New York might just be the most divisive city in the country.
On the one hand, the Big Apple is the city Americans say they most want to live in, according to a recent survey by Harris Interactive. But that same survey found that New York is also the least desirable city for Americans. The poll asked 2,463 adults which city they'd choose to live in outside their home, and the answers were all over the map.
New York continued its 10-year run as the most favored city this year, but there are some cities that are on the upswing. Dallas surged to the 4th most popular city after not even making it into the top 15 last year, according to the poll. The boost may be attributed to the Dallas's increasing popularity among young adults. A recent analysis by the Brookings Insitution found that the Texan city saw the third largest influx of young people between 2008 and 2010. Seattle, which came in at number three on the Harris poll, may have also benefited from its popularity among American youth.
But respondents to the poll definitely didn't choose cities based on relative cheapness. Three of New York's five boroughs count among the top five most expensive cities in the U.S., according to a recent study by the Council for Community and Economic Research. San Francisco, which came in sixth on the Harris poll list, ranks as the fourth most expensive city.
Though some Americans may fantasize about moving to their dream city, migration is down overall, as most Americans are staying put because of the poor economy. For 18-to-34-year-old adults, long-distance moves fell 4.4 percent last year. For college graduates, who count among the most likely to move to new cities, migration fell 2.4 percent.
Here are the top 10 cities Americans would most like to live in, according to Harris Interactive:
