Moving and Relocation: A Research Guide
Whether it’s because of the lure of a new job, new life, or a new city, Americans are constantly moving. The following resources will help you select a new home or land a job and find schools in the city or town of your choice. These books and Web sites include information such as the cost of living, salary levels, residential area, education and employment opportunities. This guide introduces researchers to some of the basic informational sources on the topic. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library’s catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.
Where to Live
America’s Top Rated Cities. 4 vols. Boca Raton, FL: Universal Reference, 2002. ISBN: 1930956444.
Includes a social, business, economic, demographic, and environmental profile of each city.
Chamber of Commerce
www.chamberofcommerce.com
Creates links to city chambers throughout the country in addition to state chambers of commerce, state boards of tourism, U.S. convention and visitors bureaus, American chambers abroad, and U.S. embassies.
Cities Ranked and Rated: More than 400 Metropolitan Areas Evaluated in the United States and Canada. Indianapolis: Wiley, 2004. ISBN: 076452562X.
Each city is ranked on a number of essential factors, many of which are of vital interest in today’s economy. Categories include: economy and jobs, cost of living, climate, education, health and health care, crime, transportation, leisure, and arts and culture.
Homefair.com
www.homefair.com
Includes a variety of tools for people relocating including “The Relocation Wizard” to help you plan your move and the “Salary Calculator” that compares the cost of living in hundreds of U.S. cities. Also includes free school and city reports.
Making Your Move to One of America’s Best Small Towns by Norman Compton. New York: M. Evans, 2002. ISBN: 0871319888.
Includes information for each of the 120 towns listed, including geography, climate, schools, recreation facilities, sales tax rates, per capita income, the cost of electricity, and the average cost of a home.
Money’s Best Places to Live
http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/
Lists America’s best places to live. Search on housing costs and weather.
Moving and Relocation Sourcebook. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 2001. ISBN: 0780804317.
Features mailing addresses, local and toll-free telephone numbers, fax numbers, Web site addresses, and e-mail addresses for chambers of commerce, government offices, libraries, and other local information resources (including online resources).
New Rating Guide to Life in America’s Small Cities by Kevin Heubusch and G. Scott Thomas. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1997. ISBN: 157392170X.
Provides statistics and point rating system for small cities.
Places Rated Almanac by David Savageau and Ralph D’Agostino. New York: Hungry Minds, 2000. ISBN: 0028634470.
Metropolitan areas are rated in nine categories: costs of living, job outlook, transportation, education, health care, crime, the arts, recreation, and climate.
Finding a Home
HomeBuilder.com
www.homebuilder.com
Search for new home listings, find a custom builder, planned communities, and factory-built homes.
Homescape.com
www.homescape.com
Homescape.com is a mega-portal for the following Web sites: apartments.com, homefinder.com, MovingCenter.com, and NewHomeNetwork.com.
Owner.com
www.owners.com
Completely searchable national database of homes for sale by owner.
Realtor.com
www.realtor.com
Search for homes by state, zip code, or MLS information.
Yahoo! Real Estate
http://realestate.yahoo.com
Offers a wide variety of real estate information: buying, selling, renting, financing, and improving your home.
The Move
Monstermoving.com
www.monstermoving.com
Offers a one-stop shopping site to help you manage your move.
MoversNet at the U.S. Postal Service
www.usps.com/moversnet/
Provides information on your change of address form but also information on motor vehicle and voter registration, maps, and tips on moving with kids and pets.
Apartment Locators
Apartmentguide.com
www.apartmentguide.com
Highlights: Search by geographic area and specifications. Provides photos, floor plans, and contact information. Based on the nationally distributed print publication.
Apartments.com
www.apartments.com
Search for apartments by state and city and specifications such as price range and number of bedrooms. Provides photographs and virtual tours.
Rent.net
www.rent.net
Lists apartments and rentals such as senior living, vacation property, and temporary housing.
Subject Headings
• cities and towns—ratings—United States
• family life surveys
• metropolitan areas
• moving household
• quality of life
• retirement, places of
• social indicators
• suburbs
• urban-rural migration—United States