How Amazon’s HQ2 finalists rank based on housing market

Amazon is heading into the home stretch of its search for the city that will lay claim to the company’s second headquarters, or HQ2.

Amazon has said it’s looking for a city with mass transit options, an international airport nearby, an existing labor force and a strong community and quality of life for future employees.

If quality of life ends up as a deciding factor, ATTOM Data Solutions has some predictions. The property database ranked Amazon’s 19 finalist cities by housing market health and quality of life in its May 2018 Housing News Report:

Amazon HQ2 finalists ranked by quality of life and housing market. Credit: ATTOM Data Solutions

Raleigh, North Carolina came in first on the list, followed by Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Austin, Denver and Los Angeles. Northern Virginia, Zillow analysts’ pick for a likely choice, came in 13th, and Newark, New York and Boston came in dead last.

ATTOM Data Solutions ranked these 19 cities based on crime rates, environmental hazards, home affordability, home appreciation, home prices, property taxes and school scores.

Real estate blockchain and cryptocurrency explained

The key concepts and applications you need to know READ MORE

The cities that came in on top based on those factors aren’t the ones analysts have so far favored Amazon to choose. In recent weeks, Amazon-watchers have agreed with Zillow’s earlier prediction that Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia are leading the pack. Montgomery County, Maryland, is also in contention in the Washington, D.C. area.

“We have the kind of talent in the categories they are looking for,” economist Stephen Fuller, director of the Stephen S. Fuller Institute for Research on the Washington Region’s Economic Future, told ATTOM Data Solutions. “It would be good for this economy. It would diversify it and it would attract other businesses.”

Amazon promises to bring an economic boom to whatever city it chooses, leading cities to offer huge tax incentives, like a $7 billion promise from Newark and the state of New Jersey.

Many affordable housing and community activists question whether Amazon’s presence would benefit or hurt their cities in the long run. Amazon’s first headquarters, in Seattle, has drastically reshaped the city over the past 20 years. Wherever Amazon deposits itself, housing prices will likely rise.

If quality of life is Amazon’s no. 1 priority, Raleigh should expect a phone call. If not, some of the cities toward the bottom of the list — like Washington, D.C., northern Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland — shouldn’t sit this one out just yet.

Email Emma Hinchliffe

How Amazon’s HQ2 finalists rank based on housing market curated from Inman

Comments

The Ultimate Guide To Family Law

Introduction The government has always had a fascination with families and the contract of marriage. State legislatures have passed many laws regulating the requirements for getting married and for obtaining a divorce. In addition, today’s laws also affect couples who live together outside of marriage. It is hard to give simple answers to many of the legal questions that a person may have about marriage, parenthood, separation, or divorce because the laws change and vary from one state to another. In addition, judges in different states with identical laws may decide cases with similar facts in different ways. This article describes the laws and court rulings common to most states. If you have other questions, please contact a lawyer in your state. You may also wish to contact a specialist. Many lawyers (particularly in urban areas) work only on family law or make it a large part of their general practice. Lawyers specializing in family law also may refer to themselves as specialist...

Amazon HQ2 talks reportedly narrow to Crystal City, Dallas and NYC

Amazon is reportedly getting close to finalizing the location of its $5 billion, 50,000-job second headquarters following a nationwide reverse-contest of sorts, wherein the tech company accepted bids and presentations from different city governments on why they should be the one to land Amazon HQ2. And now it appears that three locations are currently in the lead: Virginia’s Crystal City, Dallas and New York City. After speaking to people familiar with Amazon’s plans, The Wall Street Journal reported this weekend that the search for the second headquarters has narrowed from the 20 cities originally shortlisted as potential locations. Discussions around Denver, Toronto, Atlanta, Nashville, Tenn., and Raleigh, N.C. have cooled somewhat while Amazon’s team has been having more talks with representatives of the other three cities. Amazon’s impact on home affordability has been a major consideration, as the tech giant’s presence in Seattle has both created nume...

How To Flag Your Hotel In The Age Of Brand Proliferation

No doubt about it, we’re in the age of hotel brand proliferation. New brands seemingly sprout almost weekly. Counting the precise or official number of hotel brands is difficult. By my conservative estimate, nearly 100 new flags with at least eight properties have been launched since 2008, conceivably pushing the total number of brands to more than 700. This dizzying array of choices doesn’t the make the decision about which flag to fly on a property any easier for hotel developers. How do you decide when there are so many brands to choose from? Marriott , for example, has 30-plus brands under its umbrella spanning all chain scale and star levels of the hospitality industry. A successful hotel project begins with the selection of the right brand for your marketplace, physical site and price point. Although the macro dynamics of the lodging business are strong, a microanalysis of the destination in which you want to build will ultimately dictates your brand choice. Here’s a road ma...

Maureen Mengel Blog

Search This Blog