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TH E M R EP O RT | 45 O R I G I NAT I O N S E R V I C I N G DATA G O V E R N M E N T S E C O N DA R Y M A R K E T THE LATEST DATA These Cities are Best for Recent Grads According to OnlineDegrees.com, these locations are the best in the country for fresh out-of- college homebuyers. L ife after earning a degree can be filled with transitions—like moving to a new city and start- ing a career. However, with cur- rent market challenges like rising home prices and low supply, the real estate mantra becomes more important than ever: loca- tion, location, location. In order to determine the most reasonable markets to con- sider, OnlineDegrees.com ranked 204 of the nation's cities ranging in population from 150,000 to 750,000. A 10-point scale was used to acquire the data, which analyzed factors such as the percentage of young adults living there, median rent, and the numbers of restaurants, bars and performing arts centers. According to the re- port, eight different data points were analyzed to determine the best housing markets for recent college grads. Fayetteville, Arkansas, ranks No. 1 on the list. The city clearly earns its spot at the top—with low median rent at only $577 and high median earnings at $50,985. Lexington, Kentucky, follows suit with an affordable economic front, with median rent at only $622 and median earnings at $45,530. Additionally, the state's high projected growth rate at 15.9 percent also indicates a promising start for new resi- dents. The results report that Texas takes four of the spots, with three cities ranking in the top five. Amarillo, Texas, is the first city to appear on the list, with median rent only $621. Meanwhile, the state's double-digit job growth at 17.71 percent can go a long way toward supporting new grads. Waco and Lubbock, Texas, complete the list. With low me- dian rents of just $589 and $645, respectively. The college-town cities are also high in percentage of population between 20 to 34 at 23 percent and 27 percent, respectively. The Market Making the Biggest Comeback Housing continues a strong home price appreciation growth, with one metropolitan statistical area in particular boasting the most notable rebound figures, according to recent data. C lear Capital released its November Home Data Index (HDI), reporting the South continued to show quarter-over-quarter (QOQ) growth, with the most significant home price appreciation in Mem - phis, Tennessee. Memphis holds the top spot for the largest increase in QOQ growth according to the data— while also ranking in the top 15 highest performing metros in the nation. The MSA experi - enced increases from 0.62 percent in October to 2.83 percent in November, as well as year-over- year growth at 1.93 percent. The report notes that home price appreciation in Memphis may be attributed to the Tennessee Housing Development Agency's (THDA)—with state - wide home loan efforts totaling $300 million. According to Clear Capital CEO and Co-Founder Duane Andrews, Memphis' momentous growth demonstrates how a housing finance agency can work to help residents become homeowners. "But more importantly, how those efforts can build a stronger community that benefits from increased home value in the pro - cess," Andrews said. As for other MSAs in the South, many experienced a decrease in QOQ growth from October. Tampa, Florida, decreased to 0.26 percent from 1.73 percent, Jacksonville, Florida, decreasing to 0.49 percent from 1.59 percent and Orlando, Florida, dropping to 0.46 percent from 1.30 percent. Dallas, Texas, also fell to 0.65 percent from 1.37 percent in October. Regionally, the West still sets the pace for housing growth, with QOQ price growth at 1.3 percent. Other regions in the report hold close QOQ growth percentages, with the South 0.8 percent, the Midwest at 0.6 percent, and the Northeast at 0.7 percent. The Clear Capital HDI reports are released monthly and feature the top 15 appreciating and depre - ciating MSAs based on QOQ and YOY data. Additionally, the re- ports release national performance based on four regions: West, Midwest, South, and Northeast. Memphis holds the top spot for the largest increase in QOQ growth, according to the data.