Americans value sunshine, safety and affordability, a new study shows. Of course, Florida tops the list of most desirable states to live.
NEW YORK – Many Americans seem to have contradictory and confused feelings about the places they call home.
Although 73% of Americans say they like where they live, 59% of Americans still get frustrated with their home city or state and 43% are embarrassed by their state, according to a new study from Clever Real Estate.
Out of the 1,000 Americans asked about where they do and don't want to live, nearly six in 10 live where they've always lived. However, approximately 84% of respondents said they could be convinced to move to another city or state.
Many Americans want to pursue a better life elsewhere, but 50% say they can't afford to move to a more desirable location.
Safety, sunshine and affordability
Where do Americans dream of moving? The answers were pretty simple. When asked what makes a place desirable, 68% of Americans cite low crime, 66% say affordable living and housing costs, 62% desire good weather, and 52% want low taxes.
Those preferences were also consistent in reverse. When asked what makes places undesirable, 73% don't want high crime, 65% complain about high cost of living, 62% say high taxes, and 54% cite bad weather and pollution.
Tampa is the most desirable city
With Americans wanting to live somewhere affordable, sunny, and safe, it's not surprising that Tampa, Florida, was ranked the most desirable city in America.
Tampa has year-round warm weather, no state taxes, a low crime rate, and greater affordability than other Florida cities. Its median home value of $361,177 is cheaper than hot spots Orlando and Miami, where median home costs are $379,039 and $441,339, respectively.
Locals say quality of life appeals to potential residents, too.
"From the rich diversity and incredible restaurants to our beautiful waterfront with boating attractions just steps outside our door, there's something for everyone," says Kirstin Albert of the Tampa Convention Center. "It is such a friendly and welcoming community. Not to mention our year-round summer weather."
Charlotte, North Carolina, came in second, followed by Virginia Beach, Virginia, Nashville, Tennessee, and Orlando, Florida.
Americans chose Honolulu as their top midsize city, which may mean many respondents forgot or were unaware of the price of living in paradise.
Honolulu is one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. Basic goods and services cost much more than in other states. Real Estate Witch says the city's median home value of $794,000 is more than twice the national average.
After Honolulu, the most desirable midsize cities are Colorado Springs, Colorado; Charleston, South Carolina; Cape Coral, Florida; and Palm Bay, Florida.
Florida is the most desirable state
The Sunshine State is home to one-quarter of the 10 most desirable large metros and the 10 most desirable midsize metros, so it's no wonder it ranks highly among the most desirable states.
More than one-third of respondents ranked Florida among their top five states, placing it ahead of California at number two. The two states have some similarities, but Florida has the edge thanks to its low tax burden and lower cost of living. California also ranks as the worst state to live.
Texas, Hawaii, and New York round out the top five.
Although California, Texas, and New York are considered desirable, no individual cities in these states topped the list. On the contrary, Americans consider some of New York and California's largest cities the least desirable places to live.
Where Americans don't want to live
One-third of respondents ranked the District of Columbia as one of the five worst cities to live in the U.S. New York City was a close second, followed by San Francisco, Chicago, and Detroit.
Los Angeles came in as the sixth-least desirable city, meaning California, the second-most desirable state, has two of the six least desirable cities.
Because Americans want to live in safe areas, the three least desirable cities – Washington D.C., New York City, and San Francisco – have higher-than-average crime rates. They're also among the most expensive cities in America, with home values far exceeding the national average.
High living costs also impacted the list of least desirable states. California, where everything is more expensive, from gasoline to real estate commission, ranked last, followed by New York, Alaska, Alabama, and Texas.
Southern states make up half of the 10 least desirable list despite respondents saying that the friendliest people tend to live there. Americans named Hawaii the nicest state, followed by Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, and Florida.
The kindest cities also had a distinctly Southern flavor: Nashville ranked first, followed by Charlotte, Virginia Beach, Atlanta, and Austin.
On the other end of the spectrum, respondents ranked New York the rudest city and state, the city and state with the most annoying residents, the state with the second-most crazy residents, the second-most pretentious state, and the second-ugliest city.
However, New York edged out New Orleans as the city with the best food. New Yorkers may be rude, pretentious, and annoying, but at least they eat well.
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