The Housing Opportunity In The Carolinas
Deciding where to relocate or retire in the Carolinas based on affordability, climate, and lifestyle can seem an overwhelming and daunting task.
So much information, charts, and indexes you never even knew existed.
That's why I'm here!
I constantly search for and review information about North Carolina and South Carolina whether it be about jobs, cost of living, quality lifestyle, or housing prices, boil it down and bring you only the nuggets, so it's easy to understand.
From that you can make an educated, informed decision about what area of North Carolina or South Carolina would be on your list of Best Places to relocate or retire to.
Last week I posted information in this Blog about The Cost Of Living In The Carolinas.
This week I'd like to tell you about another tool that will help you compare the "Affordability" of different areas within North Carolina and South Carolina. I call it The Affordability Index, but its real name is the Housing Opportunity Index (HOI).
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) publishes it every 3 months. The Housing Opportunity Index tells us " the percentage of homes sold in an area that would have been affordable to a family earning the local median income."
Once I made my way through the pile of data, it was easy! What's the median income in an area and how many of the available homes could I buy, if I made that income. It's a great way to tell in which areas of North Carolina and South Carolina you'll be able to afford a bigger choice of housing, based on your income.
Unfortunately, the Housing Opportunity Index is currently provided for only metropolitan areas.
I'm going to publish an "Affordability Index" just for North Carolina and South Carolina that will include most towns in the Carolinas, rather than just metropolitan areas, because I feel some of your best deals are outside the metropolitan areas.
The Housing Opportunity Index information I reviewed ranked the cities nationally and regionally. Below is a listing of the national ranking followed by the regional ranking, for the North and South Carolina metropolitan areas that were in the top 100 metropolitan areas.
- Winston-Salem NC- #44 Nationally; #6 Regionally
- Greensboro, NC/High Point NC- #59 Nationally; #16 Regionally
- Columbia SC- #68 Nationally; #21 Regionally
- Greenville, SC/ Mauldin, SC/Easley SC- #71 Nationally; #22 Regionally
- Charlotte, NC/Gastonia, NC/Concord NC- #76 Nationally; #26 Regionally
- Durham NC- #83 Nationally; #30 Regionally
- Fayetteville NC- #87 Nationally; #33 Regionally
- Raleigh, NC/Cary NC- #88 Nationally; #34 Regionally
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Charleston, SC/North Charleston/Summerville SC- #130 Nationally; #53 Regionally
Asheville NC- #165 Nationally; #66 Regionally
See you next week!
About Bob Bencivenga
 |
Bob Bencivenga is a professional site locator and location analyst for major corporations and has been researching the growth of NC and SC to find the Best Places to Retire or Relocate that are still affordable. |
| Visit his blog The Carolina Report and sign up for FREE updates by email,his FREE Affordable Best Places To Live Report and, get FREE Expert Advice on how to find Your Best Place to Retire or Relocate to in North Carolina and South Carolina, additional resources, and a lot more.
Bob does not sell real estate. |
 |
Learn About Living In NC!
