"Owning a home is the goal for many, but sometimes, it's smarter financially to rent. Plus, without being tied down by a mortgage, renters have the flexibility to decide where to live every 12 months. Apartment search website RentCafe analyzed 149 metropolitan areas with at least 300,000 residents to make that decision easier. The site factored in 17 metrics across three key categories - location and community, quality of life, and socioeconomics - to rank which metros were the most livable."
"Last year's first-place finisher, Portland, Maine, dropped a spot this year but still ranks high for location and community, as well as quality of life. The nation's capital overtook Portland, Maine, for the top spot after climbing from seventh the previous year. Washington, DC, ranked toward the bottom in the socioeconomic category (weighted 20%), due to its high cost of living, but first in both location and community and quality of life (weighted 40% each)."
"The South, which has gained a reputation for convincing Northerners to switch teams, has tapered off in popularity, with only one Southern metropolitan area making the top 10, while the Midwest edged out other regions with the most metros on the list. No state had multiple entries in the top 10."
Renters can gain financial advantages and annual location flexibility compared with homeownership. RentCafe evaluated 149 metropolitan areas of at least 300,000 residents using 17 metrics across location and community, quality of life, and socioeconomics. Washington, DC climbed to first place from seventh, while Portland, Maine slipped to second but remained strong in location and quality-of-life metrics. The Midwest supplied the most entries in the top 10, and the South produced only one top-10 metro. No state had more than one top-10 entry. Washington led location, community, and quality-of-life scores but ranked low in socioeconomic measures due to high costs.
Read at Business Insider
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