The Washington State Demographer’s Association announced yesterday that Mercer Island has fallen to fourth place in its 2015 survey of the douchiest cities in the state.
“Rising income inequality has contributed to unprecedented levels of douchiness across Washington State,” says Summer-Eve Massengill, spokesperson for the WSDA. “Mercer Island has historically ranked in the top three, along with Medina and Clyde Hill, but this year Newcastle surpassed it.”
There are numerous factors that comprise the WSDA’s Douchiness Index, notes Massengill. Their calculations include lack of socioeconomic diversity, open hostility to neighboring communities, luxury SUV ownership, and adult males wearing their baseball caps backwards.
In fact, Massengill notes, city-by-city ranking actually favors Mercer Island. “Because Seattle and Bellevue are ranked as single entities, their size and diversity drags their D.I. below Mercer Island’s. If we included towns and broke the larger cities out by neighborhood, the massive douchiness of places like Hunts Point, Downtown Bellevue, and South Lake Union could potentially push Mercer Island out of the top ten.”
City leaders are disappointed by the latest ranking but vow to redouble their efforts in future years. Commented Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce President Ronald Grump: “Mercer Islanders will never settle for being second best. Rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to make Mercer Island the douchiest place around.”