Drastic Change in Livable City Ranking due to the Covid-19.

Drastic Change in Livable City Ranking due to the Covid-19. Honatsugi ranking on top for apartment rentals, holding down Tokyo area.

February 9th 2021, LIFULL HOME’S has announced in their “2021 LIFULL HOME’S livable city ranking” that Honatsugi (Kanagawa Prefecture) has ranked No.1 in livable cosmopolitan area. This ranking has drastically changed due to the Corona virus pandemic. Honatsugi was ranked No.4 and Ikebukuro ranked No.1 in last year’s ranking.

The Ranking is based in 2020 LIFUL HOME’S apartment rental listing inquiries. The custom of working from home and taking classes online has become the lifestyle due to the Corona virus pandemic. Thus, those who rent the trend is moving out to the suburbs, meanwhile those who purchase polarized into central city and suburbs.

According to the ranking, besides Honastgi(Kanagawa) semi-suburbs and suburbs such as; Hachioji(Tokyo), Machida(Tokyo), Chiba(Chiba), and Kashiwa(Chiba) have ranked up due to its easy access into the city.

Kisarazu (Chiba) ranked No.41 from its last ranking of No.141, Shounandai(Kanagawa) ranked No.53(No.117 last ranking), Chigasaki No.62 (No.134 last ranking). Suburb cities have ranked within the top 100, showing suburbs attracting high interest.

Meanwhile, purchasing has shown an opposite trend from renting. Buyers are foreseeing convenience and asset value recuring back to central Tokyo for post Corona virus pandemic.

Purchase ranking No.1 was Oedo line Kachidoki(Tokyo) two years in a role. There is a megaproject proceeding in the area for the post-Olympic Village after the Tokyo Olympics and has been a hot area.

Purchasing ranking No.2 was Shirokanetakanawa (Tokyo), rapidly ranking up No.19. Ushigomeyanagichou (Tokyo) rapidly ranked up to No.19 from No.210. Both are highly trendy area rapidly ranking up.

Meanwhile, there is a high interest in semi-suburbs and satellite cities due to work from home. Hachioji (Tokyo), Kashiwa(Chiba), Hashimoto(Kanagawa), Hiratsuka(Kanagawa) have ranked up in purchasing ranking, showing polarization of central Tokyo and suburbs among buyers.