Maybe, for this time of year you want to visit the desert instead of the mountains.Or take a vacation along the coast. Or islands – like Catalina off the coast of Southern California or one of the Hawaiian Islands.
Photo: Visual Hunt
You may just decide to live there for six months and somewhere else for the other.In the mountains for skiing and snowboarding and then at the beach for surfing and sun bathing.
It may begin with a vacation to a friend’s favorite destination.
Maybe it’s someplace where you’ve never been before.
Where do you find neighborhoods with similar families?
For your first time you’ll want to figure out your route and itinerary.
Usually you have a region in mind, with some ideas where you might want to visit.
Western United States – Texas A&M Transportation Institute
You may start with a map of a region within the West or of Hawaii.
You can start saving bookmarks about potential places, to revisit later.
Or you recall a trip you took out west a few years ago.
From California to Nevada and Arizona.
Up to Colorado and back through Utah and Nevada to your return to California.
A name rings a bell when you read an article in a file saved years ago that you stumble across while cleaning up your office.
It lists the top places for retiring published by AARP – Loveland, Colorado.
You spend a little time on the Internet and discover, it’s been singled out as a great place to retire on the water.
In 2009 it was singled out as a best place to live.
Colorado Regions
You recall the fun you had hiking through the nearby Rocky Mountain National Park.
What were the names of some of those other places you saw on the way?
You wonder if Loveland is right for you?
After all, US News & World Report ranked it 7th on their top 10 places to live in 2009; right ahead of San Luis Obispo, California and behind front runner Albuquerque, New Mexico, # 3 Austin, Texas and #4 Boise, Idaho.
Now you’ve got your work cut out for you. Follow these 11 steps to turn your dreams into your dream home. Let’s use Loveland as an example:
1.I recommend beginning with Wikipedia and WikiTravel for a quick summary, local history some pictures and the zip code or zip codes.You’ll see a map of the state, a subset of that map for it’s county.WikiTravel profiles vacation attractions – directions and transportation, where to stay overnight, where you should eat and play.It gives you ideas for visiting local attractions and doing more when you consider a broader vicinity.So you can plan for a long weekend or a one or more week vacation.
2.If you aren’t interested in Loveland you can stop there and consider San Luis Obispo next.Maybe, for this time of year you want to visit the desert instead of the mountains.Or take a vacation along the coast. Or islands – like Catalina off the coast of Southern California or one of the Hawaiian Islands. But, if you like lakes and rivers, then Loveland may be worth further investigation.
3.For our purposes, we are assuming that you really want to move, invest in, work in, start a business or retire in a new community that doubles as a vacation resort and with pristine quality of lifestyle activities.Otherwise, why bother?
4.So, grab the zip code and go to Google and search on the 5 digits.You’ll find a map which will show you where this destination is in relation to its surrounding area.You see photo slide shows and videos of the area.You can switch to satellite views and hybrid map views.
5.Still believe this town may be a keeper?Jump to Claritas to check out the types of people who already live in the neighborhoods. “Birds of a Feather Flock Together.”Neighborhoods change slowly.They attract the same kinds of people over time.If you plan to move, invest, work, start a business or retire, you’ll want to see if residents match your criteria.
8.Let’s say you’ve compared and narrowed your search for real estate investments.Check out City-Data for in-depth demographics and regional, county and zip code statistics – including the number of registered sex offenders.
9.If you plan to move, you should search by zip code on Weather Underground to find a wealth of weather patterns including tornadoes, hurricanes and other disasters for each season, but especially for January and June to determine just how inviting your new vacation resort will be.You may just decide to live there for six months and somewhere else for the other.In the mountains for skiing and snowboarding and then at the beach for surfing and sun bathing.
10. Need a job?Check the openings by zip code from two Internet sites – Indeed and Simply Hired.You’ll want to take a couple of job hunting or house hunting trips before your final decision.Make a vacation of it by returning to WikiTravel to line up the best accommodations, or visit My New Place for a listing, map and photos of rentals by zip code.
11.We know that the best positions are hidden.You find them by a chain of referrals and introductions.How do you create a new network?Use your zip code and key word description of the town in LinkedIn’s advanced search function and begin contacting the first few of 100 local introductions.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
Photo: Visual Hunt
For our purposes, we are assuming that you really want to move, invest in, work in and around, start a business or retire in a new community that doubles as a vacation resort with pristine quality of lifestyle activities. Otherwise, why bother?
Here’s what we know already.
Neighborhoods change slowly.
“Birds of a Feather Flock Together.”
They attract the same kinds of people over time.
You’ll want to see if current residents match your criteria.
We’ve already done the heavy lifting for you: identifying neighborhood characteristics by age and the stage of life of their residents.
Single (20-29, 25-54, or 30-44).
Couple (55+ or 65+).
Family (20-44, 25-54, 35-54).
Mid-Lifers (30-44).
Empty Nests (45+).
Baby Boomers (55+).
Seniors (65+).
And, we’ve compared neighborhoods by population density.
From urban and suburban Wealthy Influentials and Permanent Temporaries to premier quality-of-life Wireless Resorters to pristine small town and rustic High Country Eagles.
So, if you want to narrow your focus to neighborhoods with, say, 25-54 year old families in Wireless Resorts, then you can find a list that suits you best.
With the help of our knowledge bank, you can choose for variations in your new neighborhood by:
Refer to 66 lifestyle segment descriptions grouped in sets of ten, beginning with the most affluent and ending with the least. You’ll see that we’ve identified a sample town where you’ll most likely find each lifestyle listed.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write-up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
In their bucolic communities noted for their recently built homes on sprawling properties, the families of executives live in six-figure comfort.
Google Maps: Mammoth Lakes, CA
These upscale, empty-nesting couples enjoy the trappings of success, belonging to country clubs, maintaining large investment portfolios and spending freely on computer technology.
With the help of our knowledge bank, you can choose for variations in your new neighborhood by:
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 9,812,689
Median Household Income : $82,323
“Widely scattered throughout the nation, Landed Gentry social group consist of wealthy Americans who migrated to the smaller boomtowns beyond the nation’s beltways.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Many of the households contain Boomer families and couples with college degrees, professional jobs—they’re twice as likely as average Americans to telecommute—and expansive homes
With their upscale incomes, they can afford to spend heavily on consumer electronics, wireless and computer technology, luxury cars, powerboats, books and magazines, children’s toys and exercise equipment.”
Where will you find those three lifestyles?
Google Maps: Mammoth Lakes, CA
You’ll find neighbors in New Hampshire and three in California:
Cornish, NH
Lake Arrowhead, CA
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Westwood, CA
Which of the following lifestyles best describes you?
25Y1T1, Country Casuals, 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Landed Gentry, WRPR Premier Resorts, Wireless Resorters (Westwood, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,741,070 (1.49%)
Median Household Income: $71,235
Premier Resorts (WRPR): “There’s a laid-back atmosphere in Country Casuals, a collection of middle-aged, upper middle-class households that have started to empty-nest.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Workers here-and most households boast two earners-have well-paying blue- or white-collar jobs, or own small businesses.
Today these Baby-Boom couples have the disposable income to enjoy traveling, owning timeshares and going out to eat.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at priceline.com
Did woodworking
Read Everyday With Rachel Ray
Watched Great American Country Channel
Drove Ford F-Series Diesels”
20F2T1, Fast-Track Families, 35-54, Families, Young Accumulators, Landed Gentry, WRPR Premier Resorts, Wireless Resorters (Cornish, NH)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,861,697 (1.59%)
Median Household Income: $74,201
Premier Resorts (WRPR): “With their upper-middle-class incomes, numerous children and spacious homes, Fast-Track Families are in their prime acquisition years.
Photo: Visual Hunt
These middle-aged parents have the disposable income and educated sensibility to want the best for their children.
They buy the latest technology with impunity: new computers, DVD players, home theater systems and video games.
They take advantage of their rustic locales by camping, boating and fishing.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from buy.com
Traveled for business by airplane
Read American Hunter
Watched Country Music Television
Drove a Chevrolet Suburban Flex Fuel”
05F1T1, Country Squires, 45+, Family, Accumulated Wealth, Landed Gentry, WRPR Premier Resorts, Wireless Resorters (Lake Arrowhead, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,011,809 (1.72%)
Median Household Income: $101,507
Premier Resorts (WRPR): “The wealthiest residents in exurban America live in Country Squires, an oasis for affluent Baby Boomers who’ve fled the city for the charms of small-town living.
Country Squires enjoy country club sports like golf, tennis and swimming as well as skiing, boating and biking.
Photo: Visual Hunt
In their bucolic communities noted for their recently built homes on sprawling properties, the families of executives live in six-figure comfort.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from amazon.com
Went snorkeling
Read Family Fun
Watched pay-per-view movies
Drove a GMC Yukon Denali”
09M1T1, Big Fish Small Pond, 45+, Couples, Affluent Empty Nests, Accumulated Wealth, Landed Gentry WRPR Premier Resorts, Wireless Resorters (Mammoth Lakes, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,498,189 (2.14%)
Median Household Income: $82,470
Premier Resorts (WRPR) “Older, upper-class, college-educated professionals, the members of Big Fish, Small Pond are often among the leading citizens of their small-town communities.
Photo: Visual Hunt
These upscale, empty-nesting couples enjoy the trappings of success, belonging to country clubs, maintaining large investment portfolios and spending freely on computer technology.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from L.L. Bean
Contributed to PBS
Read Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
Watched The Triple Crown
Drove a Cadillac DTS”
Will you find a 100% fit?
No.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write-up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
But to zero in on the best place for you you’ll have to visit and schedule time to explore potential new homes in a region.
Oh, darn!
Lifestyles Segments: Urban to Rustic Density
Country Communities
Photo: Visual Hunt
Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM estimated that country communities represented 39.6% of United States population in 2011.
“Town and Rural areas (T) have population density scores under 40.
This category includes exurbs, towns, farming communities, and a wide range of other rural areas.”
Should you include these Birds-of-a Feather (BOF) lifestyles on your Bucket List?
Let’s turn to six Wireless Resorters household lifestyles. The first five live comfortable country lives, but are a little less affluent than the sixth. Here are the first five:
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
The five segments in Country Comfort are filled with predominantly white, middle-class homeowners.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 11,851,298
Median Household Income : $55,843
“In their placid towns and scenic bedroom communities, these Americans tend to be married, between the ages of 25 and 54, with or without children.
Photo: Visual Hunt
They enjoy comfortable upscale lifestyles, exhibiting high indices for barbecuing, bar-hopping and playing golf as well as home-based activities such as gardening, woodworking and crafts.
Reflecting their rural, family environment, they prefer trucks, SUVs and mini-vans to cars.”
Where will you find those five lifestyles?
Google Maps: Aspen, CO
We’ve identified two in California, and one each in Colorado, Texas and Utah.
Aspen, CO
Park City, UT
Truckee, CA
New Braunfels, TX
St. Helena, CA
Which of the following lifestyles best describes you?
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “A segment of middle-class exurban couples, Greenbelt Sports is known for its active lifestyle.
Most of these middle-aged residents are married, college-educated and own new homes; about a third have children.
Summer Outdoors
And few segments have higher rates for pursuing outdoor activities such as skiing, canoeing, backpacking, boating and mountain biking.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from Lands’ End
Gone horseback riding
Read Modern Bride
Watched Fox Sports Net
Drove a Subaru Legacy“
33F3T2, Big Sky Families, 25-54, Mainstream Families, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters (Park City, UT)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,130,960 (1.82%)
Median Household Income: $55,553
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “Scattered in placid towns across the American heartland, Big Sky Families is a segment of young rural families who have turned high school educations and blue-collar jobs into busy, middle-class lifestyles.
Residents like to play baseball, basketball and volleyball, besides going fishing, hunting and horseback riding.
To entertain their sprawling families, they buy virtually every piece of sporting equipment on the market.
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “Like the old Andy Griffith show set in a quaint picturesque berg, Mayberry-ville harks back to an old-fashioned way of life.
Photo: Visual Hunt
In these small towns, middle-class couples and families like to fish and hunt during the day, and stay home and watch TV at night.
With lucrative blue-collar jobs and moderately priced housing, residents use their discretionary cash to purchase boats, campers, motorcycles and pickup trucks.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Sherwin-Williams
Went hunting with a gun
Read Bassmaster
Watched Daytona 500
Drove a GMC Sierra Diesel”
32F3T2, New Homesteaders, 25-54, Mainstream Families, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters (New Braunfels, TX)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,102,864
Median Household Income: $56,181
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “Young, middle-class families seeking to escape suburban sprawl find refuge in New Homesteaders, a collection of small rustic townships filled with new ranches and Cape Cods.
Photo: Visual Hunt
With decent-paying jobs in white-collar and service industries, these dual income couples have fashioned comfortable, child-centered lifestyles, their driveways filled with campers and powerboats, their family rooms with PlayStations and Game Boys.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Best Buy
Bought toys
Read American Baby
Watched Cartoon Network
Drove a Chevrolet Uplander Flex Fuel“
28M2T2, Traditional Times, Empty Nests, 55+, Couples, Conservative Classics, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters (St. Helena, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 3,300,488 (2.82%)
Median Household Income: $55,175
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “Traditional Times is the kind of lifestyle where small-town couples nearing retirement are beginning to enjoy their first empty-nest years.
Typically in their fifties and sixties, these middle-class Americans pursue a kind of granola-and-grits lifestyle.
On their coffee tables are magazines with titles ranging from Country Living and Country Home to Gourmet and Forbes.
Photo: Visual Pursuit
But they’re big travelers, especially in recreational vehicles and campers.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from Gevalia Kaffe
Traveled domestically by motor home
Read AARP The Magazine
Watched Antiques Roadshow
Drove a Chevrolet Impala Flex Fuel”
Upscale Country Resorts
Should you include this Birds-of-a Feather (BOF) lifestyle on your Bucket List?
The sixth Wireless Resorter Lifestyle rounds out our Maturing Resorts bucket list:
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 9,812,689
Median Household Income : $82,323
“Widely scattered throughout the nation, Landed Gentry social group consist of wealthy Americans who migrated to the smaller boomtowns beyond the nation’s beltways.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Many of the households contain Boomer families and couples with college degrees, professional jobs—they’re twice as likely as average Americans to telecommute—and expansive homes
With their upscale incomes, they can afford to spend heavily on consumer electronics, wireless and computer technology, luxury cars, powerboats, books and magazines, children’s toys and exercise equipment.”
Google Maps: Boulder, CO
Where will you find this lifestyle?
We identified a university town northwest of Denver, Colorado.
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “When city dwellers and suburbanites began moving to the country in the 1970s, God’s Country emerged as the most affluent of the nation’s exurban lifestyles.
Today, wealthier communities exist in the hinterlands, but God’s Country remains a haven for upper income couples in spacious homes.
Typically college-educated Baby Boomers, these Americans try to maintain a balanced lifestyle between high-power jobs and laid back leisure.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from zappos.com
Took golf vacations
Read Yachting
Watched Bloomberg Television
Drove an Audi S6″
Will you find a 100% fit?
No.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write-up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 11,533,179
Median Household Income : $43,123
Joining Rural Cowboy (HCERC), Resort Suburbans (WRRS) round out the remaining three segments in Middle America filled with middle-class homeowners living in small towns and remote exurbs.
“Typically found in scenic settings throughout the nation’s heartland, Middle Americans tend to be white, high school educated, living as couples or larger families, and ranging in age from under 25 to over 65.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Like many residents of remote communities, these conservative consumers tend to prefer traditional rural pursuits: fishing, hunting, making crafts, antique collecting, watching television and meeting at civic and veterans clubs for recreation and companionship.
Friday nights are for celebrating high school sports.”
Where will you find those three lifestyles?
Google Maps: Healdsburg, CA
We’ve identified two former exurban towns morphing into bedroom suburbs in California and one in Arizona:
Prescott. AZ
Healdsburg, CA
Idyllwild, CA
Which of the following lifestyles best describes you?
Resort Suburban (WRRS): “The residents in Red, White & Blues neighborhoods typically live in exurban towns rapidly morphing into bedroom suburbs.
Starbuck’s Signal Upscale Growth
Their streets feature new fast-food restaurants, and locals have recently celebrated the arrival of chains like Wal-Mart, Radio Shack and Payless Shoes.
Resort Suburbans (WRRS): “With more than two-thirds of its residents over 65 years old, Simple Pleasures is mostly a retirement lifestyle: a neighborhood of lower-middle-class singles and couples living in modestly priced homes.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Many are high school-educated seniors who held blue-collar jobs before their retirement.
And a disproportionate number served in the military; no segment has more members of veterans clubs.
Resort Suburbans (WRRS): “America was once a land of small middleclass towns, which can still be found today among Heartlanders.
Photo: Visual Hunt
This widespread segment consists of middle-aged couples with working-class jobs living in sturdy, unpretentious homes.
In these communities of small families and empty-nesting couples, Heartlanders pursue a rustic lifestyle where hunting and fishing remain prime leisure activities along with cooking, sewing, camping and boating.
Lifestyle & Media Traits
Shopped at Kmart
Sewed clothing from patterns
Read Family Handyman
Watched CBS Early Show
Drove a GMC Sierra Flex Fuel”
Will you find a 100% fit?
No.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 13,401,489
Median Household Income : $31,343
“Three of the six segments in Rustic America represent the nation’s most isolated towns and rural villages.
As a group, T4 residents have relatively modest incomes, low educational levels, aging homes and blue-collar occupations.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Many of the residents, a mix of young singles and seniors, are unmarried, and they’ve watched scores of their neighbors migrate to the city.
In their remote communities, these consumers spend their leisure time in such traditional small-town activities as fishing and hunting, attending social activities at the local church and veterans club, enjoying country music and car racing.”
Where in the West will you find those three lifestyles?
Google Maps: Whitefish, MT
We identified three Rustic Eagle residential neighborhoods in California, Montana and New Mexico.
Which of the following lifestyles best describes you?
64F4T4, Bedrock America, 20-44, Families, Sustaining Families, Town and Country, Rustic Living, HCERE Rustic Eagles, High Country Eagles (Palm Springs, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,220,781 (1.90%)
Median Household Income: $27,602
In 2011 Claritas described these Rustic Eagle (HCERE) household lifestyles:
“Bedrock America consists of young, economically challenged families in small, isolated towns, located throughout the nation’s heartland.
With modest educations, sprawling families and blue-collar jobs, many of these residents struggle to make ends meet.
One quarter live in mobile homes. One in three haven’t finished high school.
Rich in scenery, Bedrock America is a haven for fishing, hunting, hiking and camping.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from Avon
Bought toy cars
Read Parents Magazine
Watched The Young and the Restless
Drove a Dodge Ram Flex Fuel”
57M4T4, Old Milltown, 65+, Sustaining Seniors, Rustic Living, HCERE Rustic Eagles, High Country Eagles ( Taos, NM)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,845,943 (1.58%)
Median Household Income: $30,608
Rustic Eagles (HCERE): “America’s once-thriving mining and manufacturing towns have aged-as have the residents in Old Milltowns communities
Today, the majority of residents are retired singles and couples, living on downscale incomes in pre-1960 homes and apartments.
Photo: Visual Hunt
For leisure, they enjoy gardening, sewing, socializing at veterans clubs or eating out at casual restaurants.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from Home Shopping Network
Did needlepoint
Read Good Housekeeping
Watched As the World Turns
Drove a GMC Canyon”
58M4T4, Back Country Folks, 65+Sustaining Seniors, Rustic Living, HCERE Rustic Eagles, High Country Eagles (Whitefish, MT)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,658,532 (2.27%)
Median Household Income: $32,207
Rustic Eagles (HCERE): “Strewn among remote farm communities across the nation, Back Country Folks are a long way away from economic paradise.
The residents tend to be poor, over 55 years old and living in older, modest-sized homes and manufactured housing.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Typically, life in this segment is a throwback to an earlier era when farming dominated the American landscape.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from Publishers Clearing House
Belonged to church board
Read Hunting
Watched Soapnet
Drove a Ford Ranger”
Will you find a 100% fit?
No.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write-up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
With modest educations and incomes, these residents maintain low-key, sedentary lifestyles.
Photo: Visual Hunt
One of the youngest segments in America-with ten times as many college students as the national average-these neighborhoods feature low incomes and high concentrations of Hispanics and African-Americans.
With the help of our knowledge bank, you can choose for variations in your new neighborhood by:
“Micro-City Blues was created via the predominantly downscale residents living in the affordable housing found throughout the nation’s smaller cities.
A diverse social group, these segments contain a mix of old and young, singles and widowers, whites, African-Americans and Hispanics.
Most of the workers hold blue-collar jobs—hence the name—and their marketplace behaviors reflect the segments’ varied lifestyles.
This is one of the few social groups where consumers have a high index for video games and bingo, aerobic exercise and fishing, BET and the Country Music Network.”
Where in the West will you find those three lifestyles?
Google Maps: Palm Desert, CA
We’ve found them living in two California communities and a neighborhood in Idaho:
Coeur d’Alene, ID
Eureka, CA
Palm Desert, CA
Which of the following lifestyles best describes you?
47Y3C3, City Startups, 20-29, Singles, Striving Singles, Micro-City Blues – HCESTB Small Town Borders, High Country Eagles (Eureka, CA)
Small Town Border (HCESTB): “In City Startups, young, multi-ethnic singles have settled in neighborhoods filled with cheap apartments and a commercial base of cafes, bars, laundromats and clubs that cater to twentysomethings.
One of the youngest segments in America-with ten times as many college students as the national average-these neighborhoods feature low incomes and high concentrations of Hispanics and African-Americans.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,525,847 (1.31%)
Median Household Income: $23,777
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at The Limited
Attended college football games
Read Spin
Watched Game Show Network
Drove a Suzuki Forenza”
53Y3C3, Mobility Blues, 20-29, Single, Striving Singles, Micro-City Blues – HCESTB Small Town Borders, High Country Eagles (Coeur d’Alene, ID)
Small Town Border (HCESTB): “Young singles and single parents make their way to Mobility Blues, a segment of working-class neighborhoods in America’s satellite cities.
Racially mixed and under 25 years old, these transient Americans tend to have modest lifestyles due to their lower-income blue-collar jobs.
Surveys show they excel in going to movies, playing basketball and shooting pool.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,522,347 (1.30%)
Median Household Income: $29,419
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Circuit City
Went whitewater rafting
Read WWE Magazine
Watched Telemundo
Drove a Hundai Tiburon”
60M4C3, Park Bench Seniors, 65+Sustaining Seniors,Micro-City Blues – HCESTB Small Town Borders, High Country Eagles (Palm Desert, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,345,679 (1.15%)
Median Household Income: $24,290
Small Town Borders (HCESTB): “Park Bench Seniors typically are retired singles living in the racially mixed neighborhoods of the nation’s satellite cities.
With modest educations and incomes, these residents maintain low-key, sedentary lifestyles.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Theirs is one of the top-ranked segments for TV viewing, especially daytime soaps and game shows.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Purchased in-home housewares
Bought gospel music
Read Jet
Watched The People’s Court
Drove a Suzuki Reno”
Will you find a 100% fit?
No.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write-up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
Young, single and working-class, these residents pursue active lifestyles amid sprawling apartment complexes, bars, convenience stores and laundromats.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Found in second-tier cities, these mobile, twentysomethings include a disproportionate number of recent college graduates who are into athletic activities, the latest technology and nightlife entertainment.
With the help of our knowledge bank, you can choose for variations in your new neighborhood by:
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 9,023,807
Median Household Income : $46,335
“The five segments in the C2 social group consist of a mix of Americans—old and young, homeowners and renters, families and singles—who’ve settled in the nation’s satellite cities.
Photo: Visual Hunt
What they share is a middle-class status, some college educations and a lifestyle heavy on leisure and recreation.
The members of City Centers tend to be big fans of home-centered activities: computer surfing, video renting, TV viewing and playing games and musical instruments.
Outside their homes, they go to movies, museums and bowling alleys at high rates.”
Google Maps: South Lake Tahoe, CA
Where in the West will you find those five lifestyles?
Napa, CA
South Lake Tahoe, CA
San Marcos, TX
Aurora, CO
Santa Fe, NM
Which of the following lifestyles best describes you?
24Y2C2, Up-and-Comers, 25-54, Mainstream Singles, City Centers, HCESC Satellite City-zens, High Country Eagles (Napa, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,510,327 (1.29%)
Median Household Income: $50,556
Satellite City-zens (HCESC): “Up-and-Comers is a stopover for young, midscale singles before they marry, have families and establish more deskbound lifestyles
Found in second-tier cities, these mobile, twentysomethings include a disproportionate number of recent college graduates who are into athletic activities, the latest technology and nightlife entertainment.
Best of Whitefish, Montana
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Ethan Allen Galleries
Done Karate
Read Maxim
Watched MTV
Drove a Nissan Xterra”
35Y2C2, Boomtown Singles, 25-54, Mainstream Singles, City Centers, HCESC Satellite City-zens, High Country Eagles (San Marcos, TX)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,617,454 (1.38%)
Median Household Income: $39,838
Satellite City-zens (HCESC): “Affordable housing, abundant entry-level jobs and a thriving singles scene-all have given rise to the Boomtown Singles segment in fast-growing satellite cities.
Slowly Evolving Neighborhoods
Young, single and working-class, these residents pursue active lifestyles amid sprawling apartment complexes, bars, convenience stores and laundromats.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Victoria’s Secret
Done Karate
Read Elle
Watched VH1
Drove a Suzuki SX4″
34F3C2, White Picket Fences, 25-54, Families, Mainstream Families, City Centers, HCESC Satellite City-zens, High Country Eagles (Aurora, CO)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,536,574 (1.31%)
Median Household Income: $51,800
Satellite City-zens (HCESC): “Midpoint on the socioeconomic ladder, residents in White Picket Fences look a lot like the stereotypical American household of a generation ago: young, middle-class, married with children.
But the current version is characterized by modest homes and ethnic diversity-including a disproportionate number of Hispanics and African-Americans.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from BMG Music
Rented/bought kid’s videos
Read People en Espanol
Watched Latin Grammy Awards
Drove a Saturn ION”
27M2C2, Middleburg Managers, 55+, Couples, Conservative Classics, City Centers, HCESC Satellite City-zens, High Country Eagles (South Lake Tahoe, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,276,009 (1.95%)
Median Household Income: $51,769
Satellite City-zens (HCESC): “Middleburg Managers arose when empty nesters settled in satellite communities which offered a lower cost of living and more relaxed pace.
Photo: Visual Pursuit
Today, segment residents tend to be middle-class and over 55 years old, with solid managerial jobs and comfortable retirements.
In their older homes, they enjoy reading, playing musical instruments, indoor gardening and refinishing furniture.”
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Office Depot
Bought books on tape
Read VFW Magazine
Watched Inspiration Network
Drove Mercury Grand Marquis Flex Fuel”
41M3C2, Sunset City Blues, 55+ Cautious Couples, Empty Nests – City Centers, HCESC Satellite City-zens, High Country Eagles (Santa Fe, NM)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,083,443 (1.78%)
Median Household Income: $39,366
Satellite City-zens (HCESC): “Scattered throughout the older neighborhoods of small cities, Sunset City Blues is a segment of lower-middle-class singles and couples who have retired or are getting closed to it.
These empty-nesters tend to own their homes but have modest educations and incomes.
Photo: Visual Hunt
They maintain a low-key lifestyle filled with newspapers and television by day, and family style restaurants at night.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from QVC
Collected coins
Read Ladies’ Home Journal
Watched One Life to Live
Drove a Kia Borrego”
Will you find a 100% fit?
No.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write-up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
Filled with young, single adults, New Beginnings is a magnet for adults in transition.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Many of the residents are twentysomething singles and couples just starting out on their career paths who live in communities attractive to older neighbors who may be starting over after recent divorces or job losses.
With the help of our knowledge bank, you can choose for variations in your new neighborhood by:
According to Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM, “The four segments in the Inner Suburbs social group are concentrated in the inner-ring suburbs of major metros—areas where residents tend to be high school educated, unmarried and lower-middle class.
Watching the People’s Court. Photo: Visual Hunt
One of the least affluent social groups, U3 has a high concentration of Hispanics and African-Americans, and surveys indicate a fondness for both ethnic and mainstream media and products.
Among the group’s preferences: TV news and daytime programming, Spanish and black radio, telephony services and pagers, cheap fast food and high-end department stores.”
Google Maps: Boulder, CO
Where in the West will you find those three lifestyles?
We’ve identified households in Arizona, California and Colorado:
Surprise, AZ
Santa Cruz, CA
Boulder, CO
Which of the following lifestyles best describes you?
“Filled with young, single adults, New Beginnings is a magnet for adults in transition.
Start Over (PTSO) : “Many of the residents are twentysomething singles and couples just starting out on their career paths who live in communities attractive to older neighbors who may be starting over after recent divorces or job losses.
Ethnically diverse-with nearly half its residents Hispanic, Asian or African-American-New Beginnings households tend to have the modest living standards typical of transient apartment dwellers.”
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,837,994 (1.57%)
Median Household Income: $31,226
Here are some examples from Claritas Lifestyle & Media Traits. They:
Start Overs (PTSO): “Suburban Pioneers represents one of the nation’s eclectic lifestyles, a mix of young singles, recently divorced and single parents who have moved into older, inner-ring suburbs.
They live in aging homes and garden-style apartment buildings, where the jobs are blue-collar and the money is tight.
But what unites these residents-a diverse mix of whites, Hispanics and African-Americans is a working-class sensibility and an appreciation for their off-the-beaten track neighborhoods.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Lane Bryant
Bought mail order toys
Read OK! Magazine
Watched Sabado Gigante
Drove Dodge Charger”
46M3S4, Old Glories, 55+, Cautious Couples, Suburbs, Inner Suburbs, PTSO Start Overs, Permanent Temporaries (none in Knowledge Bank)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,155,944 (0.99%)
Median Household Income: $31,162
Start Overs (PTSO): “Old Glories are the nation’s downscale suburban retirees, Americans aging in place in older apartment complexes.
These racially mixed households often contain widows and widowers living on fixed incomes, and they tend to lead home-centered lifestyles.
Photo: Visual Hunt
They’re among the nation’s most ardent television fans, watching game shows, soaps, talk shows and newsmagazines at high rates.
Start Overs (PTSO): “They may be older, lower-middle class and retired, but the residents of American Classics are still living the American Dream of home ownership.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Few segments rank higher in their percentage of home owners, and that fact alone reflects a more comfortable lifestyle for these predominantly white singles and couples with deep ties.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from Reader’s Digest
Gambled in Atlantic City, NJ
Read American Woodworker
Watched The Dr. Phil Show
Drove a Chevrolet Monte Carlo”
Will you find a 100% fit?
No.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write-up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
With modest educations, sprawling families and blue-collar jobs, many of these residents struggle to make ends meet.
diversity-including a disproportionate number of Hispanics and African-Americans.
