CRESTVIEW — The Hub City ranks high for Floridians who want to buy their first home, according to NerdWallet.
The San Francisco-based consumer finance site ranks Crestview at No. 28 of 308 places on its new list, "Top places for first-time homebuyers in Florida."
NerdWallet used 2014 data and measured trends from 2011 to 2014 to compile the list.
The city's highlights:
●Crestview — with 22,099 residents in 2014 — has a median annual income of $51,115
●Population grew 7.57 percent between 2011 and 2014
●Owners occupy 60.8 percent of housing
●Median home value is $157,700
●Selected monthly homeowner costs are $1,413
●Median property tax rate is 0.85 percent
However:
●Home values dipped 6.85 percent between 2011 and 2014
●It takes 14.3 years to save for a 20 percent down payment (assuming people save 4.8 percent annually, based on the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis' U.S. 10-year average)
●19 percent of families live in poverty
●The crime-risk score is "less safe"
Other Northwest Florida communities in NerdWallet's top 30 places include East Milton, No. 1; Navarre, No. 3; Pace, No. 5; Niceville, No. 8; and Midway, No. 23. Fort Walton Beach, No. 31, just missed the list.
So, why did NerdWallet focus on Florida?
See the full report: www.nerdwallet.com/blog/mortgages/first-time-home-buyer/#florida
This isn't the first time Crestview ranked high for its quality of life.
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Why Crestview's a top place for first-time home buyers