Latest news with #QualityofLifeIndex
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's the Cost To Live in the US Cities With the Best Quality of Life
While cost of living is an incredibly important factor to consider when making any kind of financial plans for your life, perhaps less tangible but no less important is 'quality of life' — the measure of overall safety, education, healthcare and even commute times in your local area. After all, these elements are crucial to enjoying daily life and feeling satisfied with what that life financially costs you. Check Out: Learn This: Recently, U.S. News & World Report (UNWR) curated a list of the American cities with the highest Quality of Life Index (a system measuring the satisfaction level of residents in various cities). Further, UNWR broke down the cost of living for such high-quality cities — specifically, the average housing prices and median household income for cities that topped their Quality of Life Index. Wondering whether you could afford to live in an American city with a higher quality of life than nearly any other? Planning to retire somewhere with an easy commute, low crime and excellent healthcare? Check out the list to find out whether one of the 20 American cities with the best quality of life fits into your financial plan. Median home value: $1,272,125 Median household income: $144,602 Livability score: 5.8 Find More: Read This: Median home value: $1,170,994 Median household income: $193,307 Livability score: 6.5 Also See: Median home value: $1,004,244 Median household income: $189,538 Livability score: 6.8 Median home value: $1,235,465 Median household income: $162,072 Livability score: 6.1 Median home value: $605,251 Median household income: $96,668 Livability score: 5.1 Enjoy This: Median home value: $560,849 Median household income: $98,605 Livability score: 6.2 Median home value: $985,214 Median household income: $130,052 Livability score: 5.7 Median home value: $990,492 Median household income: $127,516 Livability score: 6.3 Learn More: Median home value: $636,683 Median household income: $127,516 Livability score: 6.3 Median home value: $410,180 Median household income: $62,393 Livability score: 4.5 Median home value: $627,797 Median household income: $163,286 Livability score: 6.8 See More: Median home value: $830,848 Median household income: $141,140 Livability score: 6.1 Median home value: $584,446 Median household income: $96,149 Livability score: 6.0 Median home value: $287,909 Median household income: $65,648 Livability score: 5.6 Trending Now: Median home value: $276,828 Median household income: $63,944 Livability score: 5.5 Median home value: $2,764,855 Median household income: $223,951 Livability score: 6.1 Median home value: $660,984 Median household income: $180,103 Livability score: 6.2 Median home value: $399,216 Median household income: $93,832 Livability score: 6.1 Find Out: Median home value: $729,136 Median household income: $78,477 Livability score: 4.4 Median home value: $337,136 Median household income: $68,895 Livability score: 5.4 More From GOBankingRates 10 Genius Things Warren Buffett Says To Do With Your Money This article originally appeared on Here's the Cost To Live in the US Cities With the Best Quality of Life
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's the Cost To Live in the US Cities With the Best Quality of Life
While cost of living is an incredibly important factor to consider when making any kind of financial plans for your life, perhaps less tangible but no less important is 'quality of life' — the measure of overall safety, education, healthcare and even commute times in your local area. After all, these elements are crucial to enjoying daily life and feeling satisfied with what that life financially costs you. Check Out: Learn This: Recently, U.S. News & World Report (UNWR) curated a list of the American cities with the highest Quality of Life Index (a system measuring the satisfaction level of residents in various cities). Further, UNWR broke down the cost of living for such high-quality cities — specifically, the average housing prices and median household income for cities that topped their Quality of Life Index. Wondering whether you could afford to live in an American city with a higher quality of life than nearly any other? Planning to retire somewhere with an easy commute, low crime and excellent healthcare? Check out the list to find out whether one of the 20 American cities with the best quality of life fits into your financial plan. Median home value: $1,272,125 Median household income: $144,602 Livability score: 5.8 Find More: Read This: Median home value: $1,170,994 Median household income: $193,307 Livability score: 6.5 Also See: Median home value: $1,004,244 Median household income: $189,538 Livability score: 6.8 Median home value: $1,235,465 Median household income: $162,072 Livability score: 6.1 Median home value: $605,251 Median household income: $96,668 Livability score: 5.1 Enjoy This: Median home value: $560,849 Median household income: $98,605 Livability score: 6.2 Median home value: $985,214 Median household income: $130,052 Livability score: 5.7 Median home value: $990,492 Median household income: $127,516 Livability score: 6.3 Learn More: Median home value: $636,683 Median household income: $127,516 Livability score: 6.3 Median home value: $410,180 Median household income: $62,393 Livability score: 4.5 Median home value: $627,797 Median household income: $163,286 Livability score: 6.8 See More: Median home value: $830,848 Median household income: $141,140 Livability score: 6.1 Median home value: $584,446 Median household income: $96,149 Livability score: 6.0 Median home value: $287,909 Median household income: $65,648 Livability score: 5.6 Trending Now: Median home value: $276,828 Median household income: $63,944 Livability score: 5.5 Median home value: $2,764,855 Median household income: $223,951 Livability score: 6.1 Median home value: $660,984 Median household income: $180,103 Livability score: 6.2 Median home value: $399,216 Median household income: $93,832 Livability score: 6.1 Find Out: Median home value: $729,136 Median household income: $78,477 Livability score: 4.4 Median home value: $337,136 Median household income: $68,895 Livability score: 5.4 More From GOBankingRates 6 Hybrid Vehicles To Stay Away From in Retirement This article originally appeared on Here's the Cost To Live in the US Cities With the Best Quality of Life
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Karen Bass thrust back into hot seat amid LA unrest
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) is grappling with the second high-profile crisis of her tenure as immigration protests roil her city, months after devastating wildfires tore through the region. Bass, who's running for reelection in 2026, faced backlash over her wildfire response, including an ill-timed trip abroad as the crisis started, and her favorability ratings have taken a hit. Now, the first-term mayor is navigating demonstrations that have drawn national attention and intervention from President Trump, who went around Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) this weekend to send hundreds of National Guard troops into Los Angeles. She's the only big name running for her mayoral seat at this early point in the midterm cycle, and experts say her handling of the current crisis could help cement her glide path to reelection — or open the door for challengers. 'I feel like Karen Bass and her team learned at the beginning of the year that every moment from now until her reelection is crucial to get right,' said California Democratic strategist Kate Maeder. 'Bass has been battle-tested with the recent wildfire devastation. And with this, she gets another chance to show that she can lead the city through a crisis.' Bass, a progressive who defeated wealthy Republican-turned-Democrat Rick Caruso in the 2022 mayoral race, faced some of the fiercest criticism levied at Democratic officials during the California wildfires in January. As leader of the city at the center of the disaster, she was blasted for being on a U.S. delegation trip to Ghana as fires broke out and hammered over a viral clip in which she remained silent in the face of a reporter's questions. The fires would go on to wreak massive damage throughout Los Angeles, and they've appeared to impact Bass in the polls as communities recover. From 2024 to 2025, her net favorability flipped from a net-positive score to a net rating of negative 12, according to the annual University of California, Los Angeles, Luskin School Quality of Life Index survey in Los Angeles County released in April. A University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) survey in March found 44 percent of Los Angeles voters thought Bass did a poor or very poor job responding to the wildfires, compared to 36 percent who thought she did fair or better. And an IGS poll in May found 32 percent of voters within the city of Los Angeles viewed Bass favorably, compared to 50 percent who viewed her unfavorably and another 18 percent with no opinion. Shortly before her 2022 mayoral win, 50 percent viewed her favorably. Now, the tensions between law enforcement, protesters and the federal government in Los Angeles pose a new problem for Bass, though some also see it as a chance at redemption. 'During the fires, Karen Bass was nowhere, and during this crisis, she's everywhere,' said California Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio. 'She has to prove that she can handle a crisis, which she was faulted on being unable to do during the fires. And so this is a real test for her,' Maviglio said, adding that the mayor has been 'right on message' so far. Last weekend, as demonstrators in the city expressed outrage over the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, Trump activated 2,000 National Guard members to quell the protesters. The move marked a rare instance of a president calling in the forces without agreement from the state, and Democrats cast it as an abuse of power. Meanwhile, Trump has accused Bass and Newsom of being unable to do their jobs. The national attention on the situation makes for an added challenge, in that Bass has to counter Trump's rhetoric about what's happening in her city. 'She's got to come up with a narrative that shows that the resistance led by her contributed to the end of the crisis on good terms for Los Angeles,' said Fernando Guerra, founding director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. 'I don't know what that looks like, and that's the degree of difficulty for her.' California leaders have so far walked a balance of pushing back against Trump, supporting the right to protest and condemning violence. Bass on Tuesday stressed that the situation was under control before the White House stepped in. 'On Saturday, the President posted a message about what a great job the National Guard did in L.A. They didn't even get here until Sunday. This entire effort is solely to cause chaos and the people of Los Angeles — and our troops — don't deserve it,' she said on X. 'It is really a high wire test for her,' said David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University. 'Past crises have been prickly for the mayor.' Before becoming mayor of the country's second-largest city, Bass served in the California state Assembly — where she was the first African American woman to be Speaker of any state legislature — and then represented California's 33rd Congressional District in the U.S. House. She faced a recall effort after the wildfires earlier this year, but even former rival Caruso came out against it, saying Los Angeles needed unity after the disaster. As of right now, Bass is the only big-name candidate in the 2026 race. If that doesn't change, she's all but assured another mayoral term in the blue stronghold, experts said, despite her dip in favorability polling. But California's primary registration deadline isn't until next spring, and prospective candidates could be taking a wait-and-see approach as she handles political hot water. 'She has a real opportunity with this crisis … to thwart any challengers, if she's able to show strength to solve the problem and to coalesce her support,' Maeder said. Caruso, who lost to Bass by roughly 10 points in 2022, is reportedly weighing another bid for the seat, though he's also cropped up in chatter for the open governor's mansion because Newsom is term-limited. 'If you see a further deterioration of her support, that will lead to not only Caruso, but potential other either self-funded candidates or a state legislator or a member of Congress seriously thinking about running,' Guerra said, with the caveat that 'that's a big if.' Even after protests dissipate, though, recovery is 'going to take a lot of leadership as well,' Maviglio said. 'If she proves she can handle this crisis, that's going to give anybody who was [thinking of] running because of the fires second thoughts.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Karen Bass thrust back into hot seat amid LA unrest
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) is grappling with the second high-profile crisis of her tenure as immigration protests roil her city, months after devastating wildfires tore through the region. Bass, who's running for reelection in 2026, faced backlash over her wildfire response, including an ill-timed trip abroad as the crisis started, and her favorability ratings have taken a hit. Now, the first-term mayor is navigating demonstrations that have drawn national attention and intervention from President Trump, who went around Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) this weekend to send hundreds of National Guard troops into Los Angeles. She's the only big name running for her mayoral seat at this early point in the midterm cycle, and experts say her handling of the current crisis could help cement her glide path to reelection — or open the door for challengers. 'I feel like Karen Bass and her team learned at the beginning of the year that every moment from now until her reelection is crucial to get right,' said California Democratic strategist Kate Maeder. 'Bass has been battle-tested with the recent wildfire devastation. And with this, she gets another chance to show that she can lead the city through a crisis.' Bass, a progressive who defeated wealthy Republican-turned-Democrat Rick Caruso in the 2022 mayoral race, faced some of the fiercest criticism levied at Democratic officials during the California wildfires in January. As leader of the city at the center of the disaster, she was blasted for being on a U.S. delegation trip to Ghana as fires broke out and hammered over a viral clip in which she remained silent in the face of a reporter's questions. The fires would go on to wreak massive damage throughout Los Angeles, and they've appeared to impact Bass in the polls as communities recover. From 2024 to 2025, her net favorability flipped from a net-positive score to a net rating of negative 12, according to the annual University of California, Los Angeles, Luskin School Quality of Life Index survey in Los Angeles County released in April. A University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) survey in March found 44 percent of Los Angeles voters thought Bass did a poor or very poor job responding to the wildfires, compared to 36 percent who thought she did fair or better. And an IGS poll in May found 32 percent of voters within the city of Los Angeles viewed Bass favorably, compared to 50 percent who viewed her unfavorably and another 18 percent with no opinion. Shortly before her 2022 mayoral win, 50 percent viewed her favorably. Now, the tensions between law enforcement, protesters and the federal government in Los Angeles pose a new problem for Bass, though some also see it as a chance at redemption. 'During the fires, Karen Bass was nowhere, and during this crisis, she's everywhere,' said California Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio. 'She has to prove that she can handle a crisis, which she was faulted on being unable to do during the fires. And so this is a real test for her,' Maviglio said, adding that the mayor has been 'right on message' so far. Last weekend, as demonstrators in the city expressed outrage over the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, Trump activated 2,000 National Guard members to quell the protesters. The move marked a rare instance of a president calling in the forces without agreement from the state, and Democrats cast it as an abuse of power. Meanwhile, Trump has accused Bass and Newsom of being unable to do their jobs. The national attention on the situation makes for an added challenge, in that Bass has to counter Trump's rhetoric about what's happening in her city. 'She's got to come up with a narrative that shows that the resistance led by her contributed to the end of the crisis on good terms for Los Angeles,' said Fernando Guerra, founding director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. 'I don't know what that looks like, and that's the degree of difficulty for her.' California leaders have so far walked a balance of pushing back against Trump, supporting the right to protest and condemning violence. Bass on Tuesday stressed that the situation was under control before the White House stepped in. 'On Saturday, the President posted a message about what a great job the National Guard did in L.A. They didn't even get here until Sunday. This entire effort is solely to cause chaos and the people of Los Angeles — and our troops — don't deserve it,' she said on X. 'It is really a high wire test for her,' said David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University. 'Past crises have been prickly for the mayor.' Before becoming mayor of the country's second-largest city, Bass served in the California state Assembly — where she was the first African American woman to be Speaker of any state legislature — and then represented California's 33rd Congressional District in the U.S. House. She faced a recall effort after the wildfires earlier this year, but even former rival Caruso came out against it, saying Los Angeles needed unity after the disaster. As of right now, Bass is the only big-name candidate in the 2026 race. If that doesn't change, she's all but assured another mayoral term in the blue stronghold, experts said, despite her dip in favorability polling. But California's primary registration deadline isn't until next spring, and prospective candidates could be taking a wait-and-see approach as she handles political hot water. 'She has a real opportunity with this crisis … to thwart any challengers, if she's able to show strength to solve the problem and to coalesce her support,' Maeder said. Caruso, who lost to Bass by roughly 10 points in 2022, is reportedly weighing another bid for the seat, though he's also cropped up in chatter for the open governor's mansion because Newsom is term-limited. 'If you see a further deterioration of her support, that will lead to not only Caruso, but potential other either self-funded candidates or a state legislator or a member of Congress seriously thinking about running,' Guerra said, with the caveat that 'that's a big if.' Even after protests dissipate, though, recovery is 'going to take a lot of leadership as well,' Maviglio said. 'If she proves she can handle this crisis, that's going to give anybody who was [thinking of] running because of the fires second thoughts.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No California city cracks top 100 of US News' Best Places to Live
(KRON) — U.S. News & World Report released its annual 'Best Places to Live' rankings for 2025-26 on Tuesday. Although California, especially the Bay Area, is among one of the most expensive places to live, those cities are not viewed as the best places to live, according to the nationally renowned publication. No California city cracked in U.S. News' top 100 list. The highest-ranked California city was Folsom in Sacramento County at No. 119. Although not very high on the list, three Bay Area cities were included in the top 200: Palo Alto (No. 148), Cupertino (No. 151) and San Ramon (No. 180). Three cities in Texas cracked the top 10. Johns Creek, Ga. took home the top ranking at No. 1. State Farm Insurance seeks additional rate hike on top of 17% approved by state Johns Creek, GA Carmel, IN Pearland, TX Fisgers, IN Cary, NC League City, TX Apex, NC Leander, TX Rochester Hills, MI Troy, MI See U.S. News' full ranking here. Even in U.S. News' 'Best Big Cities to Live' list, California wasn't shown with much love as the highest-ranking city was San Diego at No. 15. San Francisco, the first Bay Area city to crack the list, was ranked No. 20. San Jose ranked No. 24. Small Bay Area town has CA's most wishlisted Airbnb U.S. News analyzed 859 of the most populated cities in the country. Main factors include the city's 'job market, value, quality of life and desirability.' The ranking weighed the following factors as such. Quality of Life Index (26%) Value Index (25%) Desirability Index (24%) Job Market Index (23%) Net Migration (2%) Each of those indexes had subfactors that contributed to its score in that category. U.S. News combined those weighted indexes and converted the value to come up with a 10-point scale. The publication used data from sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The full methodology can be viewed on U.S. News' website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
