A new survey by HomeAdvisor has found that California homeowners ranked No. 1 out of 36 metro areas when it comes to homeowner happiness.
The top three reasons? Affordable, well-functioning homes offering enjoyable accommodations; a sense of diversity, safety and a strong neighborhood network; and practical commutes and access to important accommodations and services.
Los Angeles, in particular, ranked No. 2 behind San Francisco among the survey’s “Five Happiest Cities” in the recently released Home Happiness Survey, which polled 18,000 homeowners in 36 metro areas to determine how their overall happiness is influenced by where they live.
The index assigned Los Angeles homeowners an A- “happiness score,” with eight out of 10 homeowners saying, “It’s the best place to live.” In addition, the Angelenos surveyed said they had been in their homes an average of 35 years and 88 percent said they have renovated their homes.
The affordability factor was where Angelenos scored their lowest happiness score, with just 52 percent saying the average $759,000 home price is “reasonable.”
When it comes to community, 70 percent of Los Angeles residents said they feel safe, 65 percent trust their neighbors, 63 percent feel they have good fire, police and medical services, and 62 percent have neighbors they enjoy. Meanwhile, 54 percent said they feel their community is racially diverse and 55 percent said their community is religiously diverse.
As for commuting, 82 percent of Angelenos said they have easy access to highways and live within one hour of a major metro area, 60 percent have a reasonable commute, and 55 percent live close to work. Seventy-seven percent said they have access to shopping to meet their needs.