Buffalo Is One Of The Least Desirable Cities In The Country

It looks like Buffalonians are doing a good job of keeping Buffalo a secret. After a recent survey, very few people want to come here.

For a few years now, Buffalolonians have been living by the mantra of "Keeping Buffalo a Secret." The idea was that if we let people know how great it is, then everyone will want to come here and they'll ruin it for the rest of us. But according to a recent survey, we won't have to worry about that for a while.

Buffalo is the 4th least desirable city in the country

The survey was conducted by Home Bay and Allied Van Lines to find out the best and worst places to live in 2023. Their findings show that the most desirable places to live have a low crime rate (46%), affordable homes (43%), and a low cost of living (41%). Buffalo ended up coming in as the 4th least desirable city in the country after only Washington DC, Baltimore, MD, and Atlanta, GA.

Where is the most desirable city in the country?

So if Buffalo isn't where people want to go, where DO they want to live? According to this study, it's Seattle, WA. They cite reasons like charming neighborhoods, vibrant culinary scenes, close proximity to nature, and year-round recreational opportunities for its high ranking.

What does Seattle really have that Buffalo doesn't?

Let's be honest, what is it that they have that we don't? Charming neighborhoods? We have those. Vibrant culinary scene? Have you ever had Buffalo food? Seriously, from wings and beef on weck to fish frys, we've got some of the best food you could ask for. Close proximity to nature? We are on a lake! And we think it's pretty great (see what I did there?).

What they have is much more expensive housing. According to the study, the typical home value in Seattle was more than $700,000. That's the average. Their average cost of living is 14% higher than the national average.

We still think that Buffalo is a pretty great place to live. But then again, we can keep all of that our little secret.