WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS BELOW
Dunwoody named one of the most expensive suburbs nationwide – again
by Jonathan Cribbs
jonathan@dekalbchamp.com
Dunwoody has been named one of the most expensive suburbs to live in nationwide – for the second time in two years.
In a story headlined “Is Living in a High-End Suburb Worth It?” Business Week magazine cited Dunwoody’s median home price of $350,000 and its own calculated cost-of-living index as evidence of the city’s costliness.
“This wealthy suburb is popular with commuters, many of whom take the rapid-transit train to Atlanta,” the magazine said. “Dunwoody is home to Perimeter shopping Mall and was the childhood home of American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.”
The magazine said it worked with Onboard Informatics, a New York data analytics company, to develop the list, which included a suburb in each state. The two looked at an area’s cost of living, non-retail expenditures, including mortgage and utilities, median home price and property tax. These findings were then compared with state averages.
Reaction from city officials was mixed. Mayor Ken Wright said he was appreciative of Dunwoody’s inclusion in the list.
“I think it’s a positive thing, if anything,” he said. “Dunwoody is a desirable place to live even with the economic situation that the country’s in. I think Dunwoody’s really held its own.”
City councilman John Heneghan said on his blog he didn’t value the ranking because it included the same stats used last year. He also said he considers Dunwoody a good value compared with suburbs in costly states such as New York, Maryland and California.
Heneghan said he’s more focused on making Money magazine’s Best Places to Live list. Dunwoody’s information is included on the magazine’s Web site, but it has never made a list of the top 100 places to live because of its small population. Money magazine uses similar factors – but more of them – to compile its list.
Pricey suburbs listed in Business Week’s survey of nearby states include Pinecrest, Fla., outside Miami; Mountain Brook, Ala., outside Birmingham; and Lugoff, S.C., outside Columbia.
The magazine also said Dunwoody’s cost-of-living index is 67 percent more than the state average. Its non-retail spending index is 68 percent more.
|
