30 years from now, what will have been the best place to invest?

[Tyler D.]

Speaking from a population/job/rent/appreciation growth standpoint. I'm not looking to buy in Mayberry, South Dakota for cashflow.

Obviously, this is impossible to know for sure, but we could make some good educated guesses based on trends.

Large cities like NYC, DC will surely continue to grow. California (SF/LA/SD) may or may not, due to an array of systemic problems (taxes, homelessness), but also a huge amount of high-paying jobs and top universities.

Texas/ Florida both seem to have potential, but it's unclear if the move there is something with staying power or just a short-term trend. 

Puerto Rico seems like an interesting play as well. Incredibly low taxes, which could encourage more Americans to move there, but we're far away from that happening in any major fashion.

Seattle/ Phoenix both seem to be strong contenders, but extreme weather could hamper these cities' growth.

What do you think will be the best place to invest for the next 30 years?

[Greg Scott]

Seems to me that a 30 year time horizon is too hard to forecast.   Mayberry South Dakota could remain a sleepy little town or climate change may turn it into high-demand ocean-front property in a temperate climate  ;-)

My crystal ball has always been cloudy so I just try to look out 5-10 years.