The preparation is done; you have reduced the number of places by at least three requirements.  You have prepared at least three columns in your places layer to which you will refer for the final result.  The final step in the analysis is to compute the final index.
 

1. Compute your averages.

Using the column summary to get the average for each preference field for all qualifying places.
 
2. Calculate the index

Now you will apply your preferences and the weights you assigned to them earlier. Use the Calculate function to apply this formula to each variable:
([Variable]-[Mean])/[StdDev])*[Weight] = [Variable Index]

If some of your higher values are "better" and some higher values are "worse," then ...

((P1-AvgP1)/StDvP1)*W1)+((P2-AvgP2)/StDvP2*W2)-(((N1-AvgN1)/StDvN1)*WN1) ... where

• Pn are values for a GOOD thing, like Per Capita Income.  In your formula, P1 will be the Field Name.
• Nn are values for a BAD thing, like Percent in Poverty (higher value means worse poverty)
• AvgP and AvgN is the column average for all qualifying rows
• StDvP and StDvN is the Standard Deviation of P and N, respectively
• Wn are the weights assigned to all Ps and Ns

As before, you'll prepare a table as part of your results presentation:  Use this one, edit and post it.
 
 

Variable name	Plus (good) or  Minus (bad)	Value of  variable		Average of variable		Standard Deviation of variable		Weight of variable
			-		/		*		continue on next line
			-		/		*
			-		/		*
			-		/		*
			-		/		*			= "index"

Each good variable (where a larger value is a good thing) will add to a place's score and each bad thing (where a larger value means worse) subtracts from the score.  The average is subtracted to compare each case to a "typical" case, for each variable.  The result is divided by the standard deviation to standardize the scores, because some things -- like percent female -- may vary only slightly but in a meaningful way, while others -- like average income -- might vary a great deal.  The addition of the weight adjusts the overall influence of that variable on the final score.  The result will be a single score that will allow you to rank all qualifying places in terms of your own conceptual preferences.

PRESENT YOUR WORK:

Assemble useful images you saved along the way, your tables (requirements,  preferences, and formulas) and your final scores.  You might consider exporting your final table to a .dbf file, opening it in Excel, removing all but the relevant fields (including place name) and sorting them descending by rank.  Your best place will then be on top.  Put a number 1 next to the name of the best palce, (let's say that's cell b3).  In the cell immediately below type this formula:     =b3+1   and then copy and paste that down the entire column. You'll now have an ordinal rank for every place.

Be thorough explaining and illustrating each step, and put it all in a single web page.  You may use thumbnails if you'd like, but I'd like to be able to print out a single page and see your work, rather than hunt here and there for the various pieces.

You may like to make a poster-sized layout in ArcGIS and use our 36" wide printer to make a nice record of your project.  Let me know and I'll help you use it.
Here's an excellent example of this assignment. Select Here .