Why Do People Live Where They Live?

Have you ever thought about why you decided to live where you do? Some people live in the same general area their entire life and probably never give much thought to this question. Some might move around more frequently to new locations that are dictated by jobs. And others might have more freedom to choose the location where they live. Whatever your circumstances are, there were probably a variety of factors that played into your decision to live in a particular home in a particular neighborhood.

Money Crashers recently published an article “Where Should I Live? 14 Important Factors When Deciding the Best Place to Live” which analyzes the most important factors in choosing a home. It analyzes the following fourteen factors:

1. Affordability
2. Taxes
3. Employment Opportunities
4. Real Estate Value
5. Crime Rates and Statistics
6. Proximity to Family and Friends
7. Climate
8. Education System
9. Culture
10. Commute Time and Public Transportation Options
11. Food Options
12. Town or City Size
13. Healthcare Facilities
14. Proximity to an Airport

Depending on the stage in your life, the importance of these factors could fluctuate over time. For example, employment opportunities might be the most important factor for a recent college graduate, while the education system might be most important for a young family, and the healthcare facilities might be most important for a retired couple.

Andriana Bicanin, the former AmeriCorps VISTA at the Forsyth County Department of Housing, did a survey of homeowners that had participated in the New Century IDA program. One of the questions she was interested in answering was “Why did you choose to purchase this home?” Of all the homes in Forsyth County, how did you choose to purchase this particular home, in this particular neighborhood?

Andriana’s survey listed 12 reasons for purchasing a certain home. Participants were asked to rank up to 5 reasons why they purchased their home. The survey found that among IDA graduates, the three most common reasons for choosing a particular home were proximity to work, proximity to retail, and the quality of the school district. 20% of participants ranked “proximity to work” as the top reason for purchasing their home, and 20% ranked “proximity to retail” as the top reason. 15% of participants ranked the school district as the top reason for purchasing their home. Other popular factors included proximity to work, proximity to supermarkets, proximity to public transportation, and proximity to parks.

By looking at both Money Crashers’ list of important factors and Andriana’s survey results, it is obvious that convenience is very important. People want a home that is convenient to the places that they travel the most frequently, such as work, grocery stores, school, and family and friends. It is likely that this will only increase in importance as gas prices rise and transportation costs increase.

While convenience is a major factor in a choice of a home, there are so many other factors in play, some of which you may not even be aware. Let us know how you chose your home, then stay tune for more discussion on housing and its connections with other aspects of our community!