Cost of Living

Portland Streetcar Bike

Tech Sector Makes Inroads in Portland

Low prices and a less frenetic working environment are drawing tech employees to Portland, Oregon. Gentrification may loom, but along with it may come expanded economic opportunities for the city and state.

February 29, 2016 - Bloomberg Business

Op-Ed: Nashville Should Coordinate Transit, Housing Plans

Urban planning is front in center in Nashville, with a general plan update underway and a mayoral election looming on August 6. One candidate took to the editorial pages of The Tennessean to lay out a housing and transit agenda.

August 4, 2015 - The Tennessean

The End of the Era of Cheap Water

In many places around the country, the price of water is increasing, quickly. While the reasons for the increase vary depending on the location, common to the issue is the ability of planning to either help or hinder the problem.

December 9, 2014 - Governing

Working Adults More Likely to Live with Roommates

Recent data by Zillow suggests that we might all soon be living like the Golden Girls (original author's joke).

November 5, 2014 - The Billfold

Cincinnati Over-the-Rhine

The Charms of Affordable Cities (Not Named San Francisco or New York)

A recent post identifies a sweet spot in the urban market: affordable cities like Cincinnati and others in the Rust Belt that provide an attractive alternative to more expensive, if more famous, cities on the coasts.

November 1, 2014 - New Geography

Portland's Unclear Future as a Young Retirement Community

Portland's over-educated, under-employed population is largely a semi-retired community of young adults, according to some. But with rising housing prices and overall cost of living, it is unclear how Portland will retain these characteristics.

September 18, 2014 - The New York Times Magazine

Sunnyside Queens

Where Have all the Affordable Cities Gone?

Angie Schmitt follows up on an earlier report by the Citizen's Budget Commission that made an argument for the affordability of cities like New York City, with its large network of cheap transportation.

August 29, 2014 - Streetsblog USA

New York City Ranks Highly for 'Location Affordability'

A comparative analysis by the Citizens Budget Commission provides a softer take on the "affordability crisis" making so much news in New York City. The conclusion of the study is that New York City is more affordable than many other large cities.

August 20, 2014 - Crain's Business New York

Gentrification Creeps North of Boston

Naomi Kooker tells of the rapidly increasing pace of gentrification in the once gritty, now expensive, Boston suburb of Somerville.

August 19, 2014 - The Boston Globe

Real Estate Woes Hemorrhaging Wealth from the Middle Class

An article on the Washington Post Wonkblog shows how deeply the real estate crash impacted the wealth of the Middle Class—now on the tail end of three lost decades.

July 30, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Housing Costs Driving Aspiring Musicians Out of Nashville

Boom times in Nashville have some in the Music City worried that as musicians and other artists struggle with the cost of living, the city will lose its identity as a cultural and creative capital.

July 2, 2014 - Save Country Music

Texas State Capitol building

The End of 'Slackerdom' in Austin (or Pittsburgh Rich vs. New York Poor)

Yes, that's a lot of cities in one headline. But recent urbanism media has included a lot of writers lamenting the rising cost of living in formerly bohemian locales while noticing former bohemians moving to more affordable regions.

June 12, 2014 - Austin American-Statesman

Toyota's Move from Torrance to Texas: California's Wake-Up Call?*

Toyota's April 30th announcement that it would take its headquarters from Torrance to Plano, Texas is proof-positive that California's high regulatory, high tax, and high cost of living environment is unfriendly to business. Or is it?

May 5, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal - U.S. News

Yuppies

The Cost of the ‘Yuppie’ Lifestyle

Locality (a self-described "local business search site") has ranked the cost of living for the “yuppie” lifestyle in every American city. It’s no surprise that San Francisco tops the list, but how do 29 cities rank on the "Yuppie Price Index"?

February 18, 2014 - Locality

New York City: More Affordable Than You'd Think, for Some

For professional-class workers with annual household incomes in the top income quintile, New York is a comparatively affordable place. A recent study attributes lower costs to competition between businesses that cater to upper-income people.

April 24, 2013 - The New York Times

What is Your State Known For?

Renee DiResta uses Google's autocomplete feature to understand how Americans "really think about 'those people' in other states." Play with her wonderfully enlightening interactive map to view the top terms associated with each state.

August 14, 2012 - no upside

Is Tel Aviv the future?

If you run a google.com search for “The Death of Suburbia” you will find about 24,000 ‘hits.’   Some of the gloating over suburbia’s alleged demise is based on the facts that (some) suburbs have been hit hard by the current economic downturn, and that (some) city neighborhoods have become more expensive per square foot than than suburbs. (1)  But suburbia as a whole continues to gain population.

February 18, 2012 - Michael Lewyn

Boston Proper Cheaper Than Burbs

A new report from ULI maps out the 'housing plus transportation' costs in all Boston neighborhoods. Turns out living in the heart of the city is cheaper than the outer neighborhoods.

April 13, 2010 - Streetsblog

The Most Expensive Cities in the World

This photo slideshow from the Los Angeles Times looks at the 10 most expensive cities in the world.

August 18, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Moscow Tops List of World's Most Expensive Cities

Moscow tops an annual ranking of the world's most expensive cities. The survey examines housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment for corporations and government agencies determining living costs for expats.

July 25, 2008 - Forbes

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