However, Washington DC, was crowned the best place for working parents. This was due to its high scores in work and health categories, remote work opportunities, and a strong network of paediatricians.

New York, Los Angeles on least least-desirable list

Besides Washington, other cities – including New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco – also featured on the list of least desirable cities. These cities were on the list largely due to their unaffordable housing markets, according to the Clever study.

Meanwhile, Baltimore, which leads the country in murder and robbery cases, ranks seventh on the least desirable list. Similarly, Detroit, which has high rates of rape and aggravated assault, is also mentioned on the list. Other cities that landed on the list – mostly due to their crumbling industrial infrastructure – were Birmingham, Alabama, and Buffalo.

The report also mentions that California has fallen out of favour, coming in last in a recent Consumer Affairs poll due to ‘poor’ standards of education, health, and safety.

In contrast, Tampa, Florida, was found to be America’s most desirable city for 2024. According to the study, 73 per cent of Americans are content where they are, but 59 per cent feel dissatisfied, and 43 per cent admitted to feeling embarrassed by their state.

First Published: Aug 16 2024 | 12:30 PM IST