People are not only leaving their hearts in San Francisco, but apparently all of their money, too.As...

1. San Francisco Tops List As 'Worst City For Saving
Money'Â |Â Buck Wargo
People are not only leaving their hearts in San Francisco, but apparently all of their money, too.
As someone who lived in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, I can certainly understand
why someone would want to consider moving out of California if they're interested in a less
expensive lifestyle and saving money.
People, especially retirees, have been leaving California for years because of the high cost of living,
and moving to the neighboring states of Arizona, Nevada and Oregon.
A new study bears that out: if people are interested in saving money, someone will have to turn out
the lights when they leave California.
Nine of the 10 most expensive cities in 2015 reside in California, led by San Francisco and Los
Angeles, and Portland in neighboring Oregon is likely to continue to benefit from that.
Portland is listed by the personal finance website gobankingrates.com as the No. 1 big city in the
nation if your goal is to save money.
"If the last decade has shown us anything, it's that saving money is hard work -- even when you're
motivated to do it," says Casey Bond, GOBankingRates' managing editor. "And our study proves that
it's even harder in some places than others. Living expenses, taxes and the local job market have a
huge impact on how much money you'll be able to keep in your savings account -- if you're ignoring
these factors, you're not giving yourself the best chance to be financially healthy."
The website looked at the largest 100 cities in the nations and came up with its rankings based on
sales taxes, home and condo values, monthly rent, income, gas prices and the unemployment rate --
factors it deemed to impact people's wallets the most. To see where your city ranks, go here.
The 20 Worst Cities For Saving Money:
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Irvine, CA
New York
Oakland, CA
San Jose, CA
Long Beach, CA

2. Fremont, CA
Stockton, CA
Santa Ana, CA
Detroit, MI
San Diego, CA
Honolulu, HI
Anaheim, CA
San Bernardino CA
Newark, NJ
Fresno, CA
Miami, FL
Chula Vista, CA
Cleveland, OH
The 20 Best Cities For Saving Money:
Portland, OR
Anchorage, AK
Lincoln, NE
Boise, ID
Madison, WI
Omaha, NE
Wichita, KS
Fort Wayne, IN
Arlington, TX
Corpus Christi, TX
Lexington, KY
San Antonio, TX

3. Oklahoma City, OK
Lubbock, TX
Richmond, VA
Raleigh, NC
Fort Worth, TX
Aurora, CO
Irving, TX
Chesapeake, VA
The survey showed that San Francisco topped the list in part because it had the highest housing
costs of the leading cities with a median home value of $727,600. Fort Wayne, Ind., which was
ranked No. 8 for its savings, had the cheapest housing with a median price of $98,900.
Sales taxes also played a huge role in the rankings with the average sales tax for the 10 worst cities
for saving money coming in at 8.74 percent compared to 5.59 percent for the 10 best cities, says
Morgan Quinn, the finance site's feature writer. Property taxes and income taxes aren't used in
calculating the ratings, a factor that could put California at an even greater disadvantage for saving.
California voters have made 13.3 percent the top rate for earners as part of its Proposition 30. It
increased the tax rate on households making more than $250,000 a year and that raises billions of
additional dollars a year.
Retirees are in savings mode because they don't have the same amount of income coming in, Quinn
says. Many are moving to cheaper locales or moving to be closer to family to make their money go
further.
"With nine of the 10 of the worst cities for saving money in California, that's definitely a strong
message that California is not the best place to be if you're trying to save money right now,
especially if you're older than 50," Quinn says. "I know a lot of older people move out of California
for retirement. I have experienced it with my own family. It's expensive to live here. You pay a lot for
the weather, beaches and other amenities."
The cities that did make the top of the list are less populated and have features that would be
attractive for people that want to retire there, Quinn says. She said it's understandable how Portland
made the list even though it's on the Pacific coast and north of California.
"I have family in Portland. They don't have sales tax and the property values are low as are the
median rents. I wasn't surprised because I know the city well," Quinn says.
Seattle, however, which is north of Portland, compares more to San Diego than it does to Oregon,
Quinn says.

4. The one surprise in the study is that New York City didn't rank even higher than fourth, Quinn says.
What the data shows is that rent controls in New York drive down the median rents to $1,200 a
month. If the study looked at average rents, New York would be listed as $3,000 a month, she says.
Quinn says she was surprised by some of the smaller California cities that made the list like Stockton
-- but attributes that to a high unemployment rate.
Several of the cities listed as a great place to save money are university towns like Madison,
Lexington and Lincoln but not all of them are on the forefront of people's minds for relocation like
these: http://nowitcounts.com/topping-money-mags-best-places-retire-list-bella-vista-ak/
"If you want a lot of culture and theater and go to a lot of different restaurants and live more of a
vibrant suburban lifestyle, some of these cities may not be as attractive, but if you want to save
money and simplify and downsize and not have to stress than perhaps the top 10 are places to
consider," Quinn says.
Read more about some of the best places to retire by going here.
Visit nowitcounts.com, the new destination for Americans 50+ covering financial, health, beauty,
style, travel, news, entertainment and sports.
What do you think of these cities? Let us know in comments.
Earlier on Huff/Post50:
Close
Colorado Springs gives singles a number of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors together.
What's more romantic than enjoying the ocean breeze in West Palm Beach, FL with your date?
Birmingham, AL ranks as one of the most romantic bustling cities, with a population of more than 1
million people. Your true love may await you here, but OurTime suggests daters take a day trip
outside of the city to get away.
With its rivers and lakes, nature trails and mountains, there's no shortage of date possibilities in
Mesa. OurTime suggests planning a date at a park, having a picnic or going to an outdoor concert to
add even more romance to your date.
Knoxville's mild weather gives daters plenty of opportunity to find romance in the beautiful outdoors.

5. It's hard not to feel romantic on Naples sandy shores.
Henderson cracks OurTime's top five romantic cities, and why wouldn't it? Couples can visit the
stunning Hoover Dam or Lake Mead. It's also close enough to the Las Vegas strip without being fully
immersed in the noise and lights of the city.
With easy access to the Sierra Nevada mountains and fields, Fresno is an ideal city for spending a
romantic date outdoors.
Long Beach's close proximity to the water and warm weather makes it appealing to romance-minded
singles.
As the most romantic city, Scottsdale, AZ is appealing to singles looking to enjoy the outdoors and
warm weather together.
The Second City came dead last in OurTime's list of least romantic cities. To make it more romantic,
get creative with activities together like having a picnic in Millennium Park or having a drink at the
top of the John Hancock Building.
Although the weather conditions in San Francisco could be perfect for romance, the city's large
population hinders chances for an intimate date.
Although El Paso ranks as one of the least romantic cities, singles can still find ways to spark
romance. Our Time suggests ways to get romantic by not going a restaurant where the sports are
playing, remembering what the other person mention that they always wanted to do or eat and even
making a home-cooked meal.
Sadly, the City of Brotherly Love isn't found to be a romantic city among post 50 singles. However,
its close proximity to neighboring towns can help daters find a more intimate spot for a romantic
date.
Los Angeles is another big city, which may create an issue when trying for a romantic and intimate
date. Finding areas with fewer people within or surrounding the city is a best bet for romance.

6. Despite it's tropical weather and closeness to the water, Miami ranks as one of the least romantic
cities in the U.S. for singles.
As another busy and highly populated city, finding a quiet place for a date may be challenging. Our
Time advises daters in big cities to have dinner in smaller restaurants or take a trip to the next town
over to enjoy a quieter date.
New York claimed the top three spots for the least romantic city, with the city of Brooklyn coming in
third, the Bronx ranking second and New York City taking the title for the least romantic city. When
in large cities like New York, Our Time suggests finding a way to make the date more intimate and
quiet, by going to a more secluded location for your date.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/buck-wargo/worst-cities-for-saving-money_b_6796544.html