Americans think DC is the most undesirable city to live, according to new study

The Brief

• The District of Columbia was the most undesirable city for the second year in a row.

• Americans considered Tampa the most desirable major metro area in the US and Honolulu was the most desirable midsize metro.

• About 73% of Americans like where they live, but 59% said they still get frustrated by their city or state, and 43% said their state embarrasses them.

DC ranked most undesirable

The District of Columbia was ranked as the most undesirable city for the second year in a row, according to researchers at Clever Real Estate, who surveyed 1,000 American adults in June to find out the best and worst places to live in 2024.

About 33% of Americans said it was one of the top five worst cities in the US — up from 20% who said the same in 2023.

The District is one of the most expensive cities in the country, and 65% of Americans surveyed in the study said that a high cost of living makes a place undesirable.

Despite this, another recent study found DC the best place for working parents to live. According to the findings, DC topped the ranking with high scores in both the work and health categories, with 25% of its workforce being remote and registering 350 pediatricians per 100,000 children.

RELATED: Washington DC ranks No. 1 for working parents

To gather the data, each respondent answered 25 questions related to where they live, which areas of the US they preferred, and what they believe made a city or state desirable.

Migration data from the US Census at the state and metro level was also analyzed to determine which states and cities Americans were moving in and out of.

Here’s a look at the best places to live in 2024, according to the study.

10 Least Desirable Cities to Live

1. Washington, DC

2. New York, NY

3. San Francisco, CA

4. Chicago, IL

5. Detroit, MI

6. Los Angeles, CA

7. Baltimore, MD

8. Birmingham, AL

9. Atlanta, GA

10. Buffalo, NY

Most Americans could be convinced to leave their city, state

The data revealed that the majority of Americans (73%) like where they live, but more than half (59%) said they still get frustrated by their city or state. In fact, 43% of respondents said their state embarrasses them.

Americans also said that a low crime rate, low housing and living costs and good weather were the primary factors that make up a desirable place to live. Contrastingly, a high crime rate, high cost of living and high taxes made a place undeisireable.

The study also showed that 84% of Americans said they could be convinced to leave their city or state, with an increase in crime being the top reason (58%).

When relocating, affordable housing was considered the single most important factor, above safety, low cost of living, and proximity to family and friends.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.