Here's US' most expensive city – and it's not NYC or San Francisco

Cities like San Francisco and New York City – which are widely known for their expensive real estate – were ranked sixth and eleventh respectively

Updated on: Oct 28, 2023, 10:25:49 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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The US' most expensive city is an unexpected city in California, US News reported. San Diego has been ranked as the country’s most expensive city, taking into consideration factors like quality of life, housing affordability and desirability, according to U.S. News & World Report's Most Expensive Places to Live in the U.S. in 2023-2024 list.

San Diego has been ranked as the country’s most expensive city (REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo) (REUTERS)

Cities like San Francisco and New York City – which are widely known for their expensive real estate – were ranked sixth and eleventh respectively, which are far lower.

As many as 12 out of the 25 cities in the list are located in California, including three of the top five. Los Angeles and Santa Barbara came in second and fifth positions respectively.

The indexes are used for US News’ Best Places to Live survey. It took into account factors such as crime rate, quality of education, blended median annual household income, weather temperateness and unemployment rate.

The average home value in San Diego – $961,629 – is much higher than the average home value in the US, which is $348,539, according to Zillow. However, the average home value in San Francisco is at $1.3 million, which is higher than that of San Diego. Further, the median monthly rent in San Diego, which is $3,200, is also less than rent in less expensive cities. For example, the median rent in New York is almost $3,600 a month, and almost $3,500 in San Francisco, according to Zillow.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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