.S. metropolitan areas with populations between 150,000 and 500,000.

It's the fourth time in the five years of the study that Lancaster has been in the top 20.

The study concluded that Olympia, Wash., is the most secure mid-size city to live in the United States.

Robert Woudstra, CEO of the California-based Farmers Group Inc., says the survey reveals a lot about how local governments and citizens work together to make their communities a desirable choice for individuals and families to live, work and grow.

"This is just an indication of the culture and character of this community," says James Cowhey, executive director of the Lancaster County Planning Commission. "This is a conservative community, but it's also a forward-looking community and has been for a long time."

Is Lancaster doing more than treading water in troubled waters?

"(Lancaster) is certainly less affected than a number of places," says Frank Christoffel III, executive vice president of the Lancaster County Association of Realtors.

Two real-estate market positives are a stability in prices and the fact that property values in the county didn't appreciate as much as in other parts of the country.

"Then you don't fall as far when times are bad," Cowhey says.

Christoffel says he also believes the subprime market debacle did not affect the generally fiscally conservative county as much as other communities.

While Lancaster isn't left unscathed by a declining economy, there is still reason to celebrate, Cowhey says.

"I think the indicators in the latest studies are a real reason for Lancaster County as a community to be very optimistic about the future."

Tom Baldrige, president of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry, agrees.

"I think it's great news, but I have to admit it doesn't come as a huge surprise," he says. "Lancaster County does have an economy that's diverse and therefore stronger than many, and with a strong economy, there is less likely to be crime, because people have an opportunity to get jobs and make good wages.

"It's interesting that with these various national recognitions built on each other, no other community is