Alta Vista, Oak Ridge, Highland Park, Valley View. These may sound like the generic names of neighborhoods and housing communities all across the country, but have you ever thought about what goes into naming these areas, or what their monikers might suggest about the people living there? Whether it makes sense or not, the names and identifiers of our American communities and housing developments often say more about the people living there than we might realize. In some cases, the way a particular neighborhood is branded can be a direct response to how a community has changed over time, or it can help people feel a sense of connectedness or identity with the area in which they live. But what else might our neighborhood names say about us? Quite a bit, actually. We looked at the neighborhoods with the highest incomes and home values in each state to break down how much living in a place with a certain name might end up costing you. Read on to see what we discovered.

Moneymakers

In 2016, census data determined the average household income in America was just over $59,000, only slightly above where it was in 2000. Of course, where you live in the U.S. and how old you are might also play a part in how much money you’re likely to earn each year. As it turns out, your neighborhood might also say something about how much money you (and the people living around you) make. In some parts of the country, the average household income of places with words like “Village,” “Valley,” and “Heights” in their names was in excess of $100,000. In Texas, for example, the 22 neighborhoods and communities with the name “Village” in the title earned an average household income of over $174,000. The same was true of the eight locales in Colorado with the name “Village” (more than $175,000) and six in Michigan (more than $102,000). Using the map above, you’ll be able to explore each state and the highest average income based on community and development names. In many cases, those averages were much higher than the national average ($59,000). Certain names and neighborhoods in each state may be a sign that residents earn more money on average, but there may also be a hefty price tag to live there. In 2017, the median home price across the U.S. was just $200,000. While that may not be true in every city or state, itcertainly wasn’t true in many of these potentially upscale areas.

What’s in a name?

Ever get the impression that some housing communities just seem nicer than others? That trend may have something to do with the names of the neighborhoods or areas. Across the country, we found areas with “Hills,” “Island,” and “Village” in the names reported the highest average household incomes, ranging from just over $77,000 to nearly $90,000 a year. Words associated with ocean destinations and seaside escapes, like “Island,” “Beach,” and “Harbor,” had the highest home property values anywhere in America. Ranging from $416,000 to more than $440,000, living in communities named with these dream getaways could cost the average American more than double the median home rate, especially if they’re in some of the most expensive cities in the country. Looking for communities where homes might be the least expensive overall? We found the lowest home values in areas with words like “Fort,” “Junction,” and “Rock” in their names, where homes were valued at nearly half the median price of $200,000.

Stretching your dollars

Higher income rates in certain neighborhoods don’t always translate into higher property values. When it comes to getting the most bang for your buck while buying a home, location really is one of the most important factors you can consider. Certain cities and states tend to offer unparalleled values, especially when combined with more robust job markets or higher average incomes. Neighborhoods or areas with “Acres,” “Oak,” “Lakes,” or “Green” in their name might be good places to start looking. According to our analysis, homes in these locations are typically valued under the average price and tend to have above-average household incomes, too. In some places, the opposite effect occurred. Without the right job opportunity in place, we found areas with “San,” “Vista,” “Pine,” or “Santa” in the names had above-average home values but below-average family incomes.

Popular phrases

Sometimes a community moniker can say a lot about the kinds of people living in an area or how that area may have changed in recent years. The boroughs of New York City are a prime example. Even Manhattan is named after the original Native American word for the area. Brooklyn was named after a Dutch village in the Netherlands that was important to the early Americans who settled those lands. Of course, sometimes a name just happens to become popular in any given state. It’s not hard to imagine why “Beach” shows up in the neighborhood titles of 66 different Florida areas. On the West Coast, you’ll find “Valley” as the most popular identifier in states like California, Nevada, and Arizona. In Louisiana, Southern charm comes alive in the eight different areas of the state with “Bayou” in the name. And for many states, the name “City” gets right to the point in helping define a vast majority of the communities across the country. Across the U.S., “Lake” (605), “City” (599), and “Park” (345) showed up more often in every state than any other type of name or title.

What defines your state?

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Bay	15
Creek	11
Lake	10
Village	8
Port	7

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	11
Springs	8
Hill	6
West	5
Rock	5
Pine	5
Grove	5
Creek	5

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Springs	15
City	10
Village	6
Lake	6
West	5
Rock	5
Grove	5

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Valley	22
Village	16
City	12
Creek	11
Canyon	10

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Valley	60
San	43
Lake	42
City	34
Hills	27

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Creek	13
Springs	10
Park	10
City	9
Village	8

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Center	14
Village	6
Haven	4
Hartford	4
East	4

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Beach	4
Creek	3
Acres	3
Woodside	2
Wilmington	2
Pike	2
Dover	2
Bethany	2

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Beach	66
Lake	41
Park	37
City	26
Springs	24

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	12
Park	10
Springs	8
County	7
Mountain	6
Island	6

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Hawaiian	4
Village	3
Ewa	3
Estates	3
Acres	3

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	30
Lake	15
West	10
Rock	8
Junction	8
Grove	8
Center	8

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	8
Valley	4
Springs	4
River	4
Lake	4
Falls	4

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Park	37
City	34
Lake	33
Grove	22
Heights	14

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	19
Lake	17
North	8
West	7
Mount	6
Lakes	6
Hill	6

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	21
Springs	7
Center	7
Kickapoo	6
Hill	6

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Hills	15
Park	8
City	8
Village	6
Creek	6

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Bayou	8
City	6
Springs	4
Port	4
Hill	4
Grand	4

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Town	14
North	11
Center	11
West	8
South	7
East	7

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Park	12
Heights	11
North	9
Mount	7
Island	7
City	7
Chevy	7
Chase	7
Beach	7

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Harbor	5
Falls	5
South	4
Windham	2
Portland	2
North	2
Millinocket	2
Lake	2
Kittery	2
Kennebunk	2
Island	2
Hill	2
Fort	2
Falmouth	2
Fairfield	2
Brunswick	2
Berwick	2

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Lake	41
City	26
Park	13
Hills	8
Beach	8
Bay	8

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Lake	54
Falls	12
Park	10
City	10
River	9
Grove	9

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	42
Lake	18
Park	13
Hills	11
Village	10
Springs	10
Hill	10

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Springs	7
Lake	4
City	4
West	3
University	3
Tunica	3

Word in Community Name	Number of References
West	9
Lake	8
Helena	8
City	7
Lodge	5
Fort	5
Creek	5

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	13
Beach	12
Creek	11
Lake	10
Hill	10

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	8
Lake	4
Valley	3
River	3
Fort	3

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	14
Creek	5
Center	5
Springs	3
Platte	3
North	3
Cedar	3

Word in Community Name	Number of References
North	4
Hampton	3
West	2
Walpole	2
Milton	2
Hooksett	2
Conway	2
Center	2
Beach	2

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Park	23
Lake	14
City	14
Lakes	10
Beach	10

Word in Community Name	Number of References
San	21
Pueblo	14
Lake	9
Santa	8
Los	8

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Valley	13
Springs	7
City	4
Spring	3
Silver	3

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Lake	31
North	30
East	28
Park	27
West	24

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Heights	31
Lake	23
West	19
City	19
North	18

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	19
Creek	12
Springs	7
Park	7
Grove	7

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	17
Valley	5
Creek	5
Beach	5
West	4
Village	4
River	4
Pine	4
North	4
Mount	4
Grove	4
Bay	4

Word in Community Name	Number of References
West	34
Lake	26
East	25
City	23
Heights	21

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Valley	2
Providence	2
Newport	2
Hill	2
Falls	2
East	2

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Beach	7
Island	6
Hill	6
North	5
Lake	5

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Lake	13
City	10
White	6
Creek	5
Valley	4

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	14
Hill	13
Springs	7
Mountain	6
Oak	5
Grove	5

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	45
Lake	29
San	24
Village	22
Los	20

Word in Community Name	Number of References
City	12
Valley	9
West	8
South	5
Lake	5

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Lake	9
Hill	9
Springs	7
City	7
Park	6
Mount	6

Word in Community Name	Number of References
North	5
South	4
East	4
West	3
River	3
Falls	3
Center	3
Bennington	3
Barre	3

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Lake	37
North	12
Island	11
City	10
Heights	9
East	9
Creek	9

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Lake	52
City	12
Falls	11
River	9
Prairie	8
Bay	8

Word in Community Name	Number of References
West	5
Valley	5
Glen	5
Fork	5
Creek	5

Word in Community Name	Number of References
Springs	5
Rock	4
River	4
Mountain	4
View	3
Ranch	3
Park	3
Hills	3
Fort	3
Alpine	3

Source: Census.gov Want to know how your state ranks? This chart breaks down the five most popular names in each area as designated by the U.S. census. Floridians are sure to recognize names like “Beach” and “Lake,” while phrases like “Creek” and “Springs” made it to the top of the list for Coloradans. Find your state in the graphic above and take a look at some of the most popular names for neighborhoods and communities in your area. You might even find a few unique terms like “Kickapoo” in Kansas (an Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe), “Tunica” in Mississippi, and “Hooksett” in New Hampshire.

More than just a house

No matter where you live or whether or not your neighborhood name has some deep-rooted historical significance, it might mean something special to you. It could be the first neighborhood in which you owned your own home, the city or town you grew up in, or even the place you raised your children. While certain area names may be more or less likely to be associated with certain incomes or property values in your state, what really matters is how you feel about the place you live. At Porch, we know your home is more than just a house. That’s why our Porch Service Pros and network of expert professionals are here to help tackle your to-do list, big or small. Whether you need help painting the exterior of your home, installing new appliances, or mounting a new TV, the Porch Home Assistant is here for you 24/7. Kick back and relax while the Porch Pros take care of the heavy lifting.Visit us online at Porch to learn more.

Methodology

We pulled data from the U.S. census for all Census Designated Places (CDPs) in the United States. A CDP is a concentration of population used for statistical purposes only and is not legally incorporated. We then used QGIS to extract the data from the census and analyzed the data by ZIP code. To extract and analyze the neighborhood names and phrases, we used Python for text mining and the phrasemachine developed by the University of Massachusetts. When looking at the entire country, we limited analysis to only words that showed up at least 25 times. When looking at specific states, we limited analysis to only words that showed up a minimum of four times. When analyzing household income and home values, the data were pulled directly from the census as median values for individual CDPs. Median values were then averaged together to get the average value for each word. The overall averages were weighted based on the number of occurrences in each state.

Sources

• https://www.afar.com/magazine/oddball-neighborhood-names-across-the-u-dot-s-explained
• https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-average-income-in-usa-family-household-history-3306189
• https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/06/29/buying-a-home-in-these-7-states-gives-you-the-most.aspx
• http://www.nyhistory.org/community/borough-names
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kickapoo
• http://www.businessinsider.com/most-and-least-expensive-places-in-america-regional-price-parity-map-2017-7

Fair Use

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