occidentalcapital
Senior Member
Housing Affordability- percentage of earnings going to average shelter costs - seems like it should have a large weighting in ranking cities.
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Best Cities Ranking
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
erudyk_29
Active Member
I do have affordability taken into account as cost of living along with average salary. I didn't track housing specifically, because it can be rolled into general affordability. I could add housing as a % of income, but that might require a reworking of the cost of living / average salary metrics.
erudyk_29
Active Member
Alright, so I have added both EPI (Environmental Protection Index) to the metric, which measures things like air and water pollution and general environmental sustainability. I could not find data at the city level for this, so the lowest level was used (regional or national). I've also added rent as a percentage of income. A number of countries have also been added.
Here's the new top 60:
1. Vienna, Austria: 82.45625
2. Paris, France: 81.935
3. Zurich, Switzerland: 81.8425
4. Amsterdam, Netherlands: 79.933125
5. Copenhagen, Denmark: 79.235
6. The Hague, Netherlands: 79.208125
7. Oslo, Norway: 78.37875
8. Berlin, Germany: 78.098125
9. Barcelona, Spain: 77.279375
10. Melbourne, Australia: 76.75125
11. Valencia, Spain: 76.68
12. Tokyo, Japan: 76.146875
13. Osaka, Japan: 75.6175
14. Hamburg, Germany: 75.0225
15. Stockholm, Sweden: 74.98875
16. Munich, Germany: 74.875
17. Madrid, Spain: 74.825
18. Sao Paulo, Brazil: 74.619375
19. Milan, Italy: 74.6075
20. London, England: 74.59125
21. Rotterdam, Netherlands: 74.2525
22. Turin, Italy: 74.11375
23. Montreal, Canada: 73.858125
24. Manchester, England: 73.705625
25. Frankfurt, Germany: 73.3975
26. Helsinki, Finland: 73.2925
27. Bordeaux, France: 73.28875
28. Lisbon, Portugal: 73.0675
29. Nagoya, Japan: 73.00875
30. Lyon, France: 72.913125
31. Prague, Czechia: 72.76625
32. Seville, Spain: 72.741875
33. Singapore: 72.685625
34. Cologne, Germany: 72.684375
35. Sydney, Australia: 72.610625
36. Brisbane, Australia: 72.505
37. Gothenburg, Sweden: 72.430625
38. Vancouver, Canada: 72.189375
39. New York City, USA: 72.05875
40. Krakow, Poland: 72.05125
41. Zagreb, Croatia: 71.840625
42. Porto, Portugal: 71.68875
43. Sapporo, Japan: 71.665
44. Athens, Greece: 71.590625
45. Antwerp, Belgium: 71.44
46. San Francisco, USA: 71.4225
47. Toronto, Canada: 71.360625
48. Dusseldorf, Germany: 71.321875
49. Stuttgart, Germany: 71.271875
50. Nice, France: 71.234375
51. Warsaw, Poland: 71.234375
52. Seattle, USA: 71.02625
53. Washington, USA: 70.954375
54. Essen, Germany: 70.8475
55. Rome, Italy: 70.630625
56. Florence, Italy: 70.626875
57. Taipei, Taiwan: 70.43125
58. Tel Aviv, Israel: 70.275
59. Toulouse, France: 69.87125
60. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 69.843125
Here are the bottom 30:
261. Benghazi, Libya: 33.960625
260. Lagos, Nigeria: 39.06625
259. Tripoli, Libya: 40.708125
258. Dakar, Senegal: 41.125
257. Mexicali, Mexico: 42.674375
256. Juarez, Mexico: 44.13875
255. Ahvaz, Iran: 45.508125
254. Birmingham, USA: 46.425625
253. Tijuana, Mexico: 46.738125
252. Sharjah, UAE: 47.92875
251. Cuernavaca, Mexico: 48.371875
250. Tabriz, Iran: 48.925625
249. Qom, Iran: 49.776875
248. Oklahoma City, USA: 49.84125
247. Cali, Colombia: 49.851875
246. Abu Dhabi, UAE: 50.001875
245. Dubai, UAE: 50.1075
244. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: 50.565625
243. Shiraz, Iran: 50.79875
242. Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania: 50.86125
241. Maceio, Brazil: 50.9475
240. Pretoria, South Africa: 51.7325
239. Karaj, Iran: 51.846875
238. Caracas, Venezuela: 51.916875
237. Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa: 51.989375
236. Mombasa, Kenya: 52.066875
235. Inland Empire, USA: 52.118125
234. Culiacan, Mexico: 52.164375
233. Torreon, Mexico: 52.3475
232. Leon, Mexico: 52.384375
231. Goiania, Brazil: 52.55375
I'm currently in the process of adding the following countries:
- Russia
- Ireland
- Tunisia
- Bangladesh
I think Moscow, Dublin and Saint Petersburg all have a good shot of entering that exclusive top 60, but we'll see.
I've been holding off on the big 2 (India and China), but may need to get after that soon.
When it comes to Edmonton's placement, we now sit at 120th, with a score of 63.906875. Wedged between Baltimore and Mexico City.
Here's the new top 60:
1. Vienna, Austria: 82.45625
2. Paris, France: 81.935
3. Zurich, Switzerland: 81.8425
4. Amsterdam, Netherlands: 79.933125
5. Copenhagen, Denmark: 79.235
6. The Hague, Netherlands: 79.208125
7. Oslo, Norway: 78.37875
8. Berlin, Germany: 78.098125
9. Barcelona, Spain: 77.279375
10. Melbourne, Australia: 76.75125
11. Valencia, Spain: 76.68
12. Tokyo, Japan: 76.146875
13. Osaka, Japan: 75.6175
14. Hamburg, Germany: 75.0225
15. Stockholm, Sweden: 74.98875
16. Munich, Germany: 74.875
17. Madrid, Spain: 74.825
18. Sao Paulo, Brazil: 74.619375
19. Milan, Italy: 74.6075
20. London, England: 74.59125
21. Rotterdam, Netherlands: 74.2525
22. Turin, Italy: 74.11375
23. Montreal, Canada: 73.858125
24. Manchester, England: 73.705625
25. Frankfurt, Germany: 73.3975
26. Helsinki, Finland: 73.2925
27. Bordeaux, France: 73.28875
28. Lisbon, Portugal: 73.0675
29. Nagoya, Japan: 73.00875
30. Lyon, France: 72.913125
31. Prague, Czechia: 72.76625
32. Seville, Spain: 72.741875
33. Singapore: 72.685625
34. Cologne, Germany: 72.684375
35. Sydney, Australia: 72.610625
36. Brisbane, Australia: 72.505
37. Gothenburg, Sweden: 72.430625
38. Vancouver, Canada: 72.189375
39. New York City, USA: 72.05875
40. Krakow, Poland: 72.05125
41. Zagreb, Croatia: 71.840625
42. Porto, Portugal: 71.68875
43. Sapporo, Japan: 71.665
44. Athens, Greece: 71.590625
45. Antwerp, Belgium: 71.44
46. San Francisco, USA: 71.4225
47. Toronto, Canada: 71.360625
48. Dusseldorf, Germany: 71.321875
49. Stuttgart, Germany: 71.271875
50. Nice, France: 71.234375
51. Warsaw, Poland: 71.234375
52. Seattle, USA: 71.02625
53. Washington, USA: 70.954375
54. Essen, Germany: 70.8475
55. Rome, Italy: 70.630625
56. Florence, Italy: 70.626875
57. Taipei, Taiwan: 70.43125
58. Tel Aviv, Israel: 70.275
59. Toulouse, France: 69.87125
60. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 69.843125
Here are the bottom 30:
261. Benghazi, Libya: 33.960625
260. Lagos, Nigeria: 39.06625
259. Tripoli, Libya: 40.708125
258. Dakar, Senegal: 41.125
257. Mexicali, Mexico: 42.674375
256. Juarez, Mexico: 44.13875
255. Ahvaz, Iran: 45.508125
254. Birmingham, USA: 46.425625
253. Tijuana, Mexico: 46.738125
252. Sharjah, UAE: 47.92875
251. Cuernavaca, Mexico: 48.371875
250. Tabriz, Iran: 48.925625
249. Qom, Iran: 49.776875
248. Oklahoma City, USA: 49.84125
247. Cali, Colombia: 49.851875
246. Abu Dhabi, UAE: 50.001875
245. Dubai, UAE: 50.1075
244. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: 50.565625
243. Shiraz, Iran: 50.79875
242. Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania: 50.86125
241. Maceio, Brazil: 50.9475
240. Pretoria, South Africa: 51.7325
239. Karaj, Iran: 51.846875
238. Caracas, Venezuela: 51.916875
237. Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa: 51.989375
236. Mombasa, Kenya: 52.066875
235. Inland Empire, USA: 52.118125
234. Culiacan, Mexico: 52.164375
233. Torreon, Mexico: 52.3475
232. Leon, Mexico: 52.384375
231. Goiania, Brazil: 52.55375
I'm currently in the process of adding the following countries:
- Russia
- Ireland
- Tunisia
- Bangladesh
I think Moscow, Dublin and Saint Petersburg all have a good shot of entering that exclusive top 60, but we'll see.
I've been holding off on the big 2 (India and China), but may need to get after that soon.
When it comes to Edmonton's placement, we now sit at 120th, with a score of 63.906875. Wedged between Baltimore and Mexico City.
channing76
New Member
Baltimore is nice, bit of crime but I always enjoy going there. What's the hate for Oklahoma City? Geez
erudyk_29
Active Member
OKC mainly suffers from bad urbanism (walk, transit and bike scores). It's not really showing that it's going to be getting much better any time soon either. On top of that, it's right in tornado alley, which harms its disaster score. It's also exceedingly boring. It's really a bunch of subpar stuff rather than having a few categories that are extremely bad, other than the WalkScore metrics, which are downright abysmal. Other cities around it, that you would expect to be lower since they are in "developing countries" have worse scores in terms of things like crime, pollution and others, but generally fare better on things like urbanism, affordability, climate, etc.
channing76
New Member
Makes sense but I would still pick OKC over any city in Africa and most cities in Asia or South America given the choice of where to live.
ChazYEG
Senior Member
That only shows your absolute lack of knowledge of these places and an overall very prejudicial point of view.
channing76
New Member
Oh.
archited
Senior Member
Unlike some people who think they know everything about everywhere (San Diego and Atlanta are two glaring examples of the misfit).
EdmTrekker
Senior Member
Mexico City does not have reliable safe potable water. Does every city in top 120 have potable water and what is your data source please.
erudyk_29
Active Member
The metric I used for things like water and air quality is the EPI index, it's only a small part of the ranking. I don't think it's fair to judge a city entirely based on whether it has potable tap water, that can't even be said many places in Canada. The source for the EPI metric is the Yale University Environmental Performance Index website. Mexico City may not have potable water in it's taps like Edmonton, and that might be a deal breaker for some people, however it has a really nice climate (high altitude, tropical latitude means a very nice moderate temperature year round), excellent restaurant scene, larger and more expansive transit system, better walkability, etc, etc. There are a lot of factors going in and I think saying that a city can't be better just because you can't drink the tap water isn't really fair. Especially when it's something we can't even get right universally in developed countries like Canada and the USA. Buying bottled water may be a bit of a nuisance when we're used to drinking straight from the tap back home, but the truth is most of the world can't drink from their taps.
erudyk_29
Active Member
And that's your perogative...
Take the ranking for what it is, a series of different statistics and other things that are cobbled together and averaged out. I would encourage to broaden your horizons however. Having travelled in Latin America and Asia, a lot of people have the impression that these are barely functional countries with crime ridden, dirty cities, but this can be very far from the truth. Many of these places, if you'd give them the chance would surprise you with how livable they can be. Especially when compared to one of the most boring and car dependent cities on the planet (OKC).
It depends on what you value in a place to live. For me, I like walkability, vibrancy, affordability, the ability to live without a car, a great transit system, etc. A lot of cities in countries that are thought of as "developing" fulfill those aspects much better, particularly when it comes to affordability. There are a lot of great cities in NA that do fulfill many those requirements (San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Vancouver), but they tend to be very unaffordable when compared to options in other parts of the world.
IanO
Superstar
Why is that?
Some of the great cultures, food cities and art rich cities of the world are in those areas.
Africa is perhaps the most exciting continent on earth right now in terms of development, urban expansion and opportunity. I'd love to go to CapeTown, JoBerg, Cairo, Lagos, Nairobi, Zanzibar, Addis Ababa, Marrakech etc.
I'd give a finger to move to parts of Asia.
South America is fascinatingly tantalizing and next on my travel list.
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channing76
New Member
Because I have family there. It's an English speaking country that shares my culture and I would be able to get employment there easy as I work in the oil patch. It wasn't a diss on those other places. I was speaking logistically.
Yeggy
Active Member
IDK how Mexico City can be anything but near dead last, last time I checked all truly viable cities have water.