Tacoma and Olympia are among the most affordable West Coast cities to live in, according to a new study from Livability.com.
The list, which culled data from Movoto by OJO, took into account each city’s median sold price for homes and the broader metropolitan area’s median household income to determine an affordability score. An exclusive study conducted by Livability.com in partnership with Ipsos informed the list.
In total, four Washington cities made the list: Tacoma, Olympia, Spokane, and Vancouver.
In the study, more than 1,000 American adults were surveyed to determine the characteristics of livability they would value in a prospective home community, with an emphasis on how rising costs are affecting their relocation decisions. Respondents were asked which factors would be most heavily considered when choosing to relocate and how their housing needs and priorities have changed due to inflation. The research showed that seven in 10 adults consider affordability to be a top-three factor influencing a decision to relocate.
“People are thinking about where their money goes the farthest right now, as remote work continues for many, and affordability is harder to find,” said Livability.com editor-in-chief Amanda Ellis in a prepared statement. “We highlight the amazing small and mid-sized communities across the U.S. and it’s often these who stand out when it comes to offering affordability alongside amenities and opportunity.”
