Best Places to Live in 2009

International Living Magazine released their 2009 Quality of Life Index in January and for the fourth straight year France topped the list as the best place to live. It helps that the Euro is worth around $1.31 for each American dollar as of the beginning of 2009, and you can buy a half-pound of garlic sausage for $1.60 and a half-pound of cheese for $2.45. If the food prices don't do it for you, perhaps the real estate prices will. The editors of International Living Magazine recently found farmhouses in a famous French wine-growing area for just $53,000 and a two-bedroom apartment in Paris for $145,000.

International Living Magazine uses these nine criteria and statistics from several sources for ranking their best places to live: Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate. Here are the final rankings of the top ten best places to live in 2009 out of 194 countries:

France ranked 80

Switzerland ranked 79

United States ranked 78

Luxembourg ranked 77

Australia ranked 76

Belgium ranked 75

Italy ranked 74

Germany ranked 73

New Zealand ranked 72

Denmark ranked 71

If you are looking for inexpensive real estate in what Americans might consider paradise locations abroad, you should check out the great interviews and editor-scouted real estate finds at International Living. For example, one editor found a 752-sqaure foot house on a hillside of southern Italy for $51,650 and other fixer-uppers starting at $15,000. Another Latin American editor found a beachfront property in Brazil for $32,500 and great real estate deals in Sao Luiz and Fortaleza. Probably the most interesting of the best places to live in 2009 is Ecuador where one couple has retired for under $600 a month!

United States Best Places to Live in 2009

It is almost impossible to give a definitive list of best places to live in the United States since 2009 is a year of hard economic times for most Americans. Some Americans need to live where there are jobs; others want to live and retire in affordable places. Some Americans need good climates for their health and others want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Overall, here is how the U.S. scored in the International Living best places to live criteria:

Freedom 100

Infrastructure 100

Risk and Safety 100

Climate 85

Leisure and Culture 78

Environment 67

Health 65

Cost of Living 63

Economy 57

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009 also known as Uncle Sam's Almanac. There are statistics for every criterion that you may have for choosing the best place to live. Here are some highlights from Uncle Sam's Almanac:

Top 10 Fastest Growing States in the U.S.: Utah, Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Georgia, South Carolina. To learn more about Utah, the fastest growing state, read these Associated Content articles:

Best Kept Secret of Salt Lake City: It's Not Just for Mormons Anymore

Biggest Oil Strike in 30 Years May Be In Utah

The Richest Hole on Earth: Utah's Kennecott Copper Bingham Canyon Mine

The Only Two States to Lose Population: Michigan and Rhode Island

States with Biggest Drops in Single-Family Housing Price Index from 2000-2007

California, Nevada, Florida, Michigan, Rhode Island, Arizona, Massachusetts, Minnesota

States with the Highest Household Median Income:

Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Alaska, New Hampshire

Locations with the Least Change in Consumer Price Index

Dallas, Texas; Houston, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Gary, Indiana; Detroit, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri

Beach Bubbles: 10.6 million people live on Florida's Atlantic Coasts; 7.2 million live on Florida's Gulf Coasts; 7.9 million live on Texas Gulf Coasts. These population numbers represent a 13-16 % increase from the year 2000.

Largest Natural Gas Reserves: Texas, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado

There may be some jobs coming up in these states depending on what happens with President Obama's economic stimulus package in Congress. There are also energy companies giving royalty checks to people owning land on top of natural gas reserves. Energy companies are looking to explore and mine natural gas.

Sources:

2009 Quality of Life Index, International Living Magazine

http://www.internationalliving.com/index.php/Internal-Components/Further-Resources/qofl2009

U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009

Uncle Sam's Almanac

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

U.S. Census Bureau, Utah is Fastest-Growing State

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/013049.html

Press Release December 22, 2008

U.S. Census Bureau

Single-Family Housing Price Index

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/09s0707.pdf

Household Income

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/09s0684.pdf

Change in Consumer Price Index

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/09s0704.pdf