With their upscale incomes and small families, these folks have fashioned comfortable lifestyles, filling their homes with toys, TV sets and pets.
This segment is a haven for white-collar professionals drawn to comfortable homes and apartments within a manageable commute to downtown jobs, restaurants and entertainment.
With the help of our knowledge bank, you can choose for variations in your new neighborhood by:
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
Suburban and Exurban Populations
Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM ranks suburbs as having a medium density, although they may in fact be surrounded by high density urban areas.
“Population density rises as you approach the city, and decreases as you move away from it.”
In 2011 roughly 23.4% of the population in the United States lived in the nation’s suburbs.
And Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM said:
“Suburbs have population density scores between 40 and 90, and are clearly dependent on urban areas or second cities.”
Should you include these Birds-of-a Feather (BOF) lifestyles on your Bucket List?
You’ll find them in slightly less affluent suburbs than the more elite suburbs.
Wealthy Influentials – Seven Exurb Society segments: two 30-44 year old couples in midlife; two slightly older 35-54 year olds raising families; and two 55+ year old empty nest couples.
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 8,962,863
- Median Household Income : $71,626
“The six segments in The Affluentials are one socioeconomic rung down from the Elite Suburbs—with a 25 percent drop in median income—but their residents still enjoy comfortable, suburban lifestyles.
The median income in S2 is nearly $60,000, the median home value is about $200,000, and the mostly couples in this social group tend to have college degrees and white-collar jobs.
Asian Americans make up an important minority in these predominantly white segments. As consumers The Affluentials are big fans of health foods, computer equipment, consumer electronics and the full range of big-box retailers.”
Where in the West will you find those seven lifestyles?
We’ve identified four in California and one in the Pacific Northwest, Washington.
- Indian Wells, CA
- Irvine, CA
- Mission Viejo, CA
- Santa Cruz, CA
- Mukilteo, WA
How well does this lifestyle profile fit you?
08Y1S2, Executive Suites, 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Affluentials, Exurb Society, WIES, Wealthy Influentials (Mission Viejo, CA)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 1,068,292 (0.91%)
- Median Household Income: $73,951
Exurb Society (WIES): “Executive Suites consists of upper middle class singles and couples typically living just beyond the nation’s beltways.
Filled with significant numbers of Asian Americans and college graduates-both groups are represented at more than twice the national average.
This segment is a haven for white-collar professionals drawn to comfortable homes and apartments within a manageable commute to downtown jobs, restaurants and entertainment.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
- Shopped at IKEA
- Played racquetball
- Read Wired
- Watched The Office
- Drove an Acura TSX”
19Y1S2, Home Sweet Home, 30-44, Couples, Midlife Success, Suburbs, Affluentials, WIES Exurb Society, Wealthy Influentials, (Irvine, CA)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 2,127,048 (1.82%)
- Median Household Income: $68,185
Exurb Society (WIES): “Widely scattered across the nation’s suburbs, the residents of Home Sweet Home tend to be upper-middle-class married couples living in mid-sized homes with few children.
The adults in the segment, mostly between the ages of 25 and 54, have gone to college and hold professional and white-collar jobs.
With their upscale incomes and small families, these folks have fashioned comfortable lifestyles, filling their homes with toys, TV sets and pets.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
- Ordered from BarnesandNoble.com
- Bought collectors Items online
- Read Macworld
- Watched Discovery Health Channel
- Drove a Volkswagen Passat”
17F2S2, Beltway Boomers, 35-54, Families, Young Accumulators, Suburbs, Affluentials, WIES Exurb Society, Wealthy Influentials (Santa Cruz, CA)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 1,121,007 (0.96%)
- Median Household Income: $75,635
Exurb Society (WIES): “The members of the postwar Baby Boom are all grown up.
Today, these Americans are in their forties and fifties, and one segment of this huge cohort-college educated, upper-middle-class and homeowning- is found in Beltway Boomers.
Like many of their peers who married late, these Boomers are still raising children in comfortable suburban subdivisions, and they’re pursuing kid-centered lifestyles.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
- Shopped at BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Bought electronic games
- Read Scouting Magazine
- Watched Gravity Games
- Drove a Saturn Aura”
18F2S2, Kids & Cul-de-Sacs, 35-54, Families, Young Accumulators, Suburbs, Affluentials, WIES Exurb Society, Wealthy Influentials, (Mukilteo, WA)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 1,872,955 (1.60%)
- Median Household Income: $71,926
Exurb Society (WIES): “Upscale, suburban, married couples with children-that’s the skinny on Kids & Cul-de-Sacs, an enviable lifestyle of large families in recently built subdivisions.
With a high rate of Hispanic and Asian Americans, this segment is a refuge for college-educated, white-collar professionals with administrative jobs and upper-middleclass incomes.
Their nexus of education, affluence and children translates into large outlays for child-centered products and services.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
- Shopped at Disney Store
- Bought educational toys
- Read Parenting
- Watched The Disney Channel
- Drove a Volkswagen Routan”
14M2S2, New Empty Nests, 55+, Couples, Conservative Classics, Affluentials, Exurb Society, WIES, Wealthy Influentials (Indian Wells, CA)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 1,242,671 (1.06%)
- Median Household Income: $71,468
Exurb Society (WIES): “With their grown-up children recently out of the house, New Empty Nests is composed of upscale older Americans who pursue active-and activist-lifestyles.
Nearly three-quarters of residents are over 65 years old, but they show no interest in a rest home retirement.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
- Shopped at Bloomingdale’s
- Attended opera performances
- Read Tennis
- Watched The News Hour With Jim Lehrer
- Drove a Buick LaCrosse”
15M2S2, Patios & Pools, 55+, Couples, Empty Nests, Conservative Classics, Affluentials, Exurb Society, WIES, Wealthy Influentials (Mukilteo, WA)
2011 Statistics:
- US Households: 1,530,890 (1.31%)
- Median Household Income: $71,900
Exurb Society (WIES): “Formed during the postwar Baby Boom, Pools & Patios has evolved from a segment of young suburban families to one for mature, empty-nesting couples.
In these stable neighborhoods graced with backyard pools and patios-the highest proportion of homes were built in the 1960s-residents work as white-collar managers and professionals, and are now at the top of their career
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
- Shopped at Eddie Bauer
- Owned a timeshare
- Read Consumer Reports
- Watched 24
- Drove a Subaru Forester”
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.
If you plan to relocate, start visiting communities on your short bucket list.
Don’t have a short list yet?
Steps:
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?