Housing Markets

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Attention, residents of La Jolla, California -- you can sell your homes and buy 14 identical ones in Killeen, Texas, and still have more than $36,000 left in your pocket. The latest annual Coldwell Banker Home Price Comparison Index, which surveys prices of similar homes in 324 real-estate markets, reveals that a 2,200 square foot, four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath, two-car garage home in Killeen costs just $131,328. In La Jolla, a similar home goes for $1,875,000, more than 14 times as much. La Jolla was the most expensive market surveyed. The findings underscore the oldest real-estate chestnut in the books: The three most important factors in home buying are location, location, and location. On the one hand you have La Jolla, perched on the Pacific in a perfect, mild climate, with cultural amenities and abundant recreational opportunities a short drive away. On the other you have Killeen, founded on prairie land in the middle of Texas midway between Dallas and San Antonio, a young, quick-moving town that has grown up around Fort Hood, the largest army base in the country. Ever upward Coastal locations command big premiums over inland areas. The nine top markets on the Coldwell Banker index are on or near the coast in California and the 10th is Greenwich Connecticut, a suburb of New York City that nestles against the Long Island Sound. "People want to live where it's warm, and where it's beautiful, preferably with a views of the ocean," said Jim Gillespie, CEO of Coldwell Banker, which has been conducting its comparison survey for 15 years. In California, Gillespie reports, the supply and demand equation has fallen out of balance. The state will add 250,000 households this year, but is forecast to build only 210,000 new homes. That could keep home prices high. Gillespie that in 52 percent of the markets surveyed, the average price was under $300,000. Most of these markets are off the coasts and all 10 of the most affordable cities are far from the sea. Of the least-expensive markets, after Killeen comes Minot, North Dakota ($133,266) and Beckley, West Virginia ($137,875). The index is also useful for figuring what a new place would cost should you be transferred to another part of the country. Coldwell Banker uses index data for its Web site tool that figures what a house is worth in other markets. A home located in, say Bayside, New York, worth $800,000, would cost $981,000 in Santa Cruz ,California, $561,000 in Santa Fe, and $283,000 in Salem, Oregon>

Median Gross Rent, US Cities >100k ranked

US Census Bureau 2000 Place and State Name; Median gross rent ($); Rank Irvine city, California 1272 1 Sunnyvale city, California 1270 2 Santa Clara city, California 1238 3 Fremont city, California 1196 4 Thousand Oaks city, California 1131 5 San Jose city, California 1123 6 Daly City city, California 1074 7 Simi Valley city, California 1058 8 Stamford city, Connecticut 1007 9 Huntington Beach city, California 985 10 Cambridge city, Massachusetts 962 11 Costa Mesa city, California 956 12 Pembroke Pines city, Florida 945 13 Santa Clarita city, California 943 14 Naperville city, Illinois 942 15 Peoria city, Arizona 941 16 San Francisco city, California 928 17 Hayward city, California 921 18 Bellevue city, Washington 916 19 Torrance city, California 903 20 Coral Springs city, Florida 899 21 Arlington CDP, Virginia 897 22 Orange city, California 884 23 Concord city, California 880 24 Rancho Cucamonga city, California 872 25 Plano city, Texas 862 26 Santa Rosa city, California 862 27 Alexandria city, Virginia 861 28 Henderson city, Nevada 857 29 Westminster city, Colorado 848 30 Scottsdale city, Arizona 844 31 San Buenaventura (Ventura) city, California 841 32 West Covina city, California 828 33 Garden Grove city, California 827 34 Spring Valley CDP, Nevada 827 35 Fullerton city, California 820 36 Anaheim city, California 818 37 Oceanside city, California 818 38 Santa Ana city, California 815 39 Corona city, California 812 40 Boston city, Massachusetts 803 41 Chandler city, Arizona 795 42 Gilbert town, Arizona 792 43 Vallejo city, California 781 44 Carrollton city, Texas 781 45 Oxnard city, California 780 46 Burbank city, California 778 47 Norwalk city, California 767 48 Overland Park city, Kansas 766 49 San Diego city, California 763 50 Lakewood city, Colorado 763 51 Honolulu CDP, Hawaii 760 52 Glendale city, California 758 53 Pasadena city, California 746 54 Escondido city, California 746 55 Moreno Valley city, California 743 56 Ann Arbor city, Michigan 742 57 Berkeley city, California 740 58 Anchorage municipality, Alaska 736 59 Yonkers city, New York 735 60 Virginia Beach city, Virginia 734 61 Downey city, California 731 62 Livonia city, Michigan 726 63 Salinas city, California 725 64 Austin city, Texas 724 65 Seattle city, Washington 721 66 Ontario city, California 720 67 Raleigh city, North Carolina 718 68 Tempe city, Arizona 715 69 Arvada city, Colorado 714 70 Irving city, Texas 714 71 Chula Vista city, California 707 72 New York city, New York 705 73 Aurora city, Illinois 700 74 Aurora city, Colorado 700 75 Orlando city, Florida 700 76 Las Vegas city, Nevada 699 77 Oakland city, California 696 78 Paterson city, New Jersey 696 79 Cape Coral city, Florida 696 80 Mesquite city, Texas 691 81 Fort Collins city, Colorado 689 82 Sunrise Manor CDP, Nevada 688 83 Hollywood city, Florida 685 84 Charlotte city, North Carolina 684 85 Elizabeth city, New Jersey 681 86 Jersey City city, New Jersey 675 87 Paradise CDP, Nevada 675 88 Inglewood city, California 673 89 Los Angeles city, California 672 90 El Monte city, California 672 91 Garland city, Texas 672 92 Bridgeport city, Connecticut 671 93 Vancouver city, Washington 671 94 Riverside city, California 670 95 Mesa city, Arizona 669 96 Durham city, North Carolina 657 97 Colorado Springs city, Colorado 652 98 New Haven city, Connecticut 651 99 Reno city, Nevada 650 100 Manchester city, New Hampshire 649 101 Pomona city, California 644 102 Madison city, Wisconsin 644 103 Sterling Heights city, Michigan 644 104 North Las Vegas city, Nevada 644 105 Lancaster city, California 643 106 West Valley City city, Utah 643 107 Chesapeake city, Virginia 642 108 Grand Prairie city, Texas 642 109 Fort Lauderdale city, Florida 641 110 Long Beach city, California 639 111 Modesto city, California 639 112 Clearwater city, Florida 637 113 Fontana city, California 636 114 Arlington city, Texas 635 115 Denver city, Colorado 631 116 Palmdale city, California 630 117 Lowell city, Massachusetts 627 118 Sacramento city, California 625 119 Dallas city, Texas 623 120 Portland city, Oregon 622 121 Phoenix city, Arizona 622 122 Eugene city, Oregon 621 123 Washington city, District of Columbia 618 124 Chicago city, Illinois 616 125 Nashville-Davidson, Tennessee 615 126 Hialeah city, Florida 614 127 Boise City city, Idaho 613 128 Glendale city, Arizona 612 129 Greensboro city, North Carolina 608 130 Atlanta city, Georgia 606 131 Tallahassee city, Florida 605 132 Hampton city, Virginia 603 133 East Los Angeles CDP, California 598 134 Warren city, Michigan 598 135 Jacksonville city, Florida 598 136 Newark city, New Jersey 586 137 Columbus city, Ohio 586 138 Fayetteville city, North Carolina 585 139 Stockton city, California 581 140 Tacoma city, Washington 581 141 Worcester city, Massachusetts 577 142 Tampa city, Florida 577 143 Houston city, Texas 575 144 Minneapolis city, Minnesota 575 145 Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania 569 146 Indianapolis city, Indiana 567 147 St. Petersburg city, Florida 567 148 St. Paul city, Minnesota 565 149 Salt Lake City city, Utah 564 150 Bakersfield city, California 564 151 Savannah city, Georgia 564 152 Metairie CDP, Louisiana 563 153 San Bernardino city, California 563 154 Waterbury city, Connecticut 562 155 Little Rock city, Arkansas 562 156 Salem city, Oregon 560 157 Hartford city, Connecticut 560 158 Albuquerque city, New Mexico 560 159 Newport News city, Virginia 559 160 Fort Worth city, Texas 559 161 Corpus Christi city, Texas 555 162 Rochester city, New York 553 163 Clarksville city, Tennessee 550 164 Joliet city, Illinois 549 165 San Antonio city, Texas 549 166 Kansas City city, Missouri 548 167 Memphis city, Tennessee 548 168 Allentown city, Pennsylvania 541 169 Richmond city, Virginia 540 170 Athens-Clarke County, Georgia 540 171 Portsmouth city, Virginia 540 172 Fresno city, California 538 173 Norfolk city, Virginia 538 174 Omaha city, Nebraska 537 175 Columbia city, South Carolina 536 176 Miami city, Florida 535 177 Pasadena city, Texas 534 178 Des Moines city, Iowa 532 179 Grand Rapids city, Michigan 531 180 South Bend city, Indiana 531 181 Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky 528 182 Montgomery city, Alabama 528 183 Milwaukee city, Wisconsin 527 184 Providence city, Rhode Island 526 185 Provo city, Utah 521 186 Sioux Falls city, South Dakota 521 187 Cedar Rapids city, Iowa 521 188 Lincoln city, Nebraska 519 189 Winston-Salem city, North Carolina 518 190 Independence city, Missouri 518 191 Springfield city, Massachusetts 517 192 Tucson city, Arizona 516 193 Lubbock city, Texas 514 194 Tulsa city, Oklahoma 511 195 Spokane city, Washington 509 196 Syracuse city, New York 506 197 Wichita city, Kansas 505 198 Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia 505 199 Columbus city, Georgia 500 200 Pittsburgh city, Pennsylvania 500 201 Springfield city, Illinois 499 202 Rockford city, Illinois 498 203 Baltimore city, Maryland 498 204 Lansing city, Michigan 498 205 Jackson city, Mississippi 497 206 Peoria city, Illinois 496 207 Akron city, Ohio 496 208 Green Bay city, Wisconsin 495 209 Huntsville city, Alabama 495 210 Chattanooga city, Tennessee 495 211 Kansas City city, Kansas 491 212 Fort Wayne city, Indiana 490 213 Waco city, Texas 490 214 Wichita Falls city, Texas 489 215 New Orleans city, Louisiana 488 216 Beaumont city, Texas 488 217 McAllen city, Texas 487 218 Topeka city, Kansas 486 219 Detroit city, Michigan 486 220 Lafayette city, Louisiana 485 221 Baton Rouge city, Louisiana 483 222 Mobile city, Alabama 482 223 Oklahoma City city, Oklahoma 481 224 Flint city, Michigan 476 225 Amarillo city, Texas 475 226 Pueblo city, Colorado 475 227 El Paso city, Texas 474 228 Abilene city, Texas 474 229 Buffalo city, New York 472 230 Shreveport city, Louisiana 470 231 Toledo city, Ohio 469 232 Gary city, Indiana 469 233 Knoxville city, Tennessee 467 234 Cleveland city, Ohio 465 235 Laredo city, Texas 454 236 Evansville city, Indiana 454 237 Springfield city, Missouri 452 238 Dayton city, Ohio 448 239 Birmingham city, Alabama 446 240 Cincinnati city, Ohio 444 241 Louisville city, Kentucky 443 242 St. Louis city, Missouri 442 243 Erie city, Pennsylvania 424 244 Brownsville city, Texas 405 245>

Meanest U.S. Cities

The Top 20 Meanest U.S. Cities Genteel and polite Little Rock, Arkansas has been branded the meanest city in the United States of America. That's the word from the National Coalition for the Homeless, a national advocacy group, that has named the top 20 meanest U.S. cities based on how they treat the homeless who live within their city limits, as well as purported civil rights violations, reports The Associated Press. The list was created using data samplings from 179 communities in 48 states. Little Rock received this dubious distinction due to its efforts to close 27 transient camps for homeless people around the city. Although the plan was tabled after advocates for the homeless objected, the coalition is concerned that the city could still move forward with the plan. This is the third year the report has been issued, and the first time Little Rock made the list at all. Previously, Las Vegas held the No. 1 spot. The top 20 meanest U.S. cities: 1. Little Rock, Arkansas 2. Atlanta, Georgia 3. Cincinnati, Ohio 4. Las Vegas, Nevada 5. Gainesville, Florida 6. New York City, New York 7. Los Angeles, California 8. San Francisco, California 9. Honolulu, Hawaii 10. Austin, Texas 11. Sarasota, Florida 12. Key West, Florida 13. Nashville, Tennessee 14. Berkeley, California 15. Dallas, Texas 16. Fresno, California 17. San Antonio, Texas 18. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 19. St. Paul, Minnesota 20. Manchester, New Hampshire The top four meanest states: California Florida Hawaii Texas Link>

Which cities are most ghetto in US?

Just choose from poll with 14 cities including other. You can post there and give much information on city have become most ghetto in US.>

MOST PROMINENT URBAN VACATION CENTERS

In which US city are you most likely to spend your next urban vacation? Which are your top choices in order of priority? NOTE: Had it not been for Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans would've made the poll. Don't ask me which city I placed instead.>

Define your city's sphere of influence

I saw this on skyscraperpage.com before making this and it gave me a good idea, what is the area that your city has the most influence under? Not only suburbs but other counties and states also. Me, I live near Hartford, CT. My area is heavily influenced by Boston and New York but not as much as Connecticut cities. We have our own region here and even influence our smaller neighbor Springfield, MA. Our Area isn't like the other Connecticut cities like Bridgeport, Stamford, New Haven, or Waterbury which actually are all part of the NYC metro area. We aren't also like Providence or Manchester, NH which are little sisters to Boston. How about your city and its area?>

How Dependable Is Mass Transit In Your City?

Is it very dependable, so-so, or is it not dependable at all? Please feel free to share your thoughts!>