The Santa Monica-based Milken Institute came out with its annual Best Performing Cities report last week, and Los Angeles ranked 68th out of 200 larger cities. That’s way up from 87th place last year.
The index relies on 12 indicators of economic progress and access to opportunities, such as job growth, high-tech concentration and housing affordability. That last category is what dragged down L.A.’s overall number; the city ranked 199th out of 200 in affordability. L.A.’s high-tech concentration buoyed the
city’s ranking.
The Oxnard-Thousand Oaks area came in at No. 79, but it had one of the biggest jumps – up from 158 last year. The No. 1 large city was Provo-Orem, Utah, for the third consecutive year.
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How much apartment will $1,500 a month get you in Los Angeles?
That was asked by RentCafe, an apartment-search website that does a fair amount of research. And the answer, unsurprisingly, is not much. In Los Angeles proper, $1,500 will only get you 423 square feet, about the size of a studio or small one-bedroom unit. That’s among the least square footage you’d get nationwide for that money, although it’s roomy compared to the 243 square feet you’d get in Manhattan in New York.
As a national average, $1,500 a month would get you 782 square feet, or a fairly sizeable one-bedroom or cozy two-bedroom unit.
To get a unit of about that size in Los Angeles, it would cost you $2,800 a month, according to RentCafe.
The best deals in the Los Angeles area are in the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys. In Palmdale, $1,500 will stretch to as much as 701 square feet – which starts to approach the national average. In nearby Lancaster and Santa Clarita, that amount of money will get you 693 and 598 square feet, respectively.
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A new study says California ranks ninth for where to live a long and healthy life.
Life Extension, which studies and markets health products, released a report last month using data from the Centers for Disease Control, Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Census Bureau to compare life expectancy and many healthy lifestyle factors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
California ranks No. 9 overall, and its people have a life expectancy of 79 years, a bit longer than the national average of 78.5 years. The state ranks No. 14 for healthy living based on such factors as diet, fitness, stress, sleep, outdoor activity and social connection.
The top states, in order, are Hawaii, Minnesota, Vermont, Washington, New Hampshire, Utah, Colorado, Massachusetts, California and Oregon.
To improve longevity and health, Life Extension suggests that spending time outdoors can help maintain a healthy weight, and the sun triggers your body to produce vitamin D. Also, a healthy diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins is a big help, and so is regularly getting a full night’s sleep.
Interestingly, it also said that spending time with loved ones is important because strong social relationships are key to a longer life.
The Insider is compiled by Editor-in-Chief Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].
