Dynamic, growing downtowns you can actually afford ?It costs how much"?
Those not living in overpriced coastal cities are familiar with the conversation; a friend from New York or San Francisco visits, comments on a charming home, and then freaks when they realize that it costs a fraction of even the lowest-priced property back home. They may even bookmark the listing on Zillow, only to forget about it by the time they get back to their tiny apartment.
But it doesn?t have to be that way.
Plenty of midsize, oft-overlooked U.S. cities get dismissed out of hand, despite having booming tech industries; walkable, exciting downtowns; shorter commutes; and thriving cultural scenes. They?re livable, dynamic, and, better yet, don?t require insane down payments or seven-figure mortgages. So-called second-tier cities offer more opportunity and affordability than many expect. To create this list (which appears in no particular order), Curbed consulted a number of reports and experts?representing the Urban Land Institute, RCLCO Real Estate Advisors, and American Planning Association?then checked their suggestions against a number of data points, including job growth, home value, and millennial population growth.
As we did last year, we purposely avoided listing cities that have been cited in similar articles for years (Austin and Nashville, for example). We also declined to highlight cities that were suggested by analysts and experts but featured in last year?s list, inc...