Homeowners in the Great Plains and Western states have the most satisfactory living conditions in the country, while some Midwestern and East Coast denizens rank their locales among the worst places to own a home, according to a recent survey conducted jointly by Porch and Redfin.
The companies conducted the survey, “The Best Places in America to Own a Home,” this summer. They asked about 10,000 homeowners to rank their location based on several factors:
- Commute
- Tax fairness
- Walkability
- Healthy living
- Climate
- Real estate confidence
- Educational opportunity
- Resident satisfaction
- Economic opportunity
- Security and safety
Results were analyzed at national, state and city levels.
States ranking highest overall were Utah, Minnesota, Washington, Colorado and Nevada. Ranking lowest in terms of overall satisfaction were homeowners in West Virginia, Maine, Arkansas, Mississippi and New Mexico.
Taking a look at responses at the national level, the survey concluded that homeowners in these states were generally very happy with the resident satisfaction, health and safety of where they live, and generally satisfied with their climate, economics and real estate opportunities. However, they had a mixed opinion about their commute, education and taxes, and across the nation, walkability needs improvement. And although some homeowners said they were satisfied with the safety of their neighborhoods, they indicated they are still somewhat concerned about petty crime.
Cities receiving the highest overall marks were:
- Denver
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Washington, D.C.
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Rochester, N.Y.
Cities with the lowest overall scores were:
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Worcester, Massachusetts
- Two Ohio cities, Toledo and Akron
Homeowner satisfaction at the city level was comparable to that at the national level. Climate, education, real estate, commute, safety and healthiness all received fairly positive responses across all cities.
Large cities like Los Angeles and New York ranked most walkable. Smaller cities in large, metropolitan areas like Boston and Philadelphia ranked low in terms of economics. Homeowners in larger cities, particularly in the Northeast, Midwest and California said their taxes are unfair.