San Antonio cracks top 25 on U.S. News and World Report's "Best Places to Live"

Click here to read the article. Excerpts:

"San Antonio is considered the 23rd best place to live in the United States, according to U.S. News and World Report.

The Alamo City cracked the top 25 in the magazine's 2017 edition of its Best Places to Live in the U.S. list, which ranks major metro areas on a number of factors including unemployment, annual household income, cost of living, education, health care and migration.

The magazine said the nation's seventh-largest city is "as comfortable as an old pair of jeans. It offers big-city amenities and world-renowned attractions coupled with a relaxed and inviting atmosphere." It also said that San Antonio residents benefit from living in a destination city in that they have year-round access to attractions such as Six Flags Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld San Antonio, while also being complimentary of its arts and culture, citing the Majestic Theater, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts and the McNay Art Museum, along with the Alamo and the rest of the historic Spanish missions. The report on San Antonio also noted that the missions have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO."

"Here are the top 10 cities on this year's list:

1. Austin
2. Denver
3. San Jose, California
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Fayetteville, Arkansas
6. Seattle
7. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
8. Boston
9. Des Moines, Iowa
10. Salt Lake City"

I'm usually skeptical of any "best places" lists because if those places are so great, more people will move there, driving up the cost of living. Then it might not be such a great place.

Suppose that San Francisco is 6 times better to live in than Omaha, Nebraska (as of 2015). That is about how many times higher the median home price is in San Francisco. There is definitely more to do and more great sights in San Francisco, but it costs alot more to live there.

If SF were so great, everyone would leave Omaha and head to SF. But they don't. This is where  the "Indifference Principle"comes in.

If people really believe that SF is better many of them go there, but things won't be very fun due to the crowds (which reminds me of something that Yogi Berra said about a restaurant: "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded").

Prices of everything will be bid up. This also illustrates what economist Steven Landsburg calls the "Indifference Principle." "Except when people have unusual tastes or unusual talents, all activities must be equally desirable."

This applies to SF. Once everyone sees it as a good deal or great place, they start going there. Only people with unusual tastes will really enjoy it. That is, you will have to like what that SF has to offer alot more than the average person or the crowds and congestion and high prices will erode your enjoyment. It won't be any better than anywhere else to live. Other places will be just as desirable.

If home prices were only twice as high in SF, then lots of people will move there because it is such a great place. But then that drives up the home prices and eventually there is no advantage to moving to SF. All of its extra benefits are eaten up in higher costs of living.