{"id":706,"date":"2022-07-21T02:23:43","date_gmt":"2022-07-21T02:23:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/21\/americas-best-place-to-live-is-shockingly-affordable-and-offers-a-few-fun-surprises-for-free\/"},"modified":"2022-07-21T02:23:43","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T02:23:43","slug":"americas-best-place-to-live-is-shockingly-affordable-and-offers-a-few-fun-surprises-for-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/21\/americas-best-place-to-live-is-shockingly-affordable-and-offers-a-few-fun-surprises-for-free\/","title":{"rendered":"America\u2019s Best Place To Live Is Shockingly Affordable\u2014and Offers a Few Fun Surprises for Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Realtor.com \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

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With home prices still skyrocketing<\/a> (currently hovering at a national median of $450,000), everyone\u2019s wondering whether there\u2019s any<\/em> halfway decent place where they can live that won\u2019t break the bank\u2014and a new report reveals some surprising areas to consider.<\/p>\n

According to Livability\u2019s annual list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live<\/a> in the U.S. right now, the top spot is a bit of a shocker: Madison, WI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The researchers at Livability came up with their rankings by sizing up 2,300 small and midsized cities (defined by populations of 500,000 or less), comparing 50 factors across eight different categories, including economics, housing, transportation, infrastructure, education, and health care.<\/p>\n

The results celebrate \u201cthe amazing small and midsized communities across the U.S.\u2014the ones who really shine when it comes to offering affordability alongside amenities and opportunity,\u201d according to Livability\u2019s editor, Amanda Ellis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Why Madison was ranked the best place to live<\/h2>\n

The State Street Pedestrian Mall in Madison, WI.<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

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While Madison might not immediately come to mind as an ideal place to settle down, this choice makes more sense when you consider how Americans prioritize affordability now more than ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs remote work trends continue and affordability becomes more elusive amidst high inflation, people are thinking about where their money goes the farthest,\u201d Ellis explains.<\/p>\n

In Madison, the median home price hovers at $416,000, well below the national median. Plus, this city boasts a healthy roster of cultural events residents can attend for free\u2014including a zoo, rooftop concerts, botanical gardens, and much more.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, plus two lakes surrounding the city perfect for canoeing and other water sports. It\u2019s all gratis, provided you have the equipment!<\/p>\n

In addition to Madison, the entire Midwest region was awarded with eight<\/em> cities in the top 10.<\/p>\n

One huge downside to these \u2018livable\u2019 cities<\/h2>\n

A typical winter scene in Madison, WI.<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Yet some experts point to one huge oversight in these rankings: the weather.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese Midwestern states see a lot of snow in the winter, whereas here in the Southeast, people are flocking to escape it,\u201d says Damian Hall<\/strong>, a real estate agent with The Damian Hall Group<\/a> in Greenville, SC.<\/p>\n

Tony Mariotti<\/strong>, a real estate agent and founder of RubyHome<\/a> in Los Angeles, agrees that snow and ice are important to many.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf weather were a factor in their algorithm, it would have moved the rankings considerably,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n

Still, if you don\u2019t mind or even enjoy some snowy weather come winter, then these cities could be the bargain home shopping destination you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a rundown of Livability\u2019s top 10 most livable cities, plus the median home price for that area. (Median listing prices are from Realtor.com\u00ae<\/a> in June, including the metro level and surrounding areas.)<\/p>\n

America\u2019s top 10 places to live in 2022<\/h2>\n

Madison, WI<\/a>: $416,000
\nAnn Arbor, MI<\/a>: $449,888
\nRochester, MN<\/a>: $379,900
\nNaperville, IL<\/a>: $365,000
\nOverland Park, KS<\/a>: $399,945 (based on nearby Kansas City, KS)
\nMinneapolis, MN<\/a>: $419,950
\nFishers, IN<\/a>: $319,900 (based on nearby Indianapolis)
\nSalt Lake City, UT<\/a>:\u00a0$632,000
\nPittsburgh, PA<\/a>: $240,000
\nCarmel, IN<\/a>: $319,900 (based on nearby Indianapolis)<\/p>\n

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Watch: Relax for Less: The 10 Most Affordable U.S. Beach Towns for Homebuyers<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The post America\u2019s Best Place To Live Is Shockingly Affordable\u2014and Offers a Few Fun Surprises for Free<\/a> appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com\u00ae<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Realtor.com \/ Getty Images With home prices still skyrocketing (currently hovering at a national median of $450,000), everyone\u2019s wondering whether there\u2019s any halfway decent place where they can live that won\u2019t break the bank\u2014and a new report reveals some surprising areas to consider. According to Livability\u2019s annual list of the Top 100 Best Places to…Read More→<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/706\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/billingsrealtybrokers.paradiseinnovations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}