10 Pricey Cities That Pay Off
An interesting article which goes into some detail about how amenities for particular regions impact lifestyle and housing value. A nice reminder as to why we pay so much to live in such a fabulous location! There are 9 other great cities that are worth reading about as well.
San Francisco. With the fourth-highest quality of life and the highest trade productivity on Albouy’s list, the San Francisco area—which includes Silicon
Valley—comes in first on the list of most valuable cities. There are high wages, but even higher housing costs. Albouy found that housing costs are pushed so
much above the wage level because San Francisco residents enjoy a premium beyond income, such as great weather, a thriving local arts community, and lively
neighborhoods. But the business aspects of San Francisco outshine even the quality of life. Albouy says it’s often thought that small cities where workers earn
lower wages, like Boise, Idaho, are where businesses should start because costs like hiring and renting a building are so low there, relative to cities like San
Francisco. But low prices also mean low quality. “Boise is a terrible place to do business, and the low wages are a sign of that,” he says. Compared to Boise, “San
Francisco has a highly productive workforce,” he says.
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