US News: SF-Oakland Metro Area ranks 7th Best Place to Live (Los Angeles: condo, crime)

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

What I meant is that it's not only about desirability:

SF scored higher than any other major metro as far as desirability, which the US News ranking determined based on the results of a survey taken by thousands of participants across the country.

Desirability Rating/Metro Area/#Overall Rank
10.0 San Francisco#7
9.6 San Diego#36
9.1 Seattle#9
9.0 New York#90
8.8 Denver#2
8.7 Los Angeles#107
8.2 Phoenix#26
7.1 Washington DC#19
6.9 Dallas#21
6.9 Miami#113
6.8 Atlanta#57
6.8 Chicago#104
6.7 Boston#27
6.6 Tampa#56
6.5 Houston#30
6.5 Minneapolis#6
6.2 Philadelphia#102
6.1 Cleveland#85
6.0 Baltimore#100
5.9 St Louis#81
5.3 Detroit#93

SF also had a higher desirability rating than the city ranked 1st in the overall ranking.

9.0 Austin#1

Makes much more sense than what I read earlier (which had SF placing 4th in desirability).
Thanks!

[JJonesIII]

Originally Posted by JoeSmow

I guess I'm the smartest man in the room then. Admittedly, I don't care that I moved to the #1 city on their list because I think these things are just dumb. It doesn't matter what their ranking is if you can't afford to live there (i.e. living paycheck-to-paycheck and can't afford to partake in anything).

Agree. Lists like these can be pretty stupid. I'd say the people that live in 3/4 of the cities on that list couldn't afford to live in San Francisco, so it's a moot point. It'd be more relevant to look at the majority of people (i.e. the Middle Class) and ask them to give a rating with specific price ranges listed next to each city and then see how the list changes. But it's like talking to a wall with most of the folks here.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by JJonesIII

Agree. Lists like these can be pretty stupid. I'd say the people that live in 3/4 of the cities on that list couldn't afford to live in San Francisco, so it's a moot point. It'd be more relevant to look at the majority of people (i.e. the Middle Class) and ask them to give a rating with specific price ranges listed next to each city and then see how the list changes. But it's like talking to a wall with most of the folks here.

You seem upset.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

US News & World Report evaluated the 125 largest Metro Areas looking at all sorts of factors:

The Top 20
1. Austin, Texas
2. Denver, Colorado
3. Colorado Springs, Colorado
4. Fayetteville, Arkansas
5. Des Moines, Iowa
6. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
7. San Francisco, California
8. Portland, Oregon
9. Seattle, Washington
10. Raleigh & Durham, North Carolina
11. Huntsville, Alabama
12. Madison, Wisconsin
13. Grand Rapids, Michigan
14. San Jose, California
15. Nashville, Tennessee
16. Asheville, North Carolina
17. Boise, Idaho
18. Sarasota, Florida
19. Washington, D.C.
20. Charlotte, North Carolina

https://realestate.usnews.com/places...ive?src=usn_pr

In this ranking, "San Francisco"=Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

"San Jose"= San Benito and Santa Clara counties.

We live in the Fayetteville area: it is hard to understand the way these studies rate cities: how could Fayetteville and San Francisco be on the same list? This goes for the list period. Of course we all know these lists are only good for bragging rights until one comes out next month.

[JJonesIII]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

You seem upset.

Ah, passive aggressive remark. Nope, never seen that before.

Try and stay on point.

[JJonesIII]

Originally Posted by nmnita

We live in the Fayetteville area: it is hard to understand the way these studies rate cities: how could Fayetteville and San Francisco be on the same list? This goes for the list period. Of course we all know these lists are only good for bragging rights until one comes out next month.

Yep

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Fayetteville, Arkansas?


Um, ok.

Have you ever been to Fayettevile or much less lived here? I am thinking not. Almost every study similar to this puts NWA on their list of top places to live. Of course all these lists are good for is bragging rights until the next list comes out, but don't knock what you haven't tried. I look at some of the cities and wonder how they could make the lists: high crime, high cost of living, bad weather, etc.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by kttam186290

If you want to work in corporate for the Walton Family, then Fayetteville, AR is your place!

Funny thing...I know a guy who manages a multi-million dollar private security company here in Los Angeles.

Among his clients are the Walton Family and their associated Walmart heirs and heiresses who spend most of their time at their homes in Benedict Canyon and Beverly Hills.

The lower-middle class Californians who want to work for corporate and own a sprawling ranch home on the meadow move to Fayetteville. Meanwhile, the billionaire Waltons ostensibly make their residence in Los Angeles County.

Love people who judge without having a clue what they are talking about; 1-Walmart Headquarters are not in Fayetteville: they are in Bentonville; the majority of the Walton family do reside in NWA. The corporation employs people from all over the country and they are not lower middle class. Many of the people living here do not live in ranch style homes on sprawling meadows.

YOu mention WalMart, obviously you have never spent much time or have no knowledge of what the area is really about: We have 3 major companies headquartered here: WalMart, yes, as well as Tyson's chicken company and Hunt trucking. For a community of barely 500,000 people that is very unusual

NWA, is more diverse than you can imagine. There are people from all walks of life and all ethnic groups living here; many very well educated. We have kind of restaurant one can imagine and we have a wonderful mixture of rural and urban life styles.

What we don't have is a high crime rate, a high cost of living and a bunch of people who think they are just a step better than others. We also do not have many homeless people.

So stop your judging. I have lived in both the bay area and NWA. Both have pros and cons, but NWA is a lo different than one might think. Come visit, spend time here and then preach about how much better Ca is.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Have you ever been to Fayettevile or much less lived here? I am thinking not. Almost every study similar to this puts NWA on their list of top places to live. Of course all these lists are good for is bragging rights until the next list comes out, but don't knock what you haven't tried. I look at some of the cities and wonder how they could make the lists: high crime, high cost of living, bad weather, etc.

I actually have been. Twice through. Long long ago. And don’t remember a thing about the place. Which is pretty much my point.

I didn’t criticize it. I panned it. Particularly in comparison to some of the places ranked lower such as San Francisco and Seattle ... both absolutely stunningly spectacular environments in every respect.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

I actually have been. Twice through. Long long ago. And don’t remember a thing about the place. Which is pretty much my point.

I didn’t criticize it. I panned it. Particularly in comparison to some of the places ranked lower such as San Francisco and Seattle ... both absolutely stunningly spectacular environments in every respect.

and that is my point: you haven't been here in years so how can you judge? We have mountains, diversity, water, spectacular views, diverse people and a lot of natural beauty. Why do you think it is called the natural
state?

I was born and raised in Cal. I do think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world, there are many good things about the state, but these studies are based on many things, and yes, NWA is special in many ways. AS I mentioned: we don't have high crime, we don't have street people, we don't have a high cost of living, we don't have the traffic problems we experience in Ca (we do have traffic congestion) and the one thing we don't have is Trader Joe's. that is the saddest part of living here. Many

Many places on the list surprise me, but I admit I only know them from one side thus can not fairly judge them. San Jose, for instance.