Posted on 05/17/2022 10:49:41 AM PDT by simpson96
To some, Huntsville, Alabama, may seem an unlikely metro area to beat out 149 others in the U.S. News Best Places to Live ranking. With a population of less than 500,000, it's smaller than a significant portion of places on the list and it’s off the beaten path when it comes to vacation destinations or typical spots people consider when moving to a new part of the country.
But this northern Alabama metro area offers the affordability and quality of life that people seem to be craving after years of a pandemic that forced them to stay home, opened up opportunities to work from home permanently and urged many people to consider their top priorities in a place to live.
Huntsville ranks as the No. 1 metro area in the Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2022-23 rankings, unseating Boulder, Colorado, after two years at the top. The Best Places to Live rankings are determined by factoring in housing affordability, the job market, net migration, desirability and quality of life, which includes crime rate, college readiness among high school students, overall well-being among residents, average commute time, access to quality health care and air quality. With particularly high scores in housing affordability and quality of life, Huntsville took the top spot.
Whether you’re a Huntsville resident, considering a move to the area or wondering if you should include Huntsville in your list of potential hometowns, we’re breaking down what makes Huntsville the Best Place to Live in 2022-23, why it beats out other places and what downsides you may need to compromise on.
Affording Huntsville Is Easy
In a national housing market where home prices are rising fast and buyers are frequently outbid as they compete to purchase a house, starting at a lower price threshold helps – and that’s what you’ll find in the Huntsville market.
Huntsville metro area residents spend 20.12% of the area’s median annual household income on housing costs, including mortgage payments, rent, property taxes and utilities. That makes it the third-most affordable place to live out of the 150 metro areas in the Best Places to Live ranking.
Excellent! Everybody go there. Stay out of Idaho, Wyoming, Utah.... those places really really suck. It’s much safer and better for you in Huntsville.
So she met Doctor Von Braun? Better than my almost literally running into Hillary at the Arthur Avenue Italian Market?
Huntsville,,,?
I picked Prescott AZ.
I’m good.
I picked Prescott Valley so I’m good here too. This area is the land of God, guns, cars, and dogs.
New Madrid fault is nowhere near Huntsville. You are probably thinking of Memphis.
“Huntsville ranks as the No. 1 metro area in the Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2022-23 rankings, unseating Boulder, Colorado, after two years at the top.”
Boulder is without question one of the WORST places to live and has been for decades.
The fact that San Jose, CA placed 5th on this list discredits all of it for me. San Jose? It’s a high-priced armpit. AND it’s in California. Lose-lose.
“Prescott AZ is a good one.”
Unfortunately the Californians think so. It’s getting like driving in Phoenix on small streets. Those dumb asses are everywhere.
And, I bet I have more friends in that area than I do here.
I lived up in Blue Hills when PV was a wide spot in the road.
Unfortunately, they know about Huntsville now. Expect it to take a rapid dive.
A ginormous amount of federal employees are in the process of or are planning on moving to the area in the very near future. Thus rendering the place not so good as taxes and home prices go through the roof.
It’s coming and, unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much anyone can do anything about it. They’ve destroyed Greenville, SC among other places.
They’re gonna come in and pay anyone whatever they want for their homes. If not, then they wait until a person’s property taxes get so high, that they’re forced to sell. Happens everywhere because local and state politicians are promised the world from businesses and all the jobs that are going to come. More tax money. That’s all the see.
I grew up in the 60’s/70’s in north GA and Huntsville was part of my ‘stompin ground’. I have been back a few times in the last few years for family visits. I enjoy it but I must admit I must have had a higher tolerance for all the chiggers and ticks and other insects that latch onto you in the woods back then. I have gotten really accustomed to higher altitudes in the Rockies where the cooler climates keep the bugs down, mostly.
Good luck with that. Curse of the best place to live in America lists. It’s all down hill from here. ;-)
Space-age-type engineers and brainiacs with big bucks are moving from all over the country into this town....in droves....and if you live there and want to sell your home, you can get a price you never would have dreamed of before.
Lots of Huntsville folks are selling their homes for a ton of money..... and they are moving or planning to move to my state of Florida.
Thank goodness they're mostly conservatives, LOL.
I have relatives who live in Huntsville, so I know whereof I speaketh.
Leni
How about Prescott, WI?
We’re full.
What is the cost of living like?
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