- Most Affordable Beach Towns – 2020 Edition
If you’re thinking about investing in a beach town property – whether to rent out or use as a vacation home for yourself – you might quickly realize that not every city by the ocean may be the right fit. With lots of factors to consider, such as mortgage payments, property taxes and amount of… read more…
- Where Women Are Buying Homes – 2020 Edition
About 1.25 million mortgages were approved for homebuyers without cosigners in 2018. Of those, roughly 500,000 were approved for women, and close to 750,000 were approved for men. Though nationally women’s approved mortgages made up only about two-thirds of men’s approved mortgages, women are buying more homes than men in some metro areas. In this study,… read more…
- Where the Housing Market Has Recovered the Most and the Least – 2020 Edition
U.S. home prices peaked in the years leading up to the Great Recession and fell dramatically when the housing bubble burst. In fact, national data from the House Price Index (HPI) shows that home prices dropped by 33% between April 2006 and March 2011. Though the economy has broadly recovered since then, home prices have not… read more…
- Where Are Millennials Buying Homes? – 2020 Edition
Census Bureau data from 2018 shows that millennials have a homeownership rate of 33.7%, well below the national average of almost 64%. Though the national rate of millennial homeownership is low, some cities have much higher rates of millennial homeownership that come closer to the national average. In this study, we looked at where millennials are… read more…
- Best Places to Work in Manufacturing – 2019 Edition
Finding steady income in a reliable sector is an important consideration for where Americans decide to put down roots and take out a mortgage. The manufacturing industry, one such robust sector, accounts for 8% of the U.S. workforce. Those 12.8 million employees are scattered nationwide, the percentage of the local workforce consisting of manufacturing workers… read more…
- What Are Rent-to-Own Homes?
Owning a home is an important goal for many people. But with mortgage, downpayment and credit requirements, many can’t yet afford to buy as soon as they’d like. For some in this situation, rent-to-own homes are an attractive option. It… read more…
- Most Livable Cities in the U.S. – 2019 Edition
When choosing where in the U.S. to settle down and take out a mortgage, people consider a variety of factors like housing costs, cost of living, safety and dining and entertainment options. It is possible to measure livability by evaluating how cities rank on these fronts. Since U.S. city environments can vary drastically, SmartAsset ran… read more…
- Most Livable Places to Impact the 2020 Election
December 4, 2019 – As the 2020 presidential race heats up, it’s important to remember there are significant political contests within the legislative branch, along with state and local elections, that can impact the political future of the U.S. For those who are most passionate about making an impact, voting in swing districts could be… read more…
- Top Boomtowns in America – 2019 Edition
Boomtowns, characterized by prosperity and robust development, are often desirable places to put down roots and take out a mortgage. Economic growth provides employment opportunities and draws new residents. Some places, however, are growing faster than others. That’s why SmartAsset decided to find the cities in America where populations and job opportunities are rising rapidly. In… read more…
- Places Where Families Are Having More Children – 2019 Edition
Raising children requires substantial financial preparedness. One’s ability to save enough to house and support a growing family can depend on a variety of factors. Residents in some locations, however, are having more kids than in others. That’s why SmartAsset analyzed the data to uncover the places across the 100 largest U.S. cities where families… read more…
- Where the Average Household Can Afford the Most and Least Home – 2019 Edition
In 2018, the median household income in the U.S. was $61,937 while the median home value was $229,700. But because median household incomes and home values differ greatly by place, home affordability can vary drastically. With this in mind, SmartAsset decided to take a closer look at home affordability in the U.S. To find where… read more…
- Safest Cities in America – 2019 Edition
Safety is often at the top of most people’s list when they’re picking a place to live. Choosing the right city allows them the peace of mind to work and raise a family. Given those considerations, SmartAsset decided to find the safest cities in America. In order to uncover the safest cities in the U.S.,… read more…
- Best States for the Middle Class – 2019 Edition
The middle class is feeling the squeeze, as financial gains for this cohort have not kept pace with those of upper-income households. The median income of upper-income households in 1970 was 2.2 times the income of middle-income households, but by 2016, that ratio had increased to 2.4, according to Pew Research Center. Middle class families, who… read more…
- Best Places to Work for a Nonprofit – 2019 Edition
According to a recent report from the National Council of Nonprofits, U.S. nonprofits employ more than 10% of the total private workforce in the U.S., a higher percentage than in many other industries, including construction, transportation and finance. All told, of the 122 million workers employed by private establishments in America in 2017, almost 12.5… read more…
- States With the Best Infrastructure – 2019 Edition
Lack of investment in infrastructure within a state can have tangible effects on its residents’ finances. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2016 report “Failure to Act” quantifies these effects, stating that on a national level, American families lose $3,400 in disposable income every year – $9 a day – due to infrastructure deficiencies, which… read more…
- Best Places to Trick-or-Treat in 2019
As soon as the air turns crisp and the leaves start to change color, trick-or-treaters all over America start to count down to Halloween. They look forward to donning inventive costumes and hitting the streets, and the experience is all the more exciting when the houses they’re visiting are prepared to reward them with candy.… read more…
- States Leading the Charge on Renewable Energy – 2019 Edition
State energy efficiency and renewable energy programs may produce significant benefits for residents including lower fuel and electricity costs, increased grid reliability, better air quality and more job opportunities, according to a 2018 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report called “Quantifying the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.” Some states have transitioned to clean energy… read more…
- Best Cities for Diversity in STEM – 2019 Edition
Jobs in STEM fields – related to science, technology, engineering and math – are among the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs in America. But there remains tremendous inequality in the field along racial and gender lines, which can affect where potential employees can choose to relocate. Some cities are doing better than others when it comes… read more…
- Best School Districts to Buy an Affordable Home – 2019 Edition
High-performing public schools and robust public education spending are often correlated with high home values. According to a 2002 report published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), “Using Market Valuation to Assess Public School Spending,” every dollar spent on public schools in a community increases home values by $20. While the three factors… read more…
- Where It Takes the Least Time for Renters to Become Homeowners – 2019 Edition
The cost differential between renting and buying varies by the amount of time a person expects to stay in a home. Accounting for location, monthly rent and a target home price, SmartAsset’s rent vs. buy calculator determines the amount of time for which buying a home makes more sense than renting. Of course, the amount of… read more…
- Occupations Where Location Matters Most for Pay – 2019 Edition
People working in the same profession can have vastly different incomes, often related to where they live. After all the cost of living in a place can have a significant impact on pay. Waiters and waitresses, for example, may be paid more in New York, New York than they are in Minneapolis, Minnesota simply because… read more…
- Where It Pays Off to Negotiate on Home Price – 2019 Edition
A good deal can make a significant difference for any purchase you make, but especially when you’re investing your hard-earned money in property like a home. As a result, it’s important not to overlook the fact that the asking price is negotiable – it could save you hundreds or thousands down the line that you… read more…
- The Best States to Be a Family Doctor – 2019 Edition
Family and general practitioners cover the primary care needs of many people in the U.S. and generally serve as the first point of contact for patients seeking medical help. While family and general practitioners focus on a wide range of preventative health measures such as healthy eating and regular exercise, they also diagnose and treat… read more…
- Cheapest States to Buy a Home
Putting money down for a mortgage on a home is a great investment for many Americans. Sometimes, of course, the daunting up-front costs might deter potential buyers from taking the leap altogether, and that can leave them wondering where it’s possible to purchase a home with less cash up front. SmartAsset ran the numbers to… read more…
- Cities Where It’s Getting Easier For Renters to Save – 2019 Edition
Taxes and rent are unavoidable expenses for those who don’t own their home, and though there are other necessities like food, that category and others allow for more flexibility in how consumers budget. For renters, the yearly fixed cost of taxes and rent can greatly affect how much money they have left over to spend… read more…