Atlanta ranked #95 in best places to live (Sandy Springs, Rome: real estate, crime)

[MichiganderTexan]

Is a such a low ranking concerning with the direction that this city is headed? Cost of living has become insane, traffic is as bad as its ever been and still getting worse, crime in the high visibility areas is out of control. #95 for a city growing at the rate of Atlanta is bad.

https://realestate.usnews.com/places...places-to-live

[Esteban5]

“Desirability Index - 17.5%

The Desirability Index measures whether people want to live in a given metro area. To determine this, we asked people from all over the U.S. where they'd prefer to live.

Desirability Survey: Using SurveyMonkey, we polled approximately 3,500 people across the country to find out in which of the ranked metro areas they would most like to live. The metro areas were then ranked according to the percentage of the total votes they received. This survey was conducted in March 2022.“

The methodology is very interesting and a good chunk (17.5% of overall score) includes the above.

[primaltech]

That is officially the stupidest, most nonsensical list I've ever seen in my life. Huntsville, AL is a far more desirable place to live than Atlanta? Really? Same heat and humidity, same if not worse dysfunctional and backwards southern politics and all that, and Atlanta's job market and world-connectedness absolutely crushes that little town, and the vast majority of the places they have ranked above it. Atlanta's a global powerhouse.

As far as I'm concerned, Atlanta's objectively easily in the top 30 in the US, for anyone except maybe retired people. Yeah it's getting a lot more expensive... but expansive places are expensive for a reason. That's because they are in demand.

I mean I trash Atlanta all day on this forum, I can dish it out hardcore about that place, and all its big issues I point out and gripe about, and I got the hell out of Atlanta and Georgia because I was sick of all of it, but, let's not be unclear here. Very few cities/metros in the southeast quadrant of the country are a better place to live when you accurately factor in economic opportunity and amenities and cultural offerings. I mean, Atlanta has THE #1 airport/spaceport in the entire solar system.

As far as the traffic and all that, work from home, or live near as possible to work. Or just factor in the traffic. Atlanta would be better with vastly expanded transit, but that would just be a quality of life improvement.

They've got Naples there at #12... it is literally so hot down there that you can't even breathe half the year.

[SEAandATL]

Originally Posted by primaltech

That is officially the stupidest, most nonsensical list I've ever seen in my life. Huntsville, AL is a far more desirable place to live than Atlanta? Really? Same heat and humidity, same if not worse dysfunctional and backwards southern politics and all that, and Atlanta's job market and world-connectedness absolutely crushes that little town, and the vast majority of the places they have ranked above it. Atlanta's a global powerhouse.

As far as I'm concerned, Atlanta's objectively easily in the top 30 in the US, for anyone except maybe retired people. Yeah it's getting a lot more expensive... but expansive places are expensive for a reason. That's because they are in demand.

I mean I trash Atlanta all day on this forum, I can dish it out hardcore about that place, and all its big issues I point out and gripe about, and I got the hell out of Atlanta and Georgia because I was sick of all of it, but, let's not be unclear here. Very few cities/metros in the southeast quadrant of the country are a better place to live when you accurately factor in economic opportunity and amenities and cultural offerings. I mean, Atlanta has THE #1 airport/spaceport in the entire solar system.

As far as the traffic and all that, work from home, or live near as possible to work. Or just factor in the traffic. Atlanta would be better with vastly expanded transit, but that would just be a quality of life improvement.

They've got Naples there at #12... it is literally so hot down there that you can't even breathe half the year.

Yeah, I was surprised to see you actually wrote something positive about Atlanta. I see Seattle is at #36.

At least we ranked higher than Honolulu by 1, and San Diego. I was thinking it was because of the COL but San Francisco is at #10. Anyhow yeah, this list makes no sense. Good thing I don't have to pack my things and look for real estate in Huntsville, lol

[skiime]

Augusta was ranked a good bit higher than Atlanta. That tells me all I need to know about the validity of this list.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by MichiganderTexan

Is a such a low ranking concerning with the direction that this city is headed? Cost of living has become insane, traffic is as bad as its ever been and still getting worse, crime in the high visibility areas is out of control. #95 for a city growing at the rate of Atlanta is bad.

https://realestate.usnews.com/places...places-to-live

So sounds like there are 94 other places better to live...........

[allenk893]

Not surprised about Huntsville. Anyone whose actually kept up with AL's economic growth, knows both Huntsville and Mobile have grown by leaps and bounds for decades. The IT industry within the state generates nearly 1 billion into the economy. Tech, banking, automotive, and aerospace are the biggest industries there. IT companies like Dynetics, Equifax, etc all have data centers within the state and both Google and Facebook have multi-million dollar branches in development. The aerospace industry is thriving in Huntsville with several companies having bases there from Boeing to Lockheed Martin to NASA. the housing sector has grown with beautiful suburbs. And it's one of the last truly affordable cities in the country with COL still below the national average. Rome wasn't built in a day. It's moving.

[primaltech]

Yeah man, when Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, Nintendo of America, Costco, T-Mobile US, and Zillow and Redfin are headquartered in Huntsville, and when Huntsville has 4 major league sports franchises, and average highs in the 70's all summer, I'll take a look at it. Until then, it's that town you visit for the kids to go to the space center.

They listed good air quality as one of the things for Huntsville, well we have that here too, probably even better. I'm good on moving to Huntsville just because it's affordable for right now. Again, there's a reason why places cost what they do.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by MichiganderTexan

Is a such a low ranking concerning with the direction that this city is headed? Cost of living has become insane, traffic is as bad as its ever been and still getting worse, crime in the high visibility areas is out of control. #95 for a city growing at the rate of Atlanta is bad.

https://realestate.usnews.com/places...places-to-live

I think Atlanta's ranking is too low in this opinion survey model, by quite a bit, but I do agree with you that the city has peaked, & is now in decline.

As an early retiree, I feel like I left the ATL metro at the right time 5 years ago. Even the close-in suburbs were in decline, like Buckhead, Sandy Springs, & Dunwoody. The Malls were attracting too much crime, & I wouldn't go to them after dark, or on weekends, when the gangs were there. M-F 10am-4pm were still mostly safe.

The northern burbs & exburbs are still nice...Braselton, Cumming, Buford, Woodstock, Milton, Alpharetta, Kennesaw. I wouldn't live in the City of Atlanta anymore, maybe not anywhere inside the perimeter...I might live in Decatur, or Vinings.

I'd move Atlanta up into the top 50 for sure for 20-55 yr old working Americans...95 is way too low.

[arjay57]

I would also move the ATL up. Yes, we have problems with crime, but who in heck doesn't?