Columbus remains one of the nation's top cities for blacks to live in, beating out traditional Southern magnets Memphis, Tenn., and Birmingham, Ala., which dropped off the list while neighbor Indianapolis made its debut.

Black Enterprise magazine, a New York-based business publication with 3.9 million readers, names Columbus as the No. 9 city for blacks to "live, work and play" in its May issue. Washington, D.C., is No. 1.

Columbus made its debut on the list at the same rank in 2004. Black Entertainment Television named Columbus the No. 1 city for black families in 2002.

This year's magazine list was based on a survey of 2,000 readers who rated their satisfaction with several cities. That information was then weighed with employment, economic, labor, census and business-ownership data.

Columbus' rank shows that the city's work toward improving the quality of life is paying off, said Mayor Michael B. Coleman.

"We are always changing and doing things; we are not sitting back," he said. "The progressive cities in America are those that are doing something to improve the quality of life."

The magazine highlighted Coleman's six-year, $25 million effort to demolish or repair vacant homes.

Columbus also was hailed for its relatively low black unemployment rate of 9 percent, its 8,771 black business owners and the 5.4 percent of blacks who earn more than $100,000 a year.

Black professionals are drawn to Columbus because of its strong housing stock, educational opportunities and its growing influence in supporting and developing black business ownership, said Michael Gordon, vice president for business development for the Columbus Chamber.

"Columbus hasn't been historically as hard-hit as other similar areas in terms of an economic downturn, which is an attractive factor," he said.

Columbus' white-collar environment naturally fosters success among professional blacks, but life for the city's entire black population is not so rosy, said Noel Williams, president of the Columbus chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The working poor "are stuck in an educational system that is not meeting the needs of their children," Williams said. "They are probably barely keeping their heads above water."

But urban development, including projects in the Four Corners area in South Linden and in the King-Lincoln District on the Near East Side, and health initiatives upgrade life in the city, Coleman said.

Though Columbus is losing younger people, blacks have migrated to Columbus and boosted Ohio's population. The state had the 10th-highest increase in the number of blacks in large cities from 2000 to 2005, according to the U.S. Census.

Columbus is earning its place on black America's radar, Williams said. Coleman is one of four black mayors on the Top 10 list. And national meetings here have exposed blacks to the city. The National Conference of Black Mayors met in Columbus in 2005 and the National Society of Black Engineers brought more than 10,000 people here this month.

Columbus' diverse leadership, which also includes a black police chief, fire chief and school superintendent, makes a positive impression on black groups, said Patty Donahey Geiger, a spokeswoman at Experience Columbus, which promotes tourism and conventions.

Moving to Columbus was a simple choice for Peggy Jenkins. She wanted a better life for her children and the chance to work for herself. After 18 years of owning her monogramming and embroidery shop, Jenkins has no regrets.

"I've never thought of moving anyplace else," she said. "The opportunities here can't be beat."

A prime job opportunity and cultural diversity drew Ted Hall, from East Lansing, Mich., in July 2005. Hall, an assistant professor in the technologies of instruction and media at Ohio State University, said the city's sizable black middle class and leadership base help breed success in Columbus.

"In communities where that is the case, there seem to be more opportunities for people of color to advance in their careers," said Hall, who plans to stay.

But Columbus has an anemic black arts scene and a disconnect between the black middle class and underclass, Hall said.

Despite prosperity, poverty is pervasive but will decrease when neighbors partner to address it through initiatives such as the city's African American Male Empowerment Commission, said Eddie Harrell Jr., president of the Columbus Urban League.

"We have got to acknowledge the fact there are still those who are still being left behind," he said.

sherri.williams@dispatch.com

tturner@dispatch.com