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best places to live

The Best Places To Live In America This Year 

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Real Estate company Niche has released their fifth annual report of the Best Places to Live in America, which includes a number of different categories including the most affordable places in the nation to live. 

“The pandemic triggered a new set of possibilities—suddenly, many individuals and families found themselves more mobile than ever before, and in the past two years they have continued to think hard about where they really want to live,” says Luke Skurman, CEO and founder of Niche.

Niche creates their reports using data from reliable sources such as the US Census and other government agencies, in addition to citizen reviews and reports. When it comes time to put there report together, they look at factors such as affordability, diversity, local housing economies, and other integral factors that buyers would look at when it comes time to buy a home. 

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For the second year in a row, Niche reported that The Woodlands is the top place in America to live. Ryan Bell, the principal strategist at Niche, discussed why it’s been able to top the list two years in a row. 

“When you look at all the factors we chose for our best cities ranking, The Woodlands is extremely well-rounded. It had high scores in each category, including weather, overall affordability and the quality of its public schools.”

“Niche’s best cities rankings also incorporate real ratings from people who live there, so the residents’ love and appreciation for their home certainly helped The Woodlands hang on to the number one spot for two years running,” says Bell.

Gil Staley, CEO of The Woodlands Area Economic Development Project, also spoke to the perks that The Woodlands has to offer leading to its top ranking on the list. 

“Our county, as a whole, is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation and our community has turned into a regional center for jobs,” Bell explained, adding that the highly ranked school districts in the county also make the Woodlands a desirable place to live. 

Niche listed Fort Wayne, Indiana as the most affordable place to live in the US, a title which it also earned in 2018, 2019, and 2021. 

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“To take the number one spot, Fort Wayne had to have strong performance in several factors we take into account for the lowest cost of living rankings. In particular, housing and rental affordability in comparison to incomes in the area, are Fort Wayne’s strongest factors for affordability this year,” says Bell. 

Forbes Magazine reported on why citizens in Fort Wayne also believe it’s such an amazing place to live: “Fort Wayne is a lovely place to visit and live. I’ve lived here for six years now and still haven’t seen everything. It’s family friendly and just friendly in general. It’s a small city compared to most, but there’s much to do. It’s full of history and rivers.”

The Top 10 Best Places to live in America according to Niche are ranked as follows: 

  1. The Woodlands, Texas
  2. Cambridge, Massachusetts
  3. Naperville, Illinois
  4. Arlington, Virginia
  5. Overland Park, Kansas
  6. Ann Arbor, Michigan
  7. Columbia, Maryland
  8. Berkeley, California
  9. Plano, Texas
  10. Irvine, California

For the rest of the rankings from Niche, check out their full report here.

Headphones

Well-Reviewed Speakers And Headphones That Won’t Break The Bank

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As the holiday season approaches, and the world continues to endure the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s time to start thinking of gifts for our loved ones that promote staying home, but remaining entertained as we all navigate these uncertain times. Music has become one of the most healing elements for some during this year.

A proper sound system, or personal headphone system, is essential for any music lover in your life, and now that we’re living in an era where the government wants us to stay home and watch movies, there’s never been a better time to upgrade your systems; without breaking the bank either. Here are some of the newest, and most-affordable, speaker and headphones available currently:

Razer Opus Wireless Headphones: These wireless headphones are $200 which is a relatively average price for quality devices such as these currently on the market. Reviews of these headphones suggest that they’re comfortable, have great sound quality, and a long battery life. Added bonuses include a compact carrying case and ear cups on the headphones that can swivel to rest on the users chest.

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Sony WF-XB700Z Earbuds: These earbuds have been highly regarded as one of the best wireless headphones on a budget. Some sale prices have even shown the earbuds costing less than $100, and for that low price individuals get a pair of earbuds that has the ability to increase bass-levels, and latch onto your ears securely without feeling tight. For the price, users claim the sounds quality is just as good as any other higher end wireless headphone on the market.

OnePlus Buds: These earbuds are only for individuals who use a OnePlus phone. If you own an Android they’ll still work, however, reviewers claim you get the best sound quality when they’re paired with their proper counterpart. At just $79 users get a pair of earbuds that look very similar to Apple’s Airpods with just as smooth of a smooth sound quality.

Beats Flex: The new Beats Flex are only $50, a significantly cheaper version of the Beats X earbuds. Beats has long been known for their noise-cancelling crisp sounds quality, and the Flex buds are no different. They offer 12 hours of battery life, and have a remarkably comfortable fit for its low price point.

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Sonos Ikea Speakers: Shifting gears into the speaker market, Sonos and Ikea have been working on their partnership for over a year now, and finally they’re ready to offer you their widely impressive and affordable speaker systems. The Symfonisk table lamp speaker is $179, but there’s also a bookshelf size of the same speaker for just $99. You can pick them up at your local Ikea or on the furniture stores website, but they aren’t available at third-party retailers such as Best Buy.

Marshall’s Emerton Bluetooth Speaker: This speaker is $149 and uses a simple USB-C cord to charge. The controls on the device mimic that of Marshall’s recent line of headphones as well. The buttons on this speaker make it extremely easy for anyone to use as well.

Amazon Echo Dot: The line of Alexa-enabled smart speakers from Amazon have long dominated the market and for good reason. Mainly because the line is quite large and varies greatly in pricing, ranging from $49.99 to $199.99, but all contain the same amazing sound quality levels and smart-home capabilities.