If you are planning an international move to the United States, you are probably researching the best places to live. But how do you narrow it down? Determining factors may differ from person to person, or family to family, depending on your individual needs. Figure out what's important to you in a city or town, and then eliminate places that don't live up to your standards.
A recent study conducted by WalletHub--a personal finance website--ranked the largest cities in the United States in order of "attractiveness." According to the website, a "large city" is one of the 62 United States municipalities that contains at least 300,000 people. The study used government data about cost of living, housing affordability and other factors to evaluate these U.S. cities. The findings are based on four metrics:
- livability
- health
- education
- local economy and taxes.
This data does not necessarily mean you should avoid moving to one of these areas--in fact, you may want to take advantage of the inexpensive housing and potential for growth. Some of these cities could be on the rise, with plenty of opportunity for starting up a business or expanding an existing company with a satellite office.
Using this WalletHub study,
Huffington Post compiled a list of the ten least attractive U.S. cities to live in. Each city has its strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities for growth. For example, Detroit has the lowest livability ranking, but education system and health ranking aren't quite as poor. Also, cities like Tucson, Arizona and El Paso, Texas rank among the lowest for job market and health, respectively, but neither makes the top 10 least attractive list.
Least attractive U.S. cities
- Detroit, MI
- Memphis, TN
- Philadelphia, PA
- Cleveland, OH
- Indianapolis, IN
- Wichita, KS
- St. Louis, MO
- Milwaukee, WI
- Tulsa, OK
- Fresno, CA
As the
Huffington Post article notes, these rankings are not definitive. There are plenty of other factors that go into a person's decision to move to a city. As we stated, some of these factors may make these areas
more attractive to potential residents. Cheaper housing, inspirational art and music scenes--these are attractive reasons to move to an "unattractive" United States city for some people, especially if they want to take part in the community's revival.