New Ranking Measures Cool Quotient of Affordable 'Kindred Cities'

Empty nesters, millennials, professionals, and many more potential homebuyers are seeking out the personality and activity of vibrant urban areas. However, the cost of housing in cities like San Francisco, Denver, and New York City can be economically exclusive.

Realtor.com has introduced Metro Matchups™, matching such meccas with affordable counterparts that offer similar, crucial features like job type, nightlife, and weather, using data statistics from Realtor.com, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Nielsen, Google Trends, and Yelp.com.

... We limited our ranking to the 150 largest metros. All have median home prices below $350,000, plenty of gigs, and some ethnic diversity. We factored in housing stock, occupations, weather, nightlife, and a whole host of other criteria that help define an urban center's unique personality:

Percentage of stand-alone, single-family homes, condos, townhouses, and co-ops listed on realtor.com
Average days of sunshine per year
Restaurants per capita
Number of pro and amateur sports teams

PB Topical Ref

Market Data + Trends

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