References
NAR Library & Archives has already done the research for you. References (formerly Field Guides) offer links to articles, eBooks, websites, statistics, and more to provide a comprehensive overview of perspectives. EBSCO articles (E) are available only to NAR members and require the member's nar.realtor login.
The Best Places to Live
America’s Best Places to Live in 2022 (Bankrate, Jan. 12, 2022)
“To identify the best places to live, Bankrate examined the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. through the lens of an essential question: What makes a place livable and lovable? Applying a 10-point scale, we considered several factors, including: What it costs; How it feels; and Who’s moving there; as well as a diversity score.”
The Fifty Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2021-2022 (Money, Sep. 14, 2021)
“Every year since 1987, we’ve combined lots of data with reporting to find 50 or so standout spots for our Best Places to Live project. To create Money’s Best Places to Live ranking for 2022 we considered cities and town with populations ranging from 25,000 to 500,000.”
150 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2021-22 (U.S. News, Jul. 13, 2021)
This annual ranking by U.S. News includes the 150 best places to live. “To make the top of the list, a place had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market, and a high quality of life.”
The Best Affordable Places to Live
The 25 Cheapest U.S. Cities to Live In (Kiplinger, Oct. 13, 2021)
A list of cities, with a population of at least 50,000, with the lowest cost of living based on the Council for Community and Economic Research’s (C2ER) calculations of living expenses. “C2ER’s Cost of Living Index measures prices for housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods and services.”
US Cities with the Lowest Cost of Living (Move.org, Sep. 30, 2021)
“To help you budget effectively or find an affordable new town to call home, we looked at the US’s 74 most populous cities and ranked them based on how high their monthly living costs are. We also checked each city’s median income to give you an idea of what you might make if you lived there.”
Most Affordable Places to Live in the U.S. in 2021-2022 (U.S. News, July. 13, 2021)
“Based on a survey of more than 3,600 U.S. residents on the importance of various factors in determining where to live, U.S. News weighted value at 23.74% – making it one of the key metrics used to calculate the Best Places to Live ranking. To pinpoint the most affordable places on the list, we looked at the proportion of the median annual household income that goes toward the average cost to own or rent a home, including the typical cost of utilities and taxes.”
Best Places to Live for Your Health
The 25 Healthiest Communities in America (U.S. News, Jun 29, 2021)
“Where you live can play a crucial role in determining how healthy you are. The 2021 Healthiest Communities rankings highlight this fact by measuring nearly 3,000 U.S. counties and county equivalents across 84 factors that fuel and form the health of a community and its residents. Counties are assessed in 10 categories ranging from the economy, environment and public safety to education, equity, infrastructure and housing. They’re scored on a 100-point scale tied to how they perform relative to one another, and receive a ranking based on their performance as well. Out of the 500 Healthiest Communities overall, these are the 25 that excelled the most, making them the Healthiest Communities in the U.S.”
2021's Healthiest & Unhealthiest Cities in America (Wallet Hub, Feb. 8, 2021)
“Location matters when it comes to health. Some places promote wellness by expanding access to nutritious food and recreational facilities. Others strive to keep healthcare costs affordable for everyone or keep parks clean and well-maintained…to determine which areas prioritize residents’ well-being, WalletHub compared more than 180 of the most populated U.S. cities across 44 key indicators of good health. Our data set ranges from the cost of a medical visit to fruit and vegetable consumption to COVID-19 cases.”
The Best Places to Live for Young Adults
10 Best Places to Live for Young Adults 2022 (Money Rates, Jan. 3, 2022)
“For new graduates and young workers entering the job market, now is a good time to think about where to put down roots and this study can help identify where opportunity is knocking…Each state plus the District of Columbia was ranked based on the following seven factors: Broadband connectivity, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau; Percentage of jobs in the finance and information sectors, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Relative size of the young adult population in each state, according to BLS data; Unemployment rate of 16- to 24-year-olds, according to the BLS; Affordability of a one-bedroom apartment, according to the Census Bureau; Availability of residential rentals, according to Census data; Affordability of 4-year-public-college tuition for in-state students, according to the College Board’s 2019 Trends in College Pricing report. Individual rankings were determined for each of the seven categories, and then those seven rankings were averaged to determine the overall ranking.”
The 25 Best Places for Young Professionals (U.S. News, Aug. 24, 2021)
“Whether they’re just out of college or several years into the workforce, young professionals are often willing to move to a new place for career opportunities and fresh experiences. To determine the Best Places for Young Professionals, we calculated the weighted average for the 150 most populous metro areas in the U.S. based on their job market, affordability and desirability scores according to data collected for the overall Best Places to Live ranking.”
Best Places for Business and Careers
The Best States for Small Businesses in 2022 (Business News Daily, Jan 25, 2022)
A report on Thumbtack’s annual “Small Business Friendliness Survey” which “polled more than 5,000 SMB owners throughout the country to determine how easy or difficult it was to start a small business in their home states and cities.”
Best Cities for Jobs (WalletHub, Jan. 4, 2022)
“Ultimately, your luck of finding work depends largely on location. To help you with the job hunt, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 31 key indicators of job-market strength. They range from job opportunites to employment growth to monthly average starting salary.”
Best Family-Oriented Places to Live
Best & Worst States to Raise a Family (WalletHub, Jan. 10, 2022)
“Raising a healthy stable family sometimes requires moving to a new state. The reasons people choose to move are often similar: career transitions, better schools, financial challenges or a general desire to changes settings. Wants and needs don’t always align in a particular state, though…To help with the evaluation process, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 51 key indicators of family-friendliness. Our data set ranges from the median annual family income to housing affordability to the unemployment rate.”
The 25 Best Places to Live for Families in the U.S. in 2021-2022 (U.S. News, Aug. 5, 2021)
“Moving to a new part of the country can be a daunting task, especially if you’re moving your entire family. To help you find the right metro area for raising your kids, we started with the Best Places to Live in the U.S. rankings for 2021-2022, then weighted affordability, quality of life and job market equally. These scores combine to make the Best Places to Live for Families, taking into consideration not only the cost of living and average annual salary, but also the quality of high school education, average commute time, crime rate, the area’s overall well-being and access to top-notch health care.”
Best Places to Live Worldwide
The 37 Best Cities in the World in 2021 (TimeOut Magazine, Sep. 8, 2021)
“We launched the Time Out Index: a poll of 27,000 city-dwellers from Melbourne to Madrid, Chicago to Copenhagen and Tel Aviv to Tokyo. We wanted to find out which cities really stepped up and pulled together this year. So we asked you not just about food and culture, as we always do, but also community projects, green space and sustainability. We were after the cities that were not only thinking about the now, but also the future. The ones making life better both for us and for our grandkids.”
Best Countries to Live: Quality of Life (U.S. News, 2021)
“The 2021 Best Countries rankings, formed in partnership with BAV Group and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, are based on a study that surveyed more than 17,000 global citizens from four regions to assess perceptions of 78 countries on 76 different metrics. The Quality of Life subranking is based on an equally weighted average of scores from nine country attributes that relate to quality of life in a country: affordable, a good job market, economically stable, family friendly, income equality, politically stable, safe, well-developed public education system and well-developed public health system.”
Best Places for Retirement
The Best Places to Retire Overseas in 2022 (U.S. News, Feb. 4, 2022)“The best place to reinvent your life overseas in retirement depends on your personal preferences and priorities. Some people dream of long walks on the sand, while others would prefer regular nights out at the theater in a thriving city. Here are the most appealing places to call home based on the cost of living versus the quality of life on offer, the cost and quality of health care, the amount of English spoken, options for how to spend your time, the infrastructure, climate, environment, safety and the ease of establishing legal residency, according to the Live and Invest Overseas annual retire overseas index. Consider these overseas retirement spots for 2022.”
The 10 Best Places to Retire in the U.S. in 2022 (Money, Dec 2, 2021)
“Retirement looks different for everyone. Maybe your dream is lounging by the beach or boating over crystal blue waters. Or maybe it's exploring the great outdoors or taking in museums, live music and theater. Perhaps you don't plan to "retire" at all, but instead start a new business after your main career ends. No matter what your vision looks like, there’s a place to bring it to life, and our 2021 Best Places to Retire list can help you home in on that location. We looked at nearly 100 different metrics (for a total of over 150,000 unique data points) to determine the top 10 most desirable places to retire in the U.S. Home prices, weather and access to health care factored in, as did local amenities and facilities. The result is a wide-ranging list of towns that spans all the way from New Hampshire to Texas to Idaho.”
Best Places to Retire in the U.S. in 2021-2022 (U.S. News, 2021)
“To identify the best places to retire, U.S. News analyzed data for the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. to assess how well they meet Americans' retirement needs and expectations. Top criteria include the happiness of local residents, housing affordability, tax rates and health care quality.”
Best Places for a Second Home
The 10 Best Places for Buying a Vacation Home in 2022 (Mashvisor, Feb 5, 2022)
“When looking at buying a vacation home, you need to ensure you’re looking at the best vacation investment property locations in 2022. It is important because before committing to any vacation property, you must ensure its Airbnb return on investment is positive. When buying a vacation home, the first thing to remember is to ensure you buy from the best locations. It’s not enough to buy a vacation home from your favorite travel destination; this simply won’t cut it. You need to be prudent in searching for the best vacation rental markets in 2022. This article will go in-depth into everything associated with buying a vacation home in 2022.”
The Most Popular Places in the U.S. to Buy a Second Home (Travel and Leisure, Dec 15, 2021)
“From Florida to South Carolina, and especially in small towns across the country, the real estate market for vacation homes is on fire. The surge in sales caused by the ongoing pandemic shows no signs of slowing down for certain markets. So, what are the most attractive destinations for prospective buyers? Pacaso, the real estate platform that helps people buy and co-own luxury homes, found the answer to that question. And as it turns out, it's not the well-known spots that are the most sought after.”
6 Best Places to Buy a Winter Home in the U.S. (Investopedia, Jul. 27, 2021)
“Whether you dream of flip-flops and shorts or packing up your skis and snowboards and heading for the slopes, there are many great destinations in the U.S. where you can escape from or enjoy winter. Here are six to consider—three in warm climates and three in cold.”
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following eBooks and audiobooks are available to NAR members:
This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live (Audiobook)
Deciding Where to Live: Information Studies on Where to Live in America (eBook)
Making Home (eBook)
Where to Retire (eBook)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
As a member benefit, the following resources and more are available for loan through the NAR Library. Items will be mailed directly to you or made available for pickup at the REALTOR® Building in Chicago.
This Is Where You Belong, the Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live (New York, NY: Viking, 2016)
The End of the Suburbs (New York, NY: Portolio/Penguin, 2013)
Have an idea for a real estate topic? Send us your suggestions.
The inclusion of links on this page does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this page complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.