Rankings
How Does Your Work Commute Compare To Other Cities?
As part of the Census Bureau’s data collection activities from 2005-2009, a number of interesting charts have been published at http://census.gov.
The data should not be confused with Census 2010 — a separate survey conducted every 10 years. This is the first-ever, 5-year American Community Survey. Based on data from 3 million households, it details social, economic, housing, and demographic data “for every community in the nation“.
Among the surveys:
- Median Household Income, Inflation-Adjusted To 2009 Dollars (Chart)
- Median Housing Value Of Owner-Occupied Housing Units (Chart)
- Percent Of Households That Are Married, With Children Under 18 (Chart)
The ACS survey also charts average commute time by county. The chart is shown at top.
Whether you live in a “long commute” town like Richmond, NY (40 minutes), or a “short commute” town like King, TX (3.4 minutes), rising gas prices have made commute times and distances relevant to everyone.
Since the start of 2011, the average price for gasoline is higher by 54 cents per gallon. Assuming 22 miles per gallon on a passenger car, that’s an increase of 2.5 cents of gasoline per mile driven in the last 90 days. It’s a cost that adds up quickly, and can affect a household budget. Plan for higher pump prices moving forward, too. Historically, gas prices surge between April and June.
The American Community Survey is loaded with charts and data. It can tell you a lot about your current neighborhood, and any neighborhood to which you may want to relocate. Then, to bridge the ACS data with community details such as school performance and typical home prices, talk to a real estate professional.
Rankings : America’s Best Places To Raise A Family (2010)
BusinessWeek recently released its America’s Best Place to Raise a Family list. Chicago suburb Tinley Park, Illinois, topped the list.
2010 marks the second straight year that a Chicago suburb took top honors. Last year’s winner was Mount Prospect, Illinois.
The BusinessWeek survey uses data from Onboard Informatics, compiling statistics in areas including education, crime, and access to parks, jobs and affordable homes. Selections are limited to towns with 45,000 residents or fewer, and a median income of between $40,000 and $125,000.
One winner and 2 runner-ups are named for each state; the 10 most populous of which are listed below:
- California : Arcadia (Monterey Park, Diamond Bar)
- Texas : San Marcos (San Antonio, Houston)
- New York : Tonawanda (Irondequoit, Cheektowaga)
- Florida : Pembroke Pines (Sunrise, Tamarac)
- Illinois : Tinley Park (Arlington Heights, Schaumburg)
- Pennsylvania : Scranton (Erie, Allentown)
- Ohio : Lakewood (Parma, Strongsville)
- Michigan : Ann Arbor (Royal Oak, Portage)
- Georgia : Warner Robins (Valdosta, Roswell)
- North Carolina : Chapel Hill (Cary, Jacksonville)
Rankings like this BusinessWeek report can be useful for home buyers, but like all of real estate, it’s important to remember that statistics don’t apply to all parts of town equally. Some parts will have better schools, or better crime prevention, or more amenities.
Therefore, before you make a buying decision, talk with a real estate agent who has local market knowledge. It’s the most reliable way to get data that matters.
How Close Do You Live To America’s Largest Landfills?
The 1937 opening of the Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill marked the birth of the modern landfill.
Today, transporting and burying garbage is a $50 billion annual business with an estimated 3,000 landfills in operation across the country, plus an additional 10,000 municipal “dump” sites.
A recent article by Forbes detailed the nation’s 10 largest landfills, collectively profiling the structures as technology-driven, environmentally-responsible, and mostly odor-free.
The 10 largest landfills, according to Forbes:
- Apex Regional (Las Vegas, NV)
- Puente Hills (Whittier, CA)
- Newton County Landfill Partnership (Brook, IN)
- Okeechobee (Okeechobee, FL)
- Atlantic Waste (Waverly, VA)
- Rumpke Sanitary (Colerain Township, OH)
- Pine Tree Acres (Lenox, MI)
- El Sobrante (Corona, CA)
- Veolia Orchard Hills (Davis Junction, IL)
- Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site (Aurora, CO)
Landfill sites are often “hidden”; blended in to their surroundings. Because of this, when you’re shopping for a home, you may not know just how close you’re buying to an landfill or dump.
Therefore, be sure to ask your real estate agent about it, and consider following up with the county to learn what materials can be safely disposed at the local site.
America’s Most Expensive ZIP Codes (2010 Edition)
The value of a home is based on the basic economic principle of Supply and Demand. When the number of buyers exceeds the number of sellers, home prices rise. Conversely, when sellers outnumber buyers, home prices fall.
There’s always a opening price point for negotiation and that figure often factors in specifics like square footage, number of rooms, and finishes and amenities. Location matters, too.
On a ZIP code-by-ZIP code basis, prices can vary wildly and it’s tiny, tony 91008 — located in Duarte, California — that tops the 2010 Forbes list of America’s Most Expensive ZIP Codes. Home to fewer than 1,400 residents of Los Angeles County, the ZIP code’s median home cost is $4,276,462.
By contrast, the median home cost across all of Duarte’s ZIP codes is just $358,454.
As listed by Forbes, America’s 10 most expensive ZIP codes are:
- Duarte, CA (91008) : $4,276,462
- Atherton, CA (94027) : $4,010,200
- Rolling Hills, CA (92074) : $3,892,456
- Alpine, NJ (07620) : $3,814,885
- New York, NY (10014) : $3,785,445
- Beverly Hills, CA (90210) : $3,684,150
- New York, NY (10065) : $3,626,001
- Belvedere (94920) : $3,283,269
- New York, NY (10012) : $3,221,371
- Santa Barbara (93108) : $3,151,220
The real estate market is a local one, as evidenced by the Forbes list. Even within large cities like New York, there are areas that stand out from the pack in terms of cost and affordability and the same is true for all cities.
Therefore, when you need local market data for Meadowville Landing , look past the “national statistics”. Talk to a real estate agent with local market knowledge instead. It’s the most reliable way to get data that matters.
25 Cities In Which To Get A Bang For Your Homebuying Buck
Home affordability is at an all-time high. Home values are still in recovery while mortgage rates continue to make new lows. But where are homes the most affordable?
CNNMoney.com recently ran a piece titled “Where Homes Are Affordable“, listing 25 communities around the U.S. in which median incomes are relatively high and median homes are relatively low. It’s a housing market “bank for your buck” list.
The top 10 cities as listed by the editors:
- Deerfield Beach, FL
- Lafayette, IN
- San Antonio, TX
- Deltona, FL
- Spring, TX
- Glendale, AZ
- Avondale, AZ
- Bolingbrook, IL
- Fishers, IN
- Des Moines, IA
Of the top 10, 2 picks are from the Southeast; 4 are from the Midwest; and 4 are from the Southwest. 2 are “major” cities and the rest are suburbs of bigger cities. Lafayette stands lone as a college town.
The rest of CNNMoney.com’s 25 cities follow a similar pattern — larger suburbs geographically concentrated in the Midwest and Southwest. Surprisingly, though, New Jersey and Virginia do find themselves represented. Even the expensive Eastern Seaboard has its good buys.
Relocate America’s Top 100 Places To Live (2010 Edition)
Relocate America recently released its 2010 list of Top 100 Places To Live In America. The rankings are topped by some cities you may expect, and some you may not.
According to Relocate America, the rankings highlight communities “moving in the right direction”, defined as having a combination of strong leadership, job opportunities, improving real estate markets, recreational options and a good quality of life.
It’s not a bad formula and topping the list of Top 100 Places To Live In America is Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville was chosen for its low levels of unemployment, stable housing stock, and low cost of living. Last year, Huntsville placed fifth on the Relocate America list.
The Top 10 cities in which to live, as selected by Relocate America are:
- Huntsville, AL
- Washington, DC
- Austin, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Antonio, TX
- Tulsa, OK
- Charlotte, NC
- Raleigh, NC
- Boulder, CO
- Minneapolis, MN
View the complete Top 100 Places To Live In America 2010 list at the Relocate America website.
Relocate America’s Top 100 Places To Live (2010 Edition)
Relocate America recently released its 2010 list of Top 100 Places To Live In America. The rankings are topped by some cities you may expect, and some you may not.
According to Relocate America, the rankings highlight communities “moving in the right direction”, defined as having a combination of strong leadership, job opportunities, improving real estate markets, recreational options and a good quality of life.
It’s not a bad formula and topping the list of Top 100 Places To Live In America is Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville was chosen for its low levels of unemployment, stable housing stock, and low cost of living. Last year, Huntsville placed fifth on the Relocate America list.
The Top 10 cities in which to live, as selected by Relocate America are:
- Huntsville, AL
- Washington, DC
- Austin, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Antonio, TX
- Tulsa, OK
- Charlotte, NC
- Raleigh, NC
- Boulder, CO
- Minneapolis, MN
View the complete Top 100 Places To Live In America 2010 list at the Relocate America website.