There are many things that you should consider when making this decision. Are you good with change? The way you act with change will affect the way your situation is perceived. If you get along great with your parents, you might be looking forward to spending more time with them for the summer months.

For those that clash with their parents, you might dread moving home and having a reduced amount of freedom. Even if you are expecting your parents to give you a hard time when you return home, you might be surprised by having a good experience. Remember, you have been away from your parents the entire year and they miss you. You have spent the year proving to them that you are an adult and you can handle your responsibilities.

Moving Home for the Summer

Pros:

Live rent free for the summer – A major benefit of moving home for the summer is that you do not have to pay for rent. Returning to the safety and comfort of your childhood room is free.

Old friends reunite – You can see all of your old friends from high school that also returned for the summer.

Meals – Meals are made for you at home. Welcome back to mama’s home cooked meals.

Money – You are responsible for the cost of living and paying for food in college. When moving back home, you most likely will not have to worry about this.

Cons

Less independence – Even though you have been off at college on your own, there is a very good chance your parents will still want to know. They are your parents and they will always be curious about your life and who is in it.

Chores – When your back at home, expect to keep your room clean and the living space clean.

Reduced social life – When you are at college you can always find someone to hang out with. You can meet up with friends by simply walking down the dorm hall.

Moving – If you are moving back home then it is likely that you will have to hire a moving company or move yourself.

Timothy Patrick is a relocation adviser and writer for Movers-Moving.NET an online marketplace for hiring professional movers.

There are six areas on which the composite index is based on: utility, housing, transportation, health care, grocery items and miscellaneous items and services. The higher the Living-cost index score, the more is the cost of living. According to CCER, the index is a perfect representative of majority of the households in the topmost income quintile. Outlined below is a list of the top 10 most expensive cities in the U.S., plus the average costs of a few services and items in those areas.

1. New York (Manhattan), NY

• 307 urban areas
• National average: 100
• Living-cost index: 225.4

Housing prices in Manhattan are 4.5 times higher than the national average.

2. New York (Brooklyn), NY

• 307 urban areas
• National average: 100
• Living-cost index: 178.6

Housing prices in Brookline are 3.5 times higher than the national average.

3. Honolulu, HI

• 307 urban areas
• National average: 100
• Living-cost index: 167

Housing prices in Honolulu are twice the national average.

4. San Francisco, CA

• 307 urban areas
• National average: 100
• Living-cost index: 163.4

5. San Jose, CA

• 307 urban areas
• National average: 100
• Living-cost index: 153.4

6. New York (Queens), NY

• 307 urban areas
• National average: 100
• Living-cost index: 148.3

7. Stamford, CT

• 307 urban areas
• National average: 100
• Living-cost index: 146.1

8. Washington, DC

• 307 urban areas
• National average: 100
• Living-cost index: 144.7

9. Orange County, CA

• 307 urban areas
• National average: 100
• Living-cost index: 140.6

10. Boston, MA

• 307 urban areas
• National average: 100
• Living-cost index: 139.9

Normally, a person has to pay about 65 percent more than the national average for a house in Boston.

Source: ACCRA Cost of Living Index

1. El Paso, Texas

El Paso, Texas was ranked third overall for small, mid-sized and big cities. This metro area is considered 3^rd best mid-sized area in terms of job growth.

Employment change: 2.1%

2. Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi Texas was ranked 12^th overall for small, mid-sized and big cities, and is considered 7^th best mid-sized area in terms of job growth.

Employment change: 1.7%

3. Alexandria, Va

Alexandria is a new comer to the top ten mid-sized American cities. This historical metro area has recently been recognized as an ideal arts destination. Alexandria is making a big name for itself with different art events, festivals and galleries. If you are an art lover, this area is best for you to live. There are numerous annual art events that are organized for artists of all medium, skill level and background. You are definitely going to find a suitable art related job here.

Employment change: N/A

4. Anchorage, Alaska

This urban area was ranked 22^nd overall for small, mid-sized and big cities, and is considered 3^rd best mid-sized area in terms of job growth.

Employment change: 1.5%

5. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission was ranked 27^th overall for small, mid-sized and big cities, and is considered 6^th best mid-sized area in terms of job growth.

Employment change: 1.5%

6. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-Mo.

The city scored 63^rd position overall for small, mid-sized and big cities, and is considered 13^th best mid-sized area in terms of job growth. There are adequate job opportunities for people from all walks of life.

Employment change: 1.7%

7. Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

The metro area was ranked 82^nd overall for small, mid-sized and big cities, and is considered 15^th best mid-sized area in terms of job growth.

Employment change: 1.0%

8. Shreveport-Bossier City, La

The city scored 86^th position overall for small, mid-sized and big cities, and is considered 12^th best mid-sized area in terms of job growth.

Employment change: 0.9%

9. Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC

The metropolitan area managed to score 90^th position overall for small, mid-sized and big cities, and is considered 25^th best mid-sized area in terms of job growth.

Employment change: 1.7%

10. Knoxville, Tenn

Knoxville managed to score 94^th position overall for small, mid-sized and big cities. The amazing city is considered 43^rd best mid-sized area in terms of job growth. Although there are adequate jobs, the growth over the last few years is not satisfactory.

Employment change: 1.6%

So, what do such reports tell us regarding the demographic growth of our metropolitan areas? Most certainly low density, sustained economic development and low-priced, affordable housing all persist to population gravity center towards particular Sun Belt metro cities, mostly in Texas and the southeast. It shows that the great recession and the housing bust us not changing anything. Even the hyped preference for solid urbanity has not been successful in turning this trend around.

We have used information from Moody’s Analytics. The list below has been compiled using the assessment of the following factors:

• The rate of job growth in 2012
• The rate of population growth for 2012
• The estimated rate of population escalation for 2013
• The economic growth rate for 2012
• The unemployment rate (source: Federal unemployment data)
• Medial yearly salaries

10. Portland, Ore.

The city has seen a dramatic population growth in 2012.

Figures:

9. San Antonio

Being the 7^th most populous city in the country and 2^nd most populous in Texas, San Antonio has seen substantial population growth last year.

8. Phoenix

7. Provo, Utah

6. Seattle

5. Salt Lake City

4. Raleigh, N.C.

3. Dallas

2. Houston

1. Austin, Texas

The following list contains the top 10 U.S. cities with the highest number of millionaires. Unsurprisingly, 9 out 10 metropolitan areas discussed below are among the major financially segregated areas in the country.

A millionaire is defined by Capgemini as an individual who has investable $1 million worth of investable assets, excluding their primary residence.

10. Detroit 

Detroit is still striving to recuperate its pre-economic-recession population of millionaires. The metro city has seen adequate development to get a place in the top ten.

9. San Jose

The improved performance of local industry helped this metro city move from 10^th spot to 9^th. San Jose has seen an increase of 20,000 millionaires in the past few years, representing approximately 30 percent surge.

8. Houston

The number of millionaires in Houston grew by approximately 2.1 percent between 2010 and 2011.

7. Philadelphia

The city witnessed a huge 20% growth in millionaires from 2008 to 2009.

6. Boston

Highest Surge: 14 percent (between 2008 and 2009)

5. San Francisco

Highest Surge: 14.5 percent (between 2008 and 2009)

4. Washington, D.C.

Highest Surge: 19 percent (from 2008 to 2009)

3. Chicago

Highest Surge: 15.1 percent (in 2009)

2. Los Angeles

1. New York

Highest Surge: 18.7 percent (between 2008 and 2009)

Source: Capgemini U.S. Metro Wealth Index 

The incredible economic recession of the past few years spared hardly any city. However, in the following 10 majestic metros, the shrink regularly capped years of economic decline, steered in by the industrial failure and a fleeing population. Most of these declining US cities never really enjoyed the economic escalation before the collapse. Instead, they’ve witnessed their industrial base slowly erode over time and their inhabitants move to areas with more opportunities.

1. New Orleans

New Orleans tops the list. Hurricane Katrina forced 80% of the families in the city to move from their houses. A recent survey by the Department of Housing and Urban Development has shown that the other 12% still believes their situation to be volatile as they search for permanent home. Since the housing costs have increased substantially, more residents are expected to leave New Orleans this year.

2. Flint

 Flint, MI is number 2 on the list. Flint has become a perfect symbol of the collapse of US Auto industry and the US industrial city in the past twenty years. The car giant that once employed about 79,000 local people have shown huge decline. The figure has shrunk to approximately 8,000, and the trend is not expected to change this year.

3. Cleveland

 Cleveland, OH is number 3 on the list. The loss of manufacturing jobs has played a very important role in the shrinkage and is still draining this city.

4. Buffalo

Buffalo, NY is number 4 on the list.  Once the city was considered as a center of industry, but as those industries diminished, the population started to decrease. Back in 1900 it was the eighth-largest city in the country.

5. Dayton

Dayton, OH is number 5 on the list. Dayton was also affected by the continuously declining auto industry. A substantial number of people left and are still leaving because NCR Corporation (ATM and cash register manufacturer) moved its headquarters to Georgia, taking over twelve thousand jobs with it.

6. Pittsburgh

 Pittsburgh, PA is number 6. The steel industry in Pittsburgh lost its sheen a long time ago, forcing a number of people to leave the place. That decline is still showing its glory.

7. Rochester

Rochester, NY is number 7 on the list. Once a booming trade center, Rochester has gone through a major population decrease due to the failure of its flagship companies.

8. Jackson

Jackson, MI is number 8 on our list. People are moving from the central city to the suburban border, similar to what they did in other collapsing centers, such as Atlanta.

9. Syracuse

Syracuse, NY is number 9 on the list. The loss of manufacturing base is forcing people out of the city, but the city is trying to retain population by investing in its downtown.

10. Birmingham

Birmingham, AL is number 10 on our list. This is another former steel town, most of its population relocated outside the city limits.

North Dakota is topping the list with 2.17% growth over the previous year. The figure is pretty surprising, since it indicates that the state has shown growth three times greater than the overall national rate. North Dakota is the 2^nd highest oil-producing state in the U.S., which is one of the major reasons why people prefer living here.

1. North Dakota

 2. District of Columbia

3. Texas

4. Wyoming

5. Utah

6. Nevada

7. Colorado

8. Arizona

9. Florida

10. South Dakota

Considering the current economic conditions, one might assume residents would move to the states with better employment opportunities, which appears to be happening to some degree. The famous oil rush of North Dakota managed to attract more than 10,000 additional residents to increase its tiny population. Washington, D.C., on the other hand, attracted approximately 6,000 new residents from all over the country, most of whom were seemingly young professional looking for work. However, four of the top ten fastest growing American states had unemployment rates less than national average last year.

If that is the case, what’s making people to move to areas with higher-than-average unemployment? Warm weather and low taxes are apparently the two top candidates. Warm weather encourages retirees, and professionals are encouraged by low taxes, even if the job market isn’t extraordinary on the whole. It’s most likely not a coincidence that most of the fastest depleting states tend to be colder-weather locations with higher taxes.

The following table shows the top states for domestic migration 2012.

(Incoming Residents per 1000 Population)

Immigration seems to be a non-factor for the fastest growing states other than Florida and DC. This might largely be due to the fact that net migration from Mexico has decrease to nil since the recession. Immigrants are apparently having huge impact on Atlantic coast instead of the Sunbelt.

1. Lincoln, NE

Lincoln has managed to jump twenty spots on the index from 2011 to 2012, which is a tremendous improvement in such a short time. The city is ranked 3^rd in terms of access to basic necessities, such as affordable healthy food, medicine and health insurance. It has scored top position in terms of work experience.

2. Boulder, CO

Boulder has also shown substantial development over the last year. It has in fact jumped to second place from fifth position. The city has scored third position in terms of strong and healthy behavior that measures general lifestyle habits, such as exercise frequency, smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption, and diet.

3 Burlington-South Burlington, VT

Burlington has moved 30 spots since 2011. This metro area has been ranked second in both physical health and life evaluation – a self-assessment of a person’s existing personal well being and projected happiness/well being in 5 years.

4. Provo-Orem, UT

This area has managed to maintain its position for the 2^nd year in a row. It is considered as the top city in terms of life evaluation.

5. Fort Collins-Loveland, CO

The metro area has shown improvement since 2011. Indeed, it has jumped from 9^th position to 4^th. However, it has dropped to 42^nd position in terms of health (physical and mental), in which the city ranked 1^st in 2011.

6. Barnstable Town, MA

This urban city was ranked 11^th in 2011. It has jumped to 2^nd position in terms of job/work evaluation, which considers people’s opinion of their work experience, such as job satisfaction, office environment, interaction with coworkers and general treatment at work place. On the other hand, Barnstable Town scored 86^th spot in life evaluation.

7. Honolulu, HI

Honolulu dropped just one spot this year. It is ranked number 1 in terms of mental and emotional health. The index ranks emotional health by considering 7 factor: daily experience of sadness, smiling, laughing, happiness, anger, worry and stress.

8. Ann Arbor, MI

The metro city has dropped 5 places from number 3 in 2011. Its residents have topped the life evaluation index for the 2^nd year in a row.

9. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC, MD, VA

The area has shown considerable improvement and has moved up 3 spots this year. On work environment index, Washington-Arlington-Alexandra has jumped from 53^rd to 41^st spot.

10. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles has managed to jump forty-seven spots on the index this year. It has scored 4^th position in terms of healthy behavior and 7^th in terms of emotional health.

The results of the research are based on numerous phone interviews with 353,563 random people.

Source: Gallup Well-Being Index

1. Austin, Texas – Just making the list, Austin is a metropolitan city that boasts some of the cleanest drinking water in the nation, virtually no state income tax and a collection of universities and colleges that create for a truly diverse and lively atmosphere that never gets boring. With over 200 days out of the year being sunny, it’s little wonder this town has made it on the top 10 list.

2. Omaha, Nebraska – This city has one of the highest employment rates in the country, and its population of almost half a million people enjoy staggeringly low housing prices and rent and an overall lower cost of living that is over 10% below the national average.

3. Boulder, Colorado – This scenic land, home to the Rocky Mountains is beautiful, however you will pay a price to enjoy such breathtaking scenery. After all, the cost of living here is almost 40% higher than the national average!

4. Boise, Idaho – With a plethora of outdoor activities being popular in this city, including boating, biking, hiking and skiing, residents get a taste of the same beautiful outdoor recreational living at a fraction of the price of many of the more expensive cities in the U.S.

5. San Francisco, California – With almost one million residents, this sizable city is home to two major professional sports teams and boasts some of the country’s finest restaurants and best universities and colleges. The City by the Bay is quite expensive to take part in, so this may not be a top pick for everyone.

6. Charlotte, North Carolina – Home to some of the largest corporate headquarters in the country including Family Dollar, Lowe’s and Duke Energy amongst many others, this thriving economic powerhouse of a town provides its residents with affordable living in a beautiful environment and ample job opportunities.

7. Kansas City, Missouri – With a fairly low cost of living, this beautiful town has some of the most affordable housing and food costs to be found anywhere. As if this isn’t reason enough to relocate to this city, Google has announced that it is installing its fastest wireless Internet across the entire city!

8. Portland, Oregon – With some of the largest percentages of park land per resident in the entire country, Portland is a city that caters to nature lovers, being located just a short hour drive from both the beaches and mountains.

9. San Diego, California – Home to what many would argue is the best weather in the U.S., San Diego is a hotly desired place to live, with residents making an average of $60k per year, however the housing prices here are certainly above the national average.

10. Raleigh, North Carolina – There is absolutely no shortage of jobs in this business district, with an unemployment level far below the national average. This growing town is a great place for young professionals, families and students alike.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the top 10 best cities to live in the U.S.

Based on statistics from the FBI, we’ve put together a list of the most dangerous and violent cities.

1. Detroit, Michigan – This town is a chock full of crime, with an average murder rate that is almost 10 times the national average! Crime rates have dropped by marginal percentages in recent years, still keeping this as one of the most dangerous places to live in the U.S.

2. Flint, Michigan – Located very close to Detroit, Flint is another town to be wary of. Due to economic downturns over the course of several decades, this once bustling and thriving town has decayed into a town with a high occurrence of rapes, almost three times the national average.

3. Atlanta, Georgia – While at first, Atlanta may not come to mind as a violent city, the reality is that this town has one of the highest rates of aggravated assault in the entire nation, with about 600 incidents per 100,000 residents per year while the national average is close to 200!

4. Orlando, Florida – While Orlando is a popular destination spot for travelers and tourists, there are approximately 1,000 violent crimes per 100,000 residents every year. In an attempt to reduce the occurrence of crimes, the city is installing surveillance cameras across the entire city.

5. Birmingham, Alabama – While the state as a whole is considered fairly safe, Birmingham has some of the highest national stats for rapes, property crimes and murders. Chances are, if you have lived or currently are living in Birmingham, you will be the victim of a crime at some point during your stay.

6. St. Louis, Missouri – This city has some of the highest crime rates in the country, with robberies and murders breaking the top 5 highest in the country.

7. Memphis, Tennessee – Similar to Atlanta, Memphis has a reputation for increased occurrences of aggravated assault, making up the bulk of the crimes that are committed in this city.

8. Miami, Florida – While Miami has a high crime rate, the reality is, that most parts of the city are very safe. Most of the robberies and assaults that take place happen within a small square mile area, meaning that most residents will be safe from ever witnessing or being a victim of a crime.

9. Baltimore, Maryland – Baltimore has something of a mix of crime types, with murders and assault being quite above the national average, however property crimes are much lower than many of the other cities on this list.

10. Kansas City, Kansas – Overall, the crime rate in Kansas City is three times above the average in the nation. The one type of crime that stands out the most compared to the others is the prevalence of vehicle theft. You’ll want to make sure you lock your doors every time you leave your car unattended in this town.

We hope you’ve found our list of the 10 most dangerous cities in the U.S. helpful, and will hopefully serve to increase your awareness of the safety or lack thereof in your moving destination.