Posted on 08/07/2014 8:28:12 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
We’ve done a lot of rankings of places here at the Movoto Real Estate Blog for different criteria, like education or safety. But what if you’re just looking for a general area that has a lot to offer? We can help out there, too .
We have to give a nod to the East Coast on this one, because they sure wrapped up the top 10. Don’t worry, other states, there are plenty of you represented in the top 50.
See the full ranking and methodology, below.
This is one of those instances where the winner was a pretty obvious one, just by the rankings.
The median rent here was the highest on our list, which indicated that people are willing to shell out the big bucks to call this place home. The household income rank was also No. 1, so locals can earn enough to pay for those upscale apartments.
It also helps that most people here were employed. With the fourth lowest unemployment rate on our list, at 4.85 percent, and with only 2.51 percent of families being below the poverty line, locals are likely to be comfortable financially and career-wise.
Did we also mention that it had a high school graduation rate of over 93 percent? That certainly didn’t hurt in the rankings.
Though it wasn’t quite up to Loudoun standards, Douglas County was still pretty darn awesome. With the highest graduation rate, a whopping 97.2 percent, you’re bound to get a good education here or provide one for your family.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
“In my view, two of their criteria are actually negative: high home values and high rental costs. “Desirability” is offset by congestion and unaffordability for the average person. I’m sure they’re nice places, if you are wealthy.”
I think their point is that high home values and rental costs tend to exclude the poor and they consider that a huge positive. Most people don’t willingly live in poor areas if they can avoid it. Also high home values and rental rates indicate areas that people want or need to live in (supply, demand and desirability).
I can’t speak for others on the list but the two counties in NJ offer many different things that attract people and business (excellent housing stock, good highway/road infrastructure, low crime rates, excellent schools, lots of open space, mix of suburban/rural areas, plenty of shopping from dollar stores to ultra high end, and endless things to do and places to visit).
They definitely are not locales that would attract everybody but there are plenty of people who want to live there. Unfortunately their attraction is starting to be their downfall as more and more upwardly mobile “city” folk move west into the Jersey Hills bringing their liberal ways and politics with them.
I have been fortunate enough to live my entire life in Douglas County, Colorado! Median family incomes are high here and the cost of living is low. It is a terrific place to live as is Colorado. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT HERE! I am hopeful that I will live in this great county for a long time. I’m hopeful that I can live my entire life in Colorado. Though I think it’s ironic that very possibly the most conservative counties in the nation is named after Stephen Douglas, a Democrat.
>> How many of those top ranked counties are nestled around Washington D.C.? <<
Only four. Something wrong with this list!
40% of the top 10 are DC Metro. Go figure.
But not the more urbanized counties surrounding DC, like Arlington (including Alexandria) in VA and Prince Georges in MD.
For my, “Best” for my next property purchase will require the ability to have cows.
Little on this list would come close to best for me.
What will be tough for me is balancing commute for the type of paying job I still want to continue.
I totally agree about Douglas County. I’ve been here 18 years and absolutely love it! And Colorado has a state constitutional amendment that any tax increases have to be approved by the people in an election. Puts a cap on taxes and on the democrat bozos’ power to spend our money!
Limousine liberal counties, most of them. They vote Dem but wouldn’t be caught dead living near their lessers.
I’ve lived in or directly next to four of the counties. I worked in another.
I wouldn’t move back to any of them. The ones in Mass are too crowded. The ones in New Hampshire are too crowded, and the last one in Maine is, well..in Maine.
The Vermont one is OK if you like Socialists. It’s pretty though.
My county sucks. My town is good. I wish there was more from the southwest on the list.
Given the criteria they used to claim "best", I'm glad to be far from them.
Some libtard wax job..........
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