Markets

U.S. open in 56 hrs, 21 mins
DJIA
11,288.54
73.03
 
0.65%
NASDAQ
2,245.38
-6.08
 
0.27%
S&P 500
1,262.90
1.38
 
0.11%
10yr Note
99.125
-0.1562
 
0.16%
FTSE 100
5,412.80
-63.80
 
1.16%
Nikkei 225
13,237.89
-27.51
 
0.21%
Hang Seng
21,423.82
181.04
 
0.85%
Euro (in USD)
1.57
0.0008
 
0.05%
Yen (per USD)
106.75
-0.04
 
0.04%
Oil
145.29
1.72
 
1.20%
Gold
933.60
-12.90
 
1.36%
Get Quote for:
Symbol
Lookup

BUSINESS NEWS

INVESTING

PERSONAL FINANCE

SMALL BUSINESS

Charlotte Ascends as Top Place to Live

Relocate-America.com ranks top 100 cities in its annual list

By AMY HOAK,
Marketwatch.com
Filed Under: Mortgages, Retirement
CHICAGO (May 15) -- Apparently, there's just something about North Carolina. For the second year in a row, America's best city in which to live lies within its borders, according to Relocate-America.com's annual list.

Photo Gallery

Steve Ringman, Seattle Times / MCT

Top 100
Places to Live

1 of 28    

Relocate-America.com's annual rankings of the Top 100 Places to Live crowns a new winner in 2008, but many of its picks are returning champions.

10. Seattle, Wash.

This year, Charlotte, N.C., is in the top spot, the site announced this week. Last year's winner was Asheville, N.C., which slipped to No. 7 on this year's list.

"North Carolina is very active on our radar," said Steve Nickerson, president and CEO of HomeRoute. "It continues to get a flood of interest from all over."

HomeRoute is the real estate firm that operates Relocate-America.com, a source of community information and real-estate resources for those who are relocating. Each year, the site ranks the top 100 places to live in the country.

Areas need to be nominated on the site in order to be eligible for the list; more than 2,000 were nominated this year, Nickerson said. Special efforts are made to prevent spamming campaigns from influencing the results, he added.

More MarketWatch

More MarketWatch.com
But the site's editorial team also takes into account an area's growth, its educational and employment opportunities, crime rates and housing options before granting it a spot in the top 100. Environmental highlights also play a role, with a city gaining points for good air and water quality or the strength of its recycling efforts, Nickerson said.

Home-price appreciation does get some consideration, however it's only one piece of the analysis, Nickerson said -- explaining why some struggling real estate markets in California and Florida, for example, still made the top 100. Areas that offer a comfortable climate and economic opportunity tend to be the most sought-after communities on the site, he said. Charlotte's diversity of housing options and home affordability were two of the reasons users nominated the city, Nickerson said. The city's strong economy, boosted largely by the banking industry, was another selling point.

Second on this year's list was San Antonio, Texas, which people praised for its cost of living, recreational opportunities and diversity, he said. Chattanooga, Tenn., came in third place, noted for its vibrant downtown and affordable home prices in the nominations. Below are the top 10 cities in Relocate-America.com's 2008 list:

1. Charlotte, N.C.
2. San Antonio, Texas
3. Chattanooga, Tenn.
4. Greenville, S.C.
5. Tulsa, Okla.
6. Stevens Point, Wis.
7. Asheville, N.C.
8. Albuquerque, N.M.
9. Huntsville, Ala.
10. Seattle, Wash.


Read the full list at Relocate-America.com.

The firm also plans on releasing a coffee table book on the top 100 in the near future, Nickerson said. Proceeds will benefit American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, he added.

Amy Hoak is a MarketWatch reporter based in Chicago.

Bookmark:

Recent Comments

Post Your Own  
1 - 10 of 1182
1182 comments

Arthaoden 03:03:15 AM Jun 10 2008

Report This!

I was born and raised here in Asheville, N.C. which is only around 3 hours from Charlotte. My friends and I go to Charlotte often for the club scene, but most of the time we hit the mountain trails here at home. Asheville has a long list of "things to do,"but I know these mountains inside and out. Places deep into the forest that few people know of. One place I visit often is a place my grandpa liked to call Orchid Valley. When you reach the valley, there is an overwhelming aroma of the native Wild Mountain Orchid that cover the valley floor along with all kinds of other flowers, ferns and moss covered trees. I feel so proud that Asheville was last years winner and this year another beautiful city in North Carolina is taking the top spot.

MYRNADORIN 12:56:52 AM Jun 10 2008

Report This!

Who writes this stuff ? Charlotte is full of crime and bad air.

VISITOR123J 11:15:45 PM Jun 09 2008

Report This!

You have to add New York City to the list. It is one of the most amazing city's in the world and offers so much from the Arts to Dinning to trememdous job opportunity covering such a trememdous amount of business. Certainly it is very costly but to live their is amazing and for the younger crowd just a tremendou place to meet a broad range of people.

I Tool 10 10:56:59 PM Jun 09 2008

Report This!

Lets all move to MEXICO...alot of vacant towns there now.

AFEW24HOURS 09:54:30 PM Jun 09 2008