‘It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine…’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
According to a new list put out by Forbes.com, Washington, DC is the third-best ‘bargain’ city, behind Phoenix, AZ and Austin, TX. The list is a look at the country’s 50 largest metro areas among four data points: average salary for workers with a college degree, annual unemployment statistics, cost of living and the Housing Opportunity Index (a measure of the number of homes sold in an area that would be affordable to an average income family of that region).
While DC ranked low on the COL scale (38 out of 50) and average on the HOI (21 out of 50), our area’s lower unemployment rate (2 out of 50) and average salary (4 out of 50) were near the top.
I have to admit, I never once thought living here was a bargain. And I’ll be curious to know how the more recent unemployment numbers would skew the results the next time they compile their list…
Having lived in the DC area for ten years, Ben still loves to wander the city with his wife, shooting lots of photos and exploring all the latest exhibits and galleries. A certified hockey fanatic, he spends some time debating the Washington Capitals club with friends – but everyone knows of his three decade love affair with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
A professional writer, gamer, photographer, and Lego enthusiast, Ben remains captivated by DC and doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon.
Think about all the Free stuff we have in DC! What other city has as many museums with no admission charges? Even the Kennedy Center has free concerts through millenium stage.