Considering Moving? Here's How To Figure Out What City Is Best For You

Moving to a new city is simply a part of life for millions of people. Virtually no one stays put forever, and movement from place to place — either within a small community or between large metropolitan areas — is common these days. My Moving Reviews reports that a typical American will move every five years, on average. These changes of scenery can sometimes take place across a few miles (perhaps from one apartment to another within the same city), but many times they involve an overlap with job changes and other major shifts in lifestyle that demand a more substantial relocation.

When finding a home beyond the community you've grown accustomed to, there are some significant indicators that should be taken into consideration. From the cost of living statistics of the new area to facets of your lifestyle in any new city (such as typical commute times, entertainment options, and criminal metrics), planning a move involves more than simply packing up and hitting the road.

The U.S. News and World Report lists the 150 best places to live every year, and this ranking is a great place to begin when searching for a new town to call home. The U.S. News and World Report analyzes five key index metrics in its evaluation, weighing job markets, housing affordability, quality of life, desirability, and net migration. Each of these five factors is further broken down into subsections that help the outlet classify cities.

The length of time you spend in the car or on public transportation can affect the entire course of your day. A longer commute leaves less time for relaxation in the evening, and it means that you'll have to get up a little earlier in the morning, too. Commute times can squeeze your energy and time in meaningful ways, so opting for the shortest possible commute is often a good idea.

Of course, this isn't always totally within your control. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2019, the average commute (each way) across the United States was 27.6 minutes. This will vary slightly or significantly across local communities, of course, but if your commute is shaping up to be much longer than the typical timeframe in one of the cities you're considering a move to, a different option might be a better choice.

The U.S. News and World Report notes that working from home has become a standard practice across many industries, and this may not shift back toward the more familiar in-office working model any time soon. Still, it's a good idea to think about how much time you might have to spend getting to and from work in the future based on the site that houses your company's offices.

Long trending crime statistics are a good measure for those seeking to move as well. Science Direct reports that crime metrics are essential in city and other jurisdictional subsets of the country for crafting criminal and social justice policies and prevention programs that work. Evaluating trending crime metrics in a metropolitan area can help you understand how criminal activity is changing in the cities you are thinking of moving to.

Of course, criminal activity is found in all corners of the United States, and in a huge variety of outlets. It's a good idea to become acquainted with the particular issues that are seen in the candidate locations for your move.

If you are moving within your existing community, the U.S. News and World Report notes that it's a good idea to spend time in the neighborhood you are considering for your move. Experiencing the environment firsthand at different times throughout the day can give you a sense of the reality on the streets that you may soon call home.

Air quality is an essential feature of a good home that often goes overlooked. Using an air quality index map for reference (like the one provided by The World Air Quality Project) can help you compare cities against one another for a better understanding of the health benefits (or potential pitfalls) that any city can offer you and your family.

Air quality is essential to maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, according to the Tennessee Department of Health, and poor air quality can lead to increased allergy trouble, impaired lung health, and even moderate to severe health concerns like emphysema and COPD.

Expanded outdoor community space and air quality often go hand in hand, and cities and towns that make parks and public spaces a priority often enjoy some of the better air quality scores. Green spaces help reduce the overall temperature within concrete-dominated cityscapes as well (via Heliyon/National Institutes of Health). Ultimately, a commitment to the health of the community is something that should be sought out by anyone on the hunt for a new community to call home.

Just like living near siblings or parents can add to your happiness, so too can selecting a new home that holds sentimental value. If you vacationed in Chicago or Cincinnati every summer with your parents when you were a child, making this known location your permanent home as an adult can fill you with an ongoing sense of sentimentality and happiness over the long term.

Likewise, many people find that returning, in a way, to a semi-ancestral home can provide this sense of pride and sentimentality as well. Many people in the modern United States grew up in a place that wasn't their birthplace or the hometown that their parents knew growing up. The New York Times reports, for instance, that only 36% of Florida residents in 2012 were born in the state. This is in stark contrast to places like Louisiana, at 79%, Michigan, at 77%, Pennsylvania, at 74%, and New York, at 63%. Finding sentimentality in your chosen home can make it special in a meaningful way.