Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
I know many people don't put much faith in "best city" studies, but cities that keep ending up on the top of lists are there for a reason. What are your thoughts on this study by Wallet Hub ranking 2018 Happiest Cities?
Interesting to note, two of the top ten cities where in North Dakota, two of top ten in Texas and four of the top ten were in California. Sioux Falls, SD was number seven on the list. They weighted in three major categories:
Emotional and physical well being
Income and employment
Community and environment
I think these lists have value as cities try to attract businesses and residents. Not that anyone moves only because of a list, but it is a "feather in the cap" for a city. It is an interesting mixture of different size cities, different weather and different wealth levels.
Wholesaler · Racine, WI · Member since 2015 · 143 posts · 84 votes
8y
Milwaukee residents start wearing shorts when the temperatures go above 30.
Maybe this isn't universal, but I've heard people refer to Milwaukee as the Portland, Oregon of the midwest. The city is not without its problems, but it is an interesting place nonetheless.
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
8y
AS usual every one fly's right over Portlandia ... LOL
@Joe Splitrock one just needs to look at the demographics in Fremont to understand the divorce rate.. that demographic does not divorce like others.
and what about Vegas every one Is having a blast on the plane flying in.. Not so much on the return though LOL...
being fairly well travelled myself.. I think best weather hands down I Palo Alto to Cupertino area.
Napa not to far behind when your about mid valley in St. Helena.
And of course central CA along hwy 101 Is pretty nice for weather vineyards low crime etc. Santa Barbara.
In portlandia number one in migration of course is from CA.. number two tho is upper mid west.. folks move here and rave about the weather.. being so warm in the winter etc.. ME I hate the winter weather.. but then again I have never lived year round in the upper mid west..
I don't know how Bismark got on there I have flown my plane in there a few times on gas stops not sure on that one.. other than maybe economics.
Any way these are always fun to have those defend their home turf.. there is good in and bad in all no place is perfect..
Real Estate Agent/Property Management · Houston, TX · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 827 votes
8y
My career has taken me all around the country. Of all the places I have lived, I was happiest in:
Alameda, CA. It's a smallish city across the bay from SF. It's an island because they literally dug a channel about 100 years ago to separate themselves from Oakland.
Oakmont, PA. It's a small historic town along the river about 15 miles northeast of downtown Pittsburgh.
When I was younger, I was always a bright lights/big city kind of guy. But as I've grown older I'm really seeing the appeal of small-town life.
Investor · Milwaukee - Mequon, WI · Member since 2010 · 5k+ posts · 7k+ votes
8y
I have to agree with Merritt - fresh water and moderate climate are going to be increasingly important. Seems like Milwaukee is actually benefitting from the climate change, our winters are not what they used to be. I needed the snow blower all but 4 times the whole winter and today we have 55F and sun. Not bad for mid March.
Never trust a statistic you have not faked yourself. While Austin has grown 400% in the last years and Milwaukee was definitley not the place to be in the 80s and 90s, we are seeing some completely unpresedented growth in Milwaukee in the last 3-5 years and still gaining momentum. Markets that soar high tend to drop deep. I will never forget Las Vegas in 2009..
In summary, of course there is no single best market, there are too many great markets to count for various reasons (depends on what is important to you) - by default I would always say the more local to your home you can stay the better.
Milwaukee is a moderate climate? The reality is our life span is but a blip in time and we can't predict the climate tomorrow much less way in to the future. Next winter can just as soon be bitter cold.
It is a fact that the population of the south is growing and the north is declining
Never meant for my comment to be a Milwaukee/Austin debate. The article was happiest cities. None of these articles in anyway determine how I invest. Nor do I even pay attention to national trends or metrics.
Your making my point for me. They live up north but escape for the winter ! My original comment was about the winters in the north which I appreciate that we are now in agreement
Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota and Alaska also have no state income tax. Why aren't the masses flocking there to retire ?
One can look at it the other way - they want to live in the south but they can't stand the weather and live in the north for 3/4 of the year! Either way - they spend 3/4 of their time in the north - clear where they would rather be.
WA - VERY high cost of living
WY - "north" country / wild wild west
SD - What does that state have to offer?
AK - Complete darkness half the year
If you get outside of your globe and set aside Texas pride (I mean you should be your own country correct??) it is easy to realize that people have different cares and values and chose to live wherever they want or where they are stuck. Your comment about other states in the north is stupid. Under the same logic - more people live outside of TX than inside the state = Texas sucks.
Again, you have confirmed my "stupid" original comment that "it's hard to be happy on the north in the dead of winter " as clearly you acknowledge people leave the north during winter to head south 1/4 of the year. Obviously winter doesn't make them "happy" !!! Hint: that was the crux of the discussion
Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
8y
@John Woodrich and @Greg H. I didn't expect so much bashing on other peoples cities and states - or a warm versus cold climate debate.
I only copied over the top 20, but Austin came in 21 on the list so pretty high ranking too. I have been in Austin many times and it is a nice city. Lots to offer beyond the weather, but some people would consider high housing prices and explosive population a negative, therefore negatively affecting happiness.
I agree that warm weather is generally a positive, although change of seasons can add to happiness too. Anyone living up north can tell you, there is nothing more joyful than a beautiful spring day as you exit winter. Also there are many things to do in the winter. Taking my child snow sledding or ice skating on a cold sunny day makes for amazing memories. As a child growing up near St. Paul, I played outside for hours in the winter. I played hockey or broom ball with friends at the local rink. I snow skied all through my teen years. Friends had ice houses on the lake and other friends had snow mobiles, so there was always lots to do. In the summer we went out on the lake, went to a cabin or went camping.
If happiness was only weather related, everyone would live in Hawaii. Last time I was in Hawaii, I asked a waitress what it was like to live in paradise. She told me, "I need to work three jobs to afford to live here, so I never get a chance to enjoy it."
Ultimately there are many factors that go into happiness and everyone has different things they find important.
Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
8y
Thanks for the list, Joe.
We can either look and get butt hurt our town isn't on the list, argue whose sandbox is better or approach it with curiosity and learn about other places.
I used it as a learning tool. Fun to learn about other places. If anyone's curious, central WA isn't on there for a reason. It's absolutely intolerable.
We can either look and get butt hurt our town isn't on the list, argue whose sandbox is better or approach it with curiosity and learn about other places.
I used it as a learning tool. Fun to learn about other places. If anyone's curious, central WA isn't on there for a reason. It's absolutely intolerable.
Probably another reason too. The study only looked at the 180 largest cities. In states that didn't have two of the 180 largest cities, they took that states two largest cities. As a result, there are lots of great cities that were left out of the study all together.
We can either look and get butt hurt our town isn't on the list, argue whose sandbox is better or approach it with curiosity and learn about other places.
I used it as a learning tool. Fun to learn about other places. If anyone's curious, central WA isn't on there for a reason. It's absolutely intolerable.
Probably another reason too. The study only looked at the 180 largest cities. In states that didn't have two of the 180 largest cities, they took that states two largest cities. As a result, there are lots of great cities that were left out of the study all together.
Sure. Just glancing at the list shows it considered larger populations only. I would't consider our town a 'city' at all. Smaller towns are usually outlined in magazines like Sunset. "20 best small towns of the West (or Midwest, North, south..)
I disagree with a few I've been to as being 'happy'. If a 'spandex warrior' has ever ran your son off the bridge shoulder cursing because he was in a hurry and getting his cardio on, you wouldn't consider it as happy experience either. Then you go to the beach and road warrior rage is famous, you really wouldn't. I guess I'd be unhappy too if I had to earn $400k a year there just to get by... Then some tourist kid has the gall to be site-seeing while you get your 20 minute break from your 14 hr days.
While I appreciate y'alls passion about your communities, the numbers don't lie. My post was more tongue in cheek but here you go
Merrit- Since 1970, the population of Milwaukee is down 20% while Austin is approaching a gain of 400%. Most northern metropolitan cities would reflect similar numbers
The "crappy" houses in Austin could be bought for 100K or so when I got into the business in 1989. Those same houses would be $1-2 million today
The heat? We average approx 16 days above 100 degrees. I can eat outdoors at a restaurant probably 300 days a year listening to live music on the patio. I will open my pool in a couple of weeks and be able to swim until late September. I can play golf year around. The only days I "hide" in my house is when the temp gets in the 30s
Austin literally has a festival every weekend. We are heading down to SXSW this afternoon and will enjoy temps in the low 80s.
John- The temp never approaches 120 degrees
My wife and I travel extensively and to a person have never had anyone say a negative word about Austin(Except traffic)
I wasn't trying to say where I live has anything to do with the list. Where I live is not on either. I was simply saying that you can completely different answers to the questions and the "happiest cities" had nothing to do with another list published as "best places to live."
While I appreciate y'alls passion about your communities, the numbers don't lie. My post was more tongue in cheek but here you go
Merrit- Since 1970, the population of Milwaukee is down 20% while Austin is approaching a gain of 400%. Most northern metropolitan cities would reflect similar numbers
The "crappy" houses in Austin could be bought for 100K or so when I got into the business in 1989. Those same houses would be $1-2 million today
The heat? We average approx 16 days above 100 degrees. I can eat outdoors at a restaurant probably 300 days a year listening to live music on the patio. I will open my pool in a couple of weeks and be able to swim until late September. I can play golf year around. The only days I "hide" in my house is when the temp gets in the 30s
Austin literally has a festival every weekend. We are heading down to SXSW this afternoon and will enjoy temps in the low 80s.
John- The temp never approaches 120 degrees
My wife and I travel extensively and to a person have never had anyone say a negative word about Austin(Except traffic)
Yea, I didn't mean this to be a "how great my town is" either. Rather, was just attempting to point out that much of what people like about their own towns is personal perception and familiarity, not necessarily a silly matrix used in studies.
You are right, no one wakes up in the morning and says they cant wait to move to Milwaukee, or Wisconsin, or even Chicago for that matter. I was pointing out that the people who live around here appreciate that we are not growing at 400% or whatever crazy number Austin has grown by. For what its worth, the Milwaukee region is growing slow and steady like it has since the original boom tapered off in the early 1900's. The City Of Milwaukee is declining, but when I say I live in Milwaukee, its because that's what someone not from here would understand. I actually live in Pewaukee - LOL - voted one of the up-and-coming and best places to live in the country, if you give any credit to these sorts of studies.
The City Of Milwaukee is mostly a craphole. The Milwaukee region has done what many urban areas have done, which is develop the suburbs while the urban core erodes. All of the suburban areas around Milwaukee are growing, which covers the better part of about 9 counties.
Milwaukee needs to take a few plays out of the Chicago playbook and to give Milwaukee credit, they are starting to do so. The lakefront is a tremendous resource and Milwaukee needs to continue to bring back its downtown, then the surrounding neighborhoods will follow suit. Like I said, this is finally beginning to happen. However for now, you can get a piece of land pretty much for free in Milwaukee. Problem is, a new house would never command a sale price equal to the cost to build it in those areas!!! All that said, it wont be long before it is solid development between Milwaukee and Chicago.
PS - Someone posted people in Milwaukee start wearing shorts when it hits about 30 degrees, which isn't too far from the truth. I visited near you once in February (Canyon Lake) - we went wakeboarding and when we got back, it was snowing here - I wondered why I lived here. Also on that same trip, we went out for drinks and the people there were freezing cold and shivering on like a 30-40 degree night, which I thought was a damn heat wave!!! Like I said, different strokes and its all about what your used to.
South By Southwest - that's the famous one I was trying to think of.
Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2017 · 353 posts · 223 votes
8y
@Account Closed I agree. I am from the just west of Minneapolis (Hopkins) but live a little north of Minneapolis now. I have a work "home" in Seattle and spend most of the week in the Pacific Northwest but have traveled most of the US for work over the last 6-7 years or so.
There are positives to each place so it is hard to compare. At the end of the day, it is up to the individual to figure out what they like best as everyone has their own preference just like anything.
The person who installed pink wallpaper in a changing room at my house and painted clouds in one room clearly had a different preference of things than me.
Spokane, WA · Member since 2016 · 103 posts · 76 votes
8y
As a Fremont local, let me toss in a small bit of demographic detail on the "low separation/divorce rate" factor. Fremont is home to some of California's largest immigrant populations from Afghanistan and India. Traditional people from cultures that actually respect marriage.
Met a bunch of them. Some were really nice and friendly. Others don't like associating with people of different ethnicities. Oh well. Nobody's ever treated me badly.
That said, I wouldn't have put Fremont at the #1 spot...unless you're comparing it to places like Oakland and San Francisco. It blows my mind that THOSE cities are in this list at all. Did they just survey $200K/year tech workers in gated communities? Pardon my slight hyperbole, but the cities are more akin to war zones!
As Fred Heller pointed out, Alameda's pretty nice. Still a bit on the crowded side for my taste, but they have nice people and some cozy houses.
One final aside...Greg H. saw Scorpions live. Jealous.
Hmmm, what's happier? Walking through the winter wonderland or dodging the Austin serial bomber?
Ok, now that I stuck my nose in this stupid argument, here come the snipes about Chicago murders.....
Really ? People are dying and getting maimed in our community right now. Geez
The country is watching and we are all feeling your woes with you. One thing that makes all communities similar is the presence of nut jobs. Hope you find yours in short order.
