So, what are the most expensive cities in the U.S. and what makes them so appealing despite their price tag? Whether youre in the market for a house in one of these expensive cities or opting for somewhere more affordable. IT IS NOT easy living in New York. We ranked the 37 largest U.S. cities based on 2021 single-year census estimates that covered how homeowners valued their homes and what their monthly housing costs were including spending on mortgages, rent, real estate taxes, property insurance, utilities and other recurring housing expenses. New York has always been expensive, but in 2022 it became the joint-most expensive city in the worldalongside Singaporeaccording to a survey by EIU, our sister company. Others try to add in cost-of-living factors, like groceries and gas. Compared to some of the other cities on this list, thats downright affordable! 1. the 2017-2021 American Community Survey for the 49 places in North Dakota with more than 1,000 people. Still, the dollar has weighed on each of these, too. With a strong Latin influence that can be found across the city in its architecture, cuisine and music, Miami is truly a one-of-a-kind destination. Cost of living in Brisbane is 8% OP-ED: CRA finds more problems with Trudeau government COVID response. Ready to take the next step toward homeownership? Boston is also considered one of the best places to raise a family, with top-ranking health care institutions nearby and local schools spending approximately $10,000 more per student than the U.S. average. But if you can happen upon affordable housing, the cost of utilities in Los Angeles is actually 6.3% lower than average. Not only are you expected to share the city with swarms of tourists, trash and rats; you have to pay through the nose for that privilege. Interestingly,Vancouverhad the "eight-most expensive cost of monthly rent," placing it behind most of the cities on the list. Home Buying - 8-minute read, Mary Grace Schmid - February 27, 2023. The story on Americas west coast is similar: Los Angeles shares the fourth spot with Hong Kong. There are currently zero listings for single detached homes under $500,000, unless, of course, you want to consider something on the outskirts, like this boat docked at the Bluffs for $339k. Factors other than housing costs (like the pandemic, the increasing popularity of remote work and other costs of living) may also be behind these population shifts. In this environment, ConsumerAffairs wanted to figure out which cities have the highest housing costs. 1. It should be noted that the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro Surprisingly, not this one. Magnolia. Known for its moderate climate and palm-tree lined beaches, San Diego is considered the birthplace of California, founded in 1769. Choosing where to live with your family is an emotional decision, but weve assembled the numbers that can help you find the best places to raise a family. Individual scores for the two factors we analyzed are calculated in terms of a z-score. Housing prices reached new highs this year, with the average price rising 31.6% from March 2020 to March 2021. Hong Kong. New York City metro residents had little intention to leave despite the areas high housing costs, and Detroit (the most affordable city in our ranking of housing costs) had metro residents that were more motivated to leave than those in half of the other areas we had data for. All rights reserved. In fact, 9/10 city residents live within a half-mile of a park, according to Curbed. Denvers median home value ($541,500) is over $144,000 lower than New Yorks, and its median for real estate taxes paid ($2,383) is less than half of New Yorks exceptionally high median tax bill. The San Jose metro population came in third place. And though San Diego is certainly still an expensive place to live with a cost of living 60% higher than the national average its a more affordable option for California city living when compared with others on this list, like San Francisco and Los Angeles. Vancity has been voted the most unaffordable city in all of North America, according to the latest Housing Affordability Indices published by Oxford Economics. San Jose also has the second-highest median real estate taxes paid ($8,477) of any city in our analysis. Wear OS by Google and Google Play are trademarks of Google LLC. With four Canadian cities sitting on this undesirable top ten list, it comes as no surprise that Oxford Economics revealed Canada's housing market is less affordable than the U.S. (and they expect it to get much worse, especially with Canada's higher mortgage rates.). 4. Those data points, combined with its median home value of $1,119,500 (second only to San Francisco), make it the nations most expensive city for housing. We value your privacy. Housing costs have been rising historically fast. The EIUs cost of living index ranks 172 cities around the world, measured in local currencies. All rights reserved. ConsumerAffairs used data from the U.S. Census Bureaus American Community Survey (ACS) to determine the most expensive cities nationwide. In fact, 9/10 city residents live within a half-mile of a park, according to, Though cheaper than the nearby city of San Francisco, San Jose still has a cost of living that is 114.5% higher than the national average though its important to note that the median household income is also higher. (And other communities in their metropolitan areas took up 10 more of the top 15 spots.). Cost of living in Madrid is 153% more expensive than in Buenos Aires. Housing is the costliest expense in Seattle, with housing within city limits costing 209% more than the national average and nearly 145% more than the rest of the state of Washington. Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) 2. Photo via Vladimir Vladimirov/E+/Getty Images. But when youre choosing a location for yourself or your family to settle down, its important to avoid being blinded by the city lights. If a sign-in page does not automatically pop up in a new tab, click here. Condo rental rates have NMLS #3030. (You can unsubscribe anytime). Narcity Media Inc. Our Housing Affordability Indices show affordability deteriorated in nearly all US and Canadian metros in Q2 2021. Ranked by U.S. News as the 7th best place to live for quality of life, living in Boston may appeal to history buffs looking to explore one of the best historical cities in America, scholars looking to study at one of the dozens of colleges and universities scattered across the city or even sports fans looking to experience the oldest ballpark in the league, Fenway Park. Only one Canadian city beat out Vancouver for its high cost of living: Mississauga, Ontario. This week, however, Vancouver has taken the No. California: Do Not Sell My Personal Information, These countries could lure manufacturing away from China, Thailand was EIUs most improved democracy of 2022, A WHO report shows that pregnancy is killing 800 women a day. 6. The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission. Based on the 2021 census, Mississauga was ranked Canadas seventh-largest city based on population. Based on this new data, Seattle and Dallas metro residents were tied for first place as the most likely to report intentions to leave their cities for somewhere else. When the U.S. Census Bureau ranked the 15 cities with the fastest population declines one year into the coronavirus pandemic, four of our top 10 most expensive cities made their list. May 22, 2021. But its not actually something to brag about. Whether youre in the market for a house in one of these expensive cities or opting for somewhere more affordable, apply for a mortgage with Rocket Mortgage today to begin browsing homes! Further north up Interstate 5, the city of San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area offers its own unique environment where city living meets coastal charm. Though cheaper than the nearby city of San Francisco, San Jose still has a cost of living that is 114.5% higher than the national average though its important to note that the median household income is also higher. They have risen by 42, 28 and 39 places, respectively, on the global index. If youre a current client or looking to buy a home or refinance in the U.S., stay on Rocket Mortgage. Our consistent, cross-country framework points to more rapidly worsening affordability in Canada than in the U.S., the study found. The number was up 66.25% from 2021. These z-scores are then clipped from -3 to 3 and weighted so that monthly housing costs count three times as much as property values. Each company is a separate legal entity operated and managed through its own management and governance structure as required by its state of incorporation and applicable legal and regulatory requirements. For example, because groceries have to be shipped from the mainland to Hawaii, grocery costs will run you about 38.9% more the national average. Instead, using the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureaus American Community Survey, we ranked major U.S. cities based on how much residents spend each month on housing (whether they own or rent their homes) and how highproperties are valued overall. A study ranks North America's most expensive cities in 2022. Below, Newsweek takes a tour of the most expensive properties available through high-end realtor Sotheby's. The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies reported that typical asking rents in September 2021 were up 11% over the previous year. 1 spot between the two. Of these, the five priciest were all in the United States. Youll pay a price for all these perks though, with a cost of living 169.3% higher than the norm and housing alone costing nearly five times more than the national average. And globally, it is sandwiched between Stockholm and Busan, in South Korea, while still offering a standard of living comparable to any major city (see our chart of the most liveable cities in North America). Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from True North. According to the study, housing in Canada was 34% more expensive than the median-income household could afford. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. San Jose, California, Its biggest industries are technology Heres the full list of every metropolitan area the Census provided this data for, ranked from most likely to least likely to have residents planning to leave: *We calculated an intent-to-leave score based on the number of residents who responded that they planned or thought about moving somewhere else divided by the number of residents who said they either had no plans to move or planned to move within their metropolitan area. Singapore 8. Toronto, Vancouver and Hamilton now rank among North Americas most expensive cities according to a new report by Oxford Economics. A quick search on a real estate listings website will reveal some over-the-top homes, like this eight-bedroom heritage mansion in Shaughnessy for $17 million, or this contemporary seaside residence with four terraces in Point Grey for $15 million. Two other Canadian cities, Hamilton and Toronto, ranked fourth and fifth most expensive, respectively. Unsubscribe easily. Home Buying - 7-minute read, Sidney Richardson - February 17, 2023. Well start sending you the news you need delivered straight to you. "These numbers, compared to an average monthly salary of just $3,202.30 (the fourth lowest after Hamilton, Montreal and Winnipeg), make this city an expensive one in terms of lifestyle, with the eight items measured equating to 56.4% of their monthly income," states PolicyAdvisor. Santa Monica is home to the most expensive average two-bedroom rent in the nation. However, because Los Angeles residents have a median household income almost $40,000 lower thanSeattle's, LA has the highest monthly housing costs relative to income of any city in our top 10. In total, 14 of the 15 fastest-declining town or city populations in the U.S. were in or around the 10 most expensive cities for housing. Here's a look at the most affordable cities in North Carolina according to the data: Newton; Sawmills; Trinity; For more North Carolina reading, check out: Best Places To Live In