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Posted over 5 years ago

Top 10 Most Expensive Cities to Live In

Cost of living plays a pivotal role in demand for apartments. Tenants take the cost of living as a main factor when deciding where to live and how much to pay for rent. As someone who owns multiple apartment buildings across the U.S., it’s crucial to understand where the desirable cities to live are: those with access to jobs and entertainment, but also affordable living options.

I always try to focus on the more affordable yet popular cities. I’m not saying that buying real estate in expensive cities is a bad investment strategy; but rather highlighting those markets, because rents there tend to be higher than affordable markets. This ranking is based on the disparity created between average rental rates and average monthly income.

Here are the top 10 most expensive cities in the US:

10. Seattle, WA

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Average 1 BR Rent: $2,049

Average Household Income: $85,936

9. Washington, DC

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Average 1 BR Rent: $2,347

Average Household Income: $82,192

8. Boston, MA

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Average 1 BR Rent: $2,150

Average Household Income: $66,758

7. San Jose, CA

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Average 1 BR Rent: $2,693

Average Household Income: $96,662

6. San Diego, CA

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Average 1 BR Rent: $2,236

Average Household Income: $98,632

5. New York, NY

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Average 1 BR Rent: $2,650

Average Household Income: $61,816

4. Miami, FL

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Average 1 BR Rent: $1,995

Average Household Income: $35,221

3. Honolulu, HI

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Average 1 BR Rent: $1,721

Average Household Income: $31,146

2. San Francisco, CA

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Average 1 BR Rent: $3,600

Average Household Income: $102,300

1. Los Angeles, CA

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Average 1 BR Rent: $2,728

Average Household Income: $58,043

Sources:

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/news/data-releases.html?#

http://coli.org/quarter-1-2019-cost-of-living-index-released/

https://www.zumper.com/blog/rental-price-data



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