A new study found San Diego among the top three desirable cities to live in but is also among the most overrated.
Clever, a real estate data company commissioned by Home Bay, surveyed 1,000 Americans. They voted San Diego as the third most desirable city, and among the top ten overrated cities in the nation.
Americans either love or hate California. Although the Golden State ranked the second most–desirable state, ranking behind Florida, it is also considered the least desirable.
Whether it's the traffic, air pollution, or sky-high living expenses, 28% of survey respondents say they wouldn't want to live in California. More than one-fourth of California residents rank their own state in the bottom five.
San Diego ranks behind Seattle, Wa, and Virginia Beach, VA among the top three most desirable cities. Americans reported that affordability is what makes a city desirable, but the majority in the top five are some of the most expensive in the country.
Most notably in San Francisco, where the cost of goods exceeds the national average by 17 percent while the typical home value has hit $1.6 million, which is more than double the studied city average.
According to the study, about 58 percent of Americans say a city is overrated because of high crime rates, 56 percent say because of the high cost of living and 51 percent say it's due to crowds.
The top 10 most desirable cities, according to the survey:
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Seattle, WA
- San Diego, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Denver, CO
- Miami, FL
- Nashville, TN
- Tampa, FL
The Least Desirable Cities to live, according to the survey:
- Los Angeles, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- San Francisco, CA
- Detroit, MI
- New York, NY
- Chicago, IL
- Seattle, WA
- Dallas, TX and Milwaukee, WI*
- Washington, D.C.
- Phoenix, AZ
