Typical jQuery versus Better jQuery

unclean.js

jQuery(document).ready(function(){
    jQuery("#zipCode").change(function(){
      jQuery.ajax({
        type : 'POST',
        dataType : 'json',
        data : {
          zipCode : jQuery(this).val(),
          state : jQuery("#state").val()
        },
        url : <g:link action="territoryLookup" />,
        success : function(data, textStatus, jqXHR) {
          jQuery.each(data.territories, function(index, value) {
            var selectBox = jQuery("#territories");
            jQuery("<option>",{ value : value }).appendTo(selectBox);
          });
          
          jQuery.each(data.cities, function(index, value) {
            var selectBox = jQuery("#cities");
            jQuery("<option>",{ value : value }).appendTo(selectBox);
          });
          
          jQuery.each(data.counties, function(index, value) {
            var selectBox = jQuery("#counties");
            jQuery("<option>",{ value : value }).appendTo(selectBox);
          });
        },
        error:function(XMLHttpRequest,textStatus,errorThrown) {
          var flash = jQuery("#flashMessage");
			if(flash.length == 0) {
			  jQuery("<div />", {
				"class" : "message errors",
				id : "flashMessage"
			  }).appendTo("#bannerLogo");
			}
		  var message = errorThrown + ": " + jqXHR.responseText
		  jQuery("#flashMessage").text(message);
        }
      });
    });
  });

unclean_not.js

jQuery(document).ready(function(){
    registerEventListeners();  
  });
  
  function registerEventListeners(){
   jQuery("#zipCode").change(territoryLookup);
  }
  
  function territoryLookup(){
    
    jQuery.ajax({
      type : 'POST',
      dataType : 'json',
      data : {
        zipCode : jQuery("#zipCode").val(),
        state : jQuery("#state").val()
      },
      url : "<g:createLink action="territoryLookup" />",
      success : populateTerritoryInformation,
      error: handleErrors
    });
}
  
  function populateTerritoryInformation(data, textStatus, jqXHR){
    var infoPieces = ["cities", "counties", "territories"]
    for(var piece in infoPieces)
    {
      var selector = "#" + piece
      var dataElement = data[piece]
      createSelectOptions(dataElement, jQuery(selector));
    }
  }
  
  function createSelectOptions(jsonObject, select) {
    jQuery.each(jsonObject, function(index, value) {
      addOption(select, value);
    });
  }
  
  function addOption(select, newValue) {
    var option = jQuery("<option>",{ value : newValue }).appendTo(select);
  }
  
  function handleErrors(jqXHR,textStatus,errorThrown){
    createFlash();
    var message = errorThrown + ": " + jqXHR.responseText
    jQuery("#flashMessage").text(message);
  }