Latest news with #AreaVibes
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Travel + Leisure
29-07-2025
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
This Florida City Was Just Named the Most Livable in the State for Its Safety and Cost of Living
Florida had the second-highest population growth of any state in 2023, with 365,205 people moving to the Sunshine State that year, according to Consumer Reports. It added that a whopping 1,200 people moved to Florida every single day between July 2021 and July 2022. And really, it's easy to see why the state is so attractive: it's sunny, warm, and a state with no income tax. Although the entire state can make for a great new home, some places offer an easier way of life than others. And a new list from GOBankingRates is sharing exactly where those locations are. In late June, the website revealed its list of the 10 most livable destinations in Florida, describing them as places with 'low crime rates, easy access to health care, clean air, green spaces, good schools and other desirable traits.' And it named Wilton Manors the No. 1 most livable destination in the state. According to the team, the annual cost of living in the community just north of Fort Lauderdale is just a touch over $76,000, with a monthly cost of living at $6,337. Here, the median value of a single-family home is $720,629, while the median household income is $79,390. But most importantly, it also has a livability score of 91. According to AreaVibes, the community scored an A+ almost across the board, including for its amenities, commute, crime, employment, housing, health and safety, and user ratings. Its only areas of improvement are schools, which still scored an impressive B+, and, surprisingly, a D- in the cost of living. Still, all this added up to a winning score for the community. Other top spots to make the list include Doctor Phillips, Florida, at the No. 2 spot, a city just outside of Orlando, which nabbed a livability score of 89, and Seminole, located outside of Tampa, which came in third place with its own score of 89 but had a slightly lower median household income. To find these places, GOBankingRates analyzed data via creating a seed list of spots with a livability index of at least 80. Then, it factored in each location's total population, the population aged 65 and over, total number of households, and the household median income, sourced via the U.S. Census American Community Survey. It also factored in the cost of living via Sperling's BestPlaces, which included the grocery, health care, housing, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses, along with the average single-family home value. It sorted the cities to highlight the places with the highest livability paired with the most affordable cost of living. See the full list and what you can expect in each community at
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's How Much You Must Make To Afford a Home in the West's Most Livable Cities
If you're thinking of heading west and looking for affordable, livable locales, Oregon may be worth a look. Also See: Learn More: The Beaver State boasts six of the 10 best blends of livability and affordability in the Western U.S., based on a recent GOBankingRates analysis of data from AreaVibes, Sperling's BestPlaces and other sources. Before you pack your bags, though, it's worth learning how much you would need to make to afford a home. Here's GBR's full list, along with the minimum salary required for homeownership, median household income and some additional information about each location. Kaysville, Utah Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $69,593 Median household income: $128,996 You'll find Kaysville in northern Utah, about 20 miles north of Salt Lake City. A single-family home in Kaysville is worth about $650,000. Living costs will run you about $5,800 a month. Check Out: Find Out: Orem, Utah Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $59,815 Median household income: $81,292 Orem is located just north of Provo and about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City. Only about 10 percent of Orem's 97,000+ residents are age 65 or older. You'll spend just shy of $5,000 a month on average for living costs here. Discover More: Raleigh Hills, Oregon Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $92,776 Median household income: $109,306 Raleigh Hills is a suburb of Portland with about 7,000 residents. Single-family homes aren't cheap here, with average values approaching $1 million. An average monthly mortgage here will run you about $5,700. Beaverton, Oregon Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $65,363 Median household income: $94,279 Beaverton is located about 10 miles west of Portland and has about 100,000 residents. Beaverton's average monthly cost of living (around $5,400) places it in the middle of the pack among AreaVibes' most livable cities. Single-family homes in Beaverton are worth $565,000 on average. Gladstone, Oregon Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $62,124 Median household income: $90,395 Another Portland suburb, Gladstone is located about 12 miles to the south. About a fifth of Gladstone's 12,000 residents are 65 and older. Gladstone is somewhat less expensive than some other Portland suburbs, with average single-family homes valued at $514,000 and average monthly living costs coming in around $5,200. Central Point, Oregon Livability score: 90 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $52,234 Median household income: $80,450 Central Point is located in southern Oregon, a few miles northwest of Medford. With average monthly living costs around $4,300, Central Point is significantly less expensive than many options in the Portland area. See More: Lafayette, Colorado Livability score: 90 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $75,764 Median household income: $110,431 Lafayette sits about 25 miles north of Denver. Single-family homes in Lafayette are worth $731,000 on average, with monthly mortgages around $4,300. Battle Ground, Washington Livability score: 90 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $68,256 Median household income: $100,185 Battle Ground is located near the Washington-Oregon border, about 25 miles north of Portland. Average monthly mortgages in Battle Ground are less than $3,600, and average monthly living costs are about $5,700. On average, single-family homes here are worth just over $600,000. Milwaukie, Oregon Livability score: 91 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $61,690 Median household income: $82,422 Milwaukie is a suburb of Portland with about 22,000 residents and average monthly mortgages of around $3,000. Single-family homes in Milwaukie are worst just over $500,000. Sherwood, Oregon Livability score: 92 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $72,351 Median household income: $110,616 You'll find Sherwood about 20 miles southwest of Portland. Sherwood is a somewhat young city, with less than 11% of its 21,000 residents aged 65 or older. Homes here are worth around $660,000 on average. Monthly living costs will run you about $6,000. Editor's note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed. Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities across the United States with the highest livability scores, as sourced from AreaVibes. The 30 most livable cities in each state were identified. To qualify for this study, each city had to have all data points available and a total population of at least 5,000. All relevant data was sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, Sperling's BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index and Federal Reserve Economic Data. All data was collected on and is up to date as of May 14, 2025. More From GOBankingRates 10 Unreliable SUVs To Stay Away From Buying This article originally appeared on Here's How Much You Must Make To Afford a Home in the West's Most Livable Cities Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's How Much You Must Make To Afford a Home in the South's Most Livable Cities
The southern United States offers numerous locales with high livability scores and relatively reasonably priced homes compared to the rest of the country. Minimum salaries needed to afford a home vary widely across the South, however, so prospective buyers should do their homework. Check Out: Learn More: To help you get started, GOBankingRates has compiled a list of the South's most livable cities, along with the minimum salary needed for homeownership in each. The list blends data from AreaVibes, Sperling's BestPlaces, the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Zillow and the Federal Reserve. Here's the full list, along with the median household income and some additional information about each location. Blacksburg, Virginia Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $53,036 Median household income: $48,070 The home of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg is located in Montgomery County. Blacksburg's median income of $48,070 is the second lowest among AreaVibes' most livable cities, topping only Bowling Green, Kentucky (69th most livable with a median income of $46,719. The average value of a single-family home in Blacksburg is about $411,000. Also See: Find Out: Seminole, Florida Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $56,053 Median household income: $77,335 You'll find the town of Seminole about 25 miles west of Tampa. Seminole is popular with the retired set – about a third of its 20,000 residents are age 65+. The average single-family home in Seminole is worth about $433,000. See More: Dr. Phillips, Florida Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $66,369 Median household income: $101,540 Named after citrus industry pioneer Philip Phillips, the unincorporated Dr. Phillips neighborhood is a suburb of Orlando. The total cost of living in Dr. Phillips is $5,531 a month, and the average single-family home is worth $568,000. Springfield, Virginia Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $78,732 Median household income: $123,69 Springfield is located about 15 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. Single-family homes in Springfield are worth more than $700,000. The cost of living comes in around $6,600 a month. Purcellville, Virginia Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $90,222 Median household income: $162,981 The town of Purcellville is located in Loudon County, about 50 miles northwest of Washington D.C. Homes aren't cheap here, with average values approaching $900,000. Purcellville is also a relatively young town, with only 9% of its 9,000 residents age 65+. Explore More: Cary, North Carolina Livability score: 90 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $68,474 Median household income: $129,399 Cary is located just west of Raleigh, the state capital. Part of North Carolina's Research Triangle region, it has a population of about $177,000. An average single-family home in Cary is worth around $630,000. Lynchburg, Virginia Livability score: 91 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $40,621 Median household income: $59,808 You'll find Lynchburg in central Virginia, about two hours east of Richmond by car. Single-family homes in Lynchburg are worth about $250,000 on average. Lynchburg's average monthly cost of living (about $3,400) is among the lowest among AreaVibes' 100 most livable cities. Fort Thomas, Kentucky Livability score: 91 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $47,820 Median household income: $100,819 Fort Thomas is located near the Kentucky-Ohio border near Cincinnati. Compared to other locales in AreaVibes' most livable list, Fort Thomas offers relatively inexpensive single-family homes ($336,000 on average). The average monthly cost of living in Fort Thomas is just under $4,000. Discover More: Wilton Manors, Florida Livability score: 91 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $78,021 Median household income: $79,390 Part of the Miami metro area, Wilton Manors is located just north of Fort Lauderdale. Wilton Manors is a popular spot for retirees, with more than a quarter of its 11,000 residents age 65 and up. The average value of a single-family home here is $721,000. Bellevue, Kentucky Livability score: 92 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $40,277 Median household income: $67,143 You'll find Bellevue just east of Cincinnati, along the Kentucky-Ohio state line. In addition to its strong livability rating, Bellevue offers relatively inexpensive single-family homes ($230,000 on average) and monthly living costs ($3,356). Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities across the United States with the highest livability scores, as sourced from AreaVibes. The 30 most livable cities in each state were identified. To qualify for this study, each city had to have all data points available and a total population of at least 5,000. All relevant data was sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, Sperling's BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index and Federal Reserve Economic Data. All data was collected on and is up to date as of May 14, 2025. More From GOBankingRates 25 Places To Buy a Home If You Want It To Gain Value This article originally appeared on Here's How Much You Must Make To Afford a Home in the South's Most Livable Cities Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's How Much You Need To Make To Afford a Home in the Most Livable Cities on the East Coast
Could you afford a home in one of the most livable cities in the eastern U.S.? GOBankingRates has done some of your homework for you, compiling a list of coveted eastern U.S. locales and the minimum salary needed for homeownership. The analysis blends data from AreaVibes, Sperling's BestPlaces, the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Zillow and the Federal Reserve. Also See: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania dominate GOBankingRates' list, accounting for eight of the 10 locales. Each listed city has a livability score of at least 89, sourced from AreaVibes. Here's the full list, along with median household income and some additional information about each location. Conshohocken, Pennsylvania Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $59,079 Median household income: $117,330 The borough of Conshohocken is a Philadelphia suburb with a population of about 9,300. Average monthly living expenses are around $4,900, with average mortgage payments coming in at $2,750. A single-family home in Conshohocken is worth $466,000. Check Out: Discover More: Belmont, Massachusetts Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $142,501 Median household income: $178,188 Belmont is an affluent western suburb of Boston with some of the highest living expenses in AreaVibes' most livable cities. The value of an average single-family home in Belmont tops $1.6 million. Average monthly mortgages come in at $9,300, and the total cost of living is nearly $12,000 a month. Find Out: Norwood, Massachusetts Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $79,552 Median household income: $97,110 Norwood is located about 22 miles southwest of Boston. It's less expensive than Belmont but still not cheap, with single-family homes valued at $732,000 on average. Total monthly living expenses top $6,600. Malverne, New York Livability score: 89 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $86,011 Median household income: $146,585 Malverne is a village located on Long Island with around 8,500 residents. The average monthly cost of living comes in at around $7,300. Melrose, Massachusetts Livability score: 90 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $90,563 Median household income: $126,854 You'll find Melrose and its 30,000-ish residents just a few miles north of Boston. The average value of a single-family home in Melrose is just over $900,000. The average monthly mortgage is about $2,100. See More: Winchester, Massachusetts Livability score: 91 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $143,026 Median household income: $218,176 Another Boston suburb, Winchester is located about eight miles to the north. Its household median income is among the highest among AreaVibes' most livable cities. Homes here will cost you as well, with single-family houses valued at $1.64 million on average. Camp Hill, Pennsylvania Livability score: 92 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $46,558 Median household income: $110,938 The borough of Camp Hill is located just southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital. Its 8,200 residents have average monthly living costs of around $3,900. An average single-family home here is worth around $308,000. Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Livability score: 92 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $91,142 Median household income: $87,218 Bryn Mawr (which means 'large hill' in Welsh) sits just west of Philadelphia and has about 5,800 residents. An average single-family home in Bryn Mawr is worth about $926,000. The average monthly mortgage cost is just under $5,500. Explore More: Lexington, Massachusetts Livability score: 92 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $141,375 Median household income: $219,402 You'll find historic Lexington just northwest of Boston. Lexington is an expensive place to live, with high average costs for single-family homes ($1.6M), monthly mortgages ($9,500) and totally monthly living expenses (nearly $12,000). Pompton Lakes, New Jersey Livability score: 92 Salary needed (annual cost of living): $64,248 Median household income: $119,038 Pompton Lakes is located about 25 miles north of Newark and 20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan. A borough, Pompton Lakes has a population of 11,000. A single-family home here is worth about $521,000 on average. Editor's note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed. Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities across the United States with the highest livability scores, as sourced from AreaVibes. The 30 most livable cities in each state were identified. To qualify for this study, each city had to have all data points available and a total population of at least 5,000. All relevant data was sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, Sperling's BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index and Federal Reserve Economic Data. All data was collected on and is up to date as of May 14, 2025. More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 Here's the Minimum Salary Required To Be Considered Upper Class in 2025 3 Reasons Retired Boomers Shouldn't Give Their Kids a Living Inheritance (And 2 Reasons They Should) This article originally appeared on Here's How Much You Need To Make To Afford a Home in the Most Livable Cities on the East Coast Sign in to access your portfolio
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Travel + Leisure
12-06-2025
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
This Is the Most Affordable U.S. City to Live Comfortably—and Here's Exactly How Much You Need to Earn
If everything feels more expensive to you now, know that you're not alone and you're not imagining things. Everyday items really are way pricier than they used to be, and wages just don't feel like they're keeping up. However, there are a few places around the nation that still offer a financially accessible way of life, and GOBankingRates has identified the most affordable one of all. On Wednesday, GOBankingRates revealed how much money people need to earn to live comfortably in America's 50 largest cities. To figure this out, the team first identified the 100 largest U.S. cities, ranking them by their total population, along with the household median income for each city, and parsed out the top 50. It then calculated those cities' average mortgage using the average single-family home value, along with the average rental cost, and the average expenditure cost. "Using the 50/30/20 finance rule, the total cost of living was doubled to determine the income needed to live comfortably for a homeowner and renter," it added. Now, we won't lie to you: some information in the report is pretty bleak. "Homeowners in 10 of the nation's largest cities need to earn at least $191,000 annually to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle," the website explained in the findings. "While nine of these cities are based on the West Coast and the Hawaiian Islands—not unusual, given each region's high cost of living—Americans might not be able to guess which East Coast city requires an income of more than $217,000 to live comfortably." Irvine, California, ranked first as the spot where you need the highest income to live comfortably. For homeowners, GOBankingRates says you need $326,645 annually, and for renters, it's $130,943 a year. And right now, it added, the Southern California city's median household income is only $129,647, meaning you need more than double the median income to live comfortably as a homeowner. In fact, the findings stated that California swept the top 50 spots, with 15 cities where homeowners and renters need to earn six figures for a comfortable lifestyle, including Fremont at No. 2, San Jose at No. 3, San Francisco at No. 4, San Diego at No. 6, and Los Angeles at No. 8. The findings added that "none of the top 50 cities had a median household income higher than the comfortable income needed for homeowners." Still, there were some outliers that offer a much more comfortable lifestyle, including spots like Cleveland, Ohio, which ranked as the most affordable on the list. Here, you need just $60,000 a year in income to live comfortably as a homeowner. It's also a spot that ranks rather highly on AreaVibes, nabbing an impressive 72 Livability Score, getting high marks for its amenities, housing, commute, and health care access. Neighboring Toledo, Ohio ranked as the second-most affordable, where you need just a $62,141 annual income to live comfortably as a homeowner. As of 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that the real median household income in the United States is $80,610. Just 14 cities on GOBankingRates' list made that cutoff for living comfortably as a homeowner. See the full report, and if your city made the cut at
