According to the Anholt State Brands Index (ASBI), North Carolina tops the list of states where Americans want to live. Simon Anholt, who developed the ASBI, notes that a State's brand value can be measured using six key verticals including place, potential, presence, pulse, people and prerequisites.

The ASBI provides a quantitative assessment of each State as perceived by Americans, and also across the top 15 countries that have the highest levels of inbound tourism. The survey was conducted among 21,410 respondents that included 9000 Americans who proportionally represented the population. Besides this, 12,000 people in 15 countries were surveyed to record their attitudes and perceptions of the 50 states in the U.S. The 15 countries were chosen to ideally represent America's top inbound tourist markets.

According to the ASBI, the top 5 states where Americans want to live are: 1) North Carolina, 2) Virginia, 3) Florida, 4) Colorado and, 5) Oregon. These five states scored consistently well with regard to quality of life, physical appeal, climate, infrastructure, educational opportunities, job opportunities etc.

While U.S. citizens ranked North Carolina and Virginia as first and second among the most desired states to live, foreign respondents rated California and Florida as the top places they would love to live in.

The ASBI could potentially be a very useful tool. For example, government officials in states wishing to improve their ranking could utilize the data to created targeted improvements and marketing campaigns. The ASBI could also be used by homebuyers to help them understand the strengths and shortcomings of particular residential markets. There are potentially many other uses of this tool by real estate investors to size up different residential, condominium and home sale markets.

If you are considering buying a home, condo, or any other type of real estate, be sure to do your research about the cities under consideration. You should also consider using the services of a real estate agent, who can provide you detailed market data and neighborhood information for communities that interest you.