Looking to relocate in New England? See how the cities compare.

Cambridge ranks lowest in housing affordability.

Americans looking to relocate can utilize Coldwell Banker's new tool to compare their current city with their dream location. Adobe Stock

By Caroline Bunnell

October 10, 2023

Making the choice to relocate to a new city can be a difficult decision for many people.

Coldwell Banker’s new Move Meter tool compares data such as quality of living, housing affordability, job market strength, and living affordability. There are subcategories that are calculated to show the average score for each category.

So where are people coming from and where are they headed?

These are the top 10 cities people are looking to leave:

Los Angeles
Denver
New York
Louisville, Ky.
Chicago
Austin, Texas
Allentown, Pa.
Seattle
San Diego
Minneapolis

The top 10 cities that American’s have been dreaming to relocate to:

Austin, Texas
Charlotte, N.C.
New York
Los Angeles
Nashville
Tampa
Raleigh, N.C.
Seattle
Atlanta
San Diego

Why are some cities on both lists? They reflect a lot of turnover. Austin’s growing popularity, for example, has meant higher rental prices.

According to Coldwell Banker’s findings, the number of searches looking to move out of state has decreased in the past year from 82% in 2022 to 72.5% in 2023. The data indicate that many movers want to remain in their state but relocate to a new city.

Housing Affordability

New England is not known for its affordable real estate market, but see how these cities compare in this category.

	Boston	Worcester	Springfield	Cambridge	Providence	Hartford	Manchester, N.H.
Home price	$691,800	$342,200	$235,400	$972,300	$310,500	$139,800	$341,000
Property tax	0.72%	1.67%	1.78%	1.22%	1.87%	2.3%	2.22%
Home appreciation rate	11.6%	16.5%	15.2%	11.2%	18.9%	11.8%	17.4%
Price per square foot	$208.67	$222.93	$163.96	$457.68	$184.24	$79.68	$228.99

-Coldwell Banker

Quality of Life

Quality of life encapsulates a variety of criteria in the rankings calculations.

The education scores were based on publicly recorded data from local schools and colleges in the area.

The healthcare and fitness finds were based on access to care and fitness amenities.

The weather score used data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Data Center on precipitation and temperature. The tool also uses the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality index.

The tool calculates the commute/transit scores based on mass transit data using five-year estimates.

The accessibility score was based on local resources, and culture/entertainment looked at nearby attractions.

	Boston	Worcester	Springfield	Cambridge	Providence	Hartford	Manchester, N.H.
Education	81	77	57	95	65	64	70
Healthcare and fitness	100	98	71	92	87	92	82
Weather grade	64	60	57	64	65	63	60
Air quality index	68	77	70	73	72	71	80
Commute/transit score	68	59	62	85	59	69	59
Accessibility	23	22	22	23	23	22	21
Culture/entertainment	10	10	10	10	10	10	10

-Coldwell Banker

Job Market Strength

Hartford ranked lowest in all job market categories, while Cambridge scored close to the top across the board.

	Boston	Worcester	Springfield	Cambridge	Providence	Hartford	Manchester, N.H.
Unemployment rate	4.7%	5.8%	8.8%	2.9%	5%	8%	2.2%
Recent job growth	5.08%	4.32%	4.29%	5.08%	4.3%	-4.17%	1.26%
Future job growth index	63	52	37	71	48	31	76
Median household income	$71,120	$48,140	$39,430	$103,150	$45,610	$36,800	$60,710

-Coldwell Banker

Living Affordability

In the absence of a state income tax, Manchester, N.H., ranked as one of the most affordable cities.

	Boston	Worcester	Springfield	Cambridge	Providence	Hartford	Manchester, N.H.
State income tax	5%	5%	5%	5%	3.8%	5.5%	0%
Utilities	47	41	44	48	46	49	48
Food/groceries	64	53	49	72	52	48	53
Sales tax	6.25%	6.25%	6.25%	6.25%	7%	6.35%	0%
Transportation cost	85	54	53	55	68	69	48