WASHINGTON, DC – [October 30, 2008] - Relocation industry group Worldwide ERC® and Primacy Relocation today announced at Worldwide ERC’s Global Workforce Symposium that Boston/Quincy, Massachusetts; Nassau/Suffolk, New York; New Haven, Connecticut; New York/White Plains/Wayne, New York/New Jersey; and Edison, New Jersey are 2008’s Best Cities for Relocating Singles among U.S. metropolitan areas.  [complete list at end of document]

In this fifth and final annual survey, the two organizations once again partnered with Bert Sperling’s BestPlaces to identify the cities with the most to offer relocating singles.  Using statistical profiles of the largest 100 U.S. metro areas, the survey focused on the criteria most relevant to singles, with the rankings reflecting the ease of transition during a relocation.

Unlike other “best” surveys, the Worldwide ERC/Primacy Best Cities for Relocating Singles survey measures the issues impacting a newcomer’s experience in the weeks and months immediately following a transfer.  This year’s survey placed an increased emphasis on those economic factors most affecting singles, including an area’s unemployment rate, percentage of recent job growth and availability of affordable rental housing.  New data was also incorporated this year, measuring an area’s arts and recreation opportunities and the overall population growth

“Relocating to a city can be both exciting and overwhelming for an individual,” said Michelle Vallejo, SCRP, GMS, Primacy’s President, The Americas.  “This survey identifies those factors that help ease the transition for singles, while helping HR professionals better predict the success rates of their employee transfers.”

“It’s well known that the success of a relocation is strongly reliant on the transferee’s ability to assimilate into the new community and recreate his or her support, social, medical and lifestyle networks,” said Cris Collie, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of Worldwide ERC. “Our newest ‘Best Cities for Relocating Singles’ survey provides substantive information for companies whose ranks of renters, a group largely comprised of singles, have been on the rise.”

Statistics Used in Ranking the Best Cities for Relocating Singles:

Population Criteria:
Local single population aged 25-34
Male-female ratios
Diversity and density
Growth

Economic Criteria:
Cost of living index, rental rates and availability of rental property
Job growth vs. unemployment rates
Higher education costs, including in-state and out-of-state tuition requirements

Quality-of-Life Criteria:
Adventure index
Prevalence of restaurants, bars, health clubs, sporting events and concerts
Percentage of population utilizing online dating and subscribing to magazines geared towards singles
Annual rainfall, snowfall and high/low temperatures
Property and violent crime rates

Worldwide ERC® networks workforce mobility professionals and HR innovators, and is the recognized industry authority on relocation and international assignments in the U.S. and major global traffic areas. Worldwide ERC® is headquartered in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with offices in Brussels, Belgium and Shanghai, China. Contact Worldwide ERC® at +1 703 842 3400, or visit www.WorldwideERC.org

Sperling's BestPlaces puts facts about cities and living in the hands of the public, so they can make better decisions about best places to live, work, retire, play, or relocate. 

Primacy Relocation is one of the top third-party employee relocation providers in the world, and is the largest to focus all technology and resources solely on relocation and global assignment (expatriate) management. Primacy administers programs for employers throughout the Americas, EMEA and Asia regions. Core services include home sales, destination services, household goods move management, and overall program administration. In addition to its Memphis headquarters, Primacy has offices in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Omaha, Sacramento and Washington, DC (Government Services), as well as Amsterdam, Basel, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Montréal, Munich, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore and Zurich. Primacy is online, in nine languages, at primacy.com.

Worldwide ERC® and Primacy Relocation’s 2008 Best Cities for Relocating Singles™

1. Boston/Quincy, Massachusetts
2. Nassau/Suffolk, New York
3. New Haven, Connecticut
4. New York/White Plains/Wayne, New York and New Jersey
5. Edison, New Jersey
6. Atlanta/Sandy Springs/Marietta, Georgia
7. Raleigh/Cary, North Carolina
8. San Francisco/San Mateo/Redwood City,  California
9. Santa Ana/Anaheim/Irvine,   California
10. Newark/Union, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
11. Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida
12. Los Angeles/Long Beach/Glendale, California
13. Orlando/Kissimmee, Florida
14. Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News, Virginia
15. Camden,  New Jersey
16. Charleston/North Charleston, South Carolina
17. Providence/New Bedford/Fall River, Rhode Island, Massachusetts
18. Washington/Arlington/Alexandria, District of Columbua, Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia
19. New Orleans/Metairie/Kenner, Louisianna
20. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
21. Greenville,  South Carolina
22. Jacksonville, Florida
23. Houston/Sugar Land/Baytown, Texas
24. Fort Lauderdale/Pompano Beach/Deerfield, Florida
25. San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, California
26. Miami/Miami Beach/Kendall, Florida
27. Baltimore/Towson, Maryland
28. Charlotte/Gastonia/Concord, North and South Carolina
29. San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, California
30. Baton Rouge, Louisianna
31. Wilmington, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey
32. Oxnard/Ventura, California
33. Austin/Round Rock, Texas
34. Greensboro/High Point, North Carolina
35. Little Rock/North Little Rock, Arkansas
36. Seattle/Bellevue/Everett, Washington
37. Dallas/Plano/Irving, Texas
38. Colorado Springs, Colorado
39. Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario, California
40. Oakland/Fremont/Hayward, California
41. Nashville/Davidson/Murfreesboro, Tennessee
42. Richmond, Virginia
43. Portland/Vancouver/Beaverton,  Oregon and Washingon
44. Knoxville, Tennessee
45. Mobile, Alabama
46. Fort Worth/Arlington, Texas
47. Birmingham/Hoover, Alabama
48. Sacramento/Arden-Arcade/Roseville, California
49. Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
50. Columbia, South Carolina
51. Honolulu, Hawaii
52. West Palm Beach/Boca Raton/Boynton Beach, Florida
53. Madison, Wisconsin
54. Chicago/Naperville/Joliet, Illinois
55. Sarasota/Bradenton/Venice, Florida
56. Denver/Aurora, Colorado
57. Boise, Idaho
58. Tucson, Arizona
59. Tacoma, Washington
60. Harrisburg/Carlisle, Pennsylvania
61. San Antonio, Texas
62. Hartford/West Hartford/East Hartford, Connecticut
63. Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky and Indiana
64. Salt Lake City, Utah
65. Wichita, Kansas
66. Omaha/Council Bluffs, Nebraska and Iowa
67. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
68. Tulsa, Oklahoma
69. Springfield, Massachusetts
70. Memphis, Tennessee, Missippissi, Arkansas
71. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Arizona
72. Indianapolis/Carmel, Indiana
73. Minneapolis/St. Paul/Bloomington, Minnesota and Wisconsin
74. Cincinnati/Middletown, Ohios, Kentucy, and Indiana 
75. Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas
76. St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois
77. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
78. Albuquerque, New Mexico
79. El Paso, Texas
80. Columbus, Ohio
81. McAllen/Edinburg/Mission, Texas
82. Dayton, Ohio
83. Milwaukee/Waukesha/West Allis, Wisconsin
84. Las Vegas/Paradise, Nevada
85. Albany/Schenectady/Troy, New York
86. Gary, Indiana
87. Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York
88. Bakersfield, California
89. Ann Arbor, Michigan
90. Fresno, California
91. Syracuse, New York
92. Akron, Ohio
93. Detroit/Livonia/Dearborn, Michigan
94. Toledo, Ohio
95. Stockton, California
96. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
97. Cleveland/Elyria/Mentor, Ohio
98. Youngstown/Warren/Boardman, Ohio and Pennsylvania
99. Rochester, New York
100. Grand Rapids/Wyoming, Michigan