Santa’s Searching for a North Pole 2! Here’s Where Redfin Thinks it Should Be

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Updated on September 16th, 2021

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Turns out there’s another big name looking for a second headquarters. Santa Claus has the internet abuzz as he, Mrs. Claus and his elves announced they are officially on the hunt for a second North Pole! City leaders, toymakers and children on the “nice list” are paying close attention to St. Nick’s next move. After all, the addition of a NP2 would boost the economy, increase jolliness and spike holiday spirit for the lucky city chosen.

Leaders of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle and Tucson were among the first to express interest, each already having submitted enticing proposals. Tucson even sent a 21-foot cactus to the North Poleimagine that!

So, which U.S. city is equipped to take on the massive new workshop? To narrow down a list, Redfin looked at the factors Santa said are most important in a second North Pole. They are:

  • Home Affordability: Santa wants peace of mind knowing that his workers will be able to buy a home in their new city, and that the influx of demand won’t drive housing costs up too much.
  • Bakeries per Capita: Santa loves cookies and he’s not going to pick a city without an abundance of tasty baked goods – think cookies, brownies and cakes.
  • Toy-Making Talent: Santa is going to need a skilled workforce, and the city will require a community of woodworkers and assemblers to help with his recruiting needs.
  • Snowfall: Nothing would make Santa feel more at home than fresh snowfall before, during and after Christmas.
  • Transit ScoreⓇ: Not everybody has a sleigh powered by flying reindeer, so NP2 workers would appreciate easy access to public transportation to help them get around town.
  • Amazon Fulfillment Centers Nearby: Santa depends on nearby warehouses for faster and more efficient present deliveries, as well to alleviate some of his elves’ workload.


Redfin then tapped into its trove of data to come up with a top 10 list of cities for NP2. Not surprisingly, Cleveland, home of everyone’s favorite holiday movie “A Christmas Story” is Redfin’s top choice.

“Santa would feel right at home in Cleveland because we’re so full of holiday cheer and the people here really embrace winter; Clevelanders even surf Lake Erie in winter before it freezes,” said Redfin Cleveland agent Joe Rath. “We have Christmas concerts at Severance Hall featuring the Cleveland Orchestra, Playhouse Square performs all the holiday favorites and Winterfest in Public Square is always vibrant.”

Below is our complete ranking of cities to be considered for Santa’s second North Pole. What are the chances of Santa coming to your neighborhood?

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#1 Cleveland, OH

Median Home Sale Price: $140,000
Bakeries per Capita: 3.34 bakeries
Toy-Making Talent: 89,180 workers
Snowfall: 61 inches per year
Transit Score: 47
Amazon Fulfillment Centers in State: 3
Possible Home for Santa: https://www.redfin.com/blog/OH/Akron/4320-Regal-Dr-44321/home/66333043

#2 Detroit, MI

Median Home Sale Price: $125,000
Bakeries per Capita: 5.62 bakeries
Toy-Making Talent: 67,790 workers
Snowfall: 44 inches per year
Transit Score: 38
Amazon Fulfillment Centers in State: 1
Possible Home for Santa: https://www.redfin.com/blog/MI/Bloomfield-Hills/293-Wilshire-Dr-48302/home/99198231

#3 Buffalo, NY

Median Home Sale Price: $146,500
Bakeries per Capita: 4.00 bakeries
Toy-Making Talent: 35,540 workers
Snowfall: 93 inches per year
Transit Score: 50
Amazon Fulfillment Centers in State: 0
Possible Home for Santa: https://www.redfin.com/NY/Buffalo/169-Norwood-Ave-14222/home/73096094

#4 Pittsburgh, PA

Median Home Sale Price: $155,000
Bakeries per Capita: 2.88 bakeries
Toy-Making Talent: 61,300 workers
Snowfall: 27 inches per year
Transit Score: 54
Amazon Fulfillment Centers in State: 13
Possible Home for Santa: https://www.redfin.com/blog/PA/Cranberry-Township/9258-Marshall-Rd-16066/home/74806207

#5 Cincinnati, OH

Median Home Sale Price: $159,000
Bakeries per Capita: 4.54 bakeries
Toy-Making Talent: 79,890 workers
Snowfall: 14 inches per year
Transit Score: 43
Amazon Fulfillment Centers in State: 3
Possible Home for Santa: https://www.redfin.com/blog/OH/Cincinnati/1003-Hill-St-45202/home/78830422

#6 Chicago, IL

Median Home Sale Price: $220,000
Bakeries per Capita: 1.98 bakeries
Toy-Making Talent: 239,730
Snowfall: 36 inches per year
Transit Score: 65
Amazon Fulfillment Centers in State: 6
Possible Home for Santa: https://www.redfin.com/blog/IL/Chicago/1038-W-Monroe-St-60607/unit-12/home/12763262

#7 St. Louis, MO

Median Home Sale Price: $168,000
Bakeries per Capita: 4.27 bakeries
Toy-Making Talent: 79,100
Snowfall: 15 inches per year
Transit Score: 45
Amazon Fulfillment Centers in State: 0
Possible Home for Santa: https://www.redfin.com/blog/MO/Ballwin/1213-Du-Motier-Dr-63011/home/93503500

#8 Newark, NJ

Median Home Sale Price: $205,000
Bakeries per Capita: 5.30 bakeries
Toy-Making Talent: 54,380 employees
Snowfall: 10 inches per year
Transit Score: 65
Amazon Fulfillment Centers in State: 8
Possible Home for Santa: https://www.redfin.com/blog/NJ/South-Orange/573-Varsity-Rd-07079/home/144267216

#9 Minneapolis, MN

Median Home Sale Price: $244,000
Bakeries per Capita: 2.28 bakeries
Toy-Making Talent: 135,150 employees
Snowfall: 45 inches per year
Transit Score: 58
Amazon Fulfillment Centers in State: 2
Possible Home for Santa: https://www.redfin.com/blog/MN/Eagan/3579-Woodland-Ct-55123/home/50718039

#10 Atlanta, GA

Median Home Sale Price: $215,000
Bakeries per Capita: 10.58 bakeries
Toy-Making Talent: 140,310
Snowfall: 3 inches per year
Transit Score: 44
Amazon Fulfillment Centers in State: 4
Possible Home for Santa: https://www.redfin.com/blog/GA/Atlanta/657-Wilson-Rd-NW-30318/home/24608602

The top 50 cities for North Pole 2 are:

  1. Cleveland, OH
  2. Detroit, MI
  3. Buffalo, NY
  4. Pittsburgh, PA
  5. Cincinnati, OH
  6. Chicago, IL
  7. St. Louis, MO
  8. Newark, NJ
  9. Minneapolis, MN
  10. Atlanta, GA
  11. Boston, MA
  12. Rochester, NY
  13. Milwaukee, WI
  14. Miami, FL
  15. Seattle, WA
  16. New York, NY
  17. Denver , CO
  18. Phoenix, AZ
  19. Columbus, OH
  20. Los Angeles, CA
  21. Kansas City, MO
  22. Washington, DC
  23. Anaheim, CA
  24. Portland, OR
  25. Oakland, CA
  26. Dallas, TX
  27. Toledo, OH
  28. Tampa, FL
  29. Houston, TX
  30. Orlando, FL
  31. Baltimore, MD
  32. San Francisco, CA
  33. San Antonio, TX
  34. Madison, WI
  35. Omaha, NE
  36. Birmingham, AL
  37. Fort Wayne, IN
  38. San Jose, CA
  39. San Diego, CA
  40. Riverside, CA
  41. Fort Worth, TX
  42. Sacramento, CA
  43. Richmond, VA
  44. Philadelphia, PA
  45. Las Vegas, NV
  46. Baton Rouge, LA
  47. Charlotte, NC
  48. New Orleans, LA
  49. Tulsa, OK
  50. Memphis, TN

Methodology:
Data for home affordability was taken from Redfin’s October market tracker. Bakeries per capita was taken from Yelp’s API, and Toy Making Talent was taken from BLS construction and extraction occupations database. Snowfall was from bestplaces.net and measured in inches per year. Transit Score figures from WalkScore.com and Amazon Warehouses in each state were found here. The final ranking was determined by ranking 67 cities according to each metric, and then taking the average of all those rankings to rank order the top 10 places for NP2. Our real estate agents then weighed in on the list. Data pulled on 11/16/2017.

 

If you are represented by an agent, this is not a solicitation of your business. This article is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional advice from a medical provider, licensed attorney, financial advisor, or tax professional. Consumers should independently verify any agency or service mentioned will meet their needs. Learn more about our Editorial Guidelines here.
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Jon Whitely

Jon writes about real estate and works with journalists and agents across the country. He previously worked at an advertising and PR agency in Madison, helping the world understand why every pizza needs Wisconsin Cheese. His dream home would have a water slide in the master bedroom to make getting out of bed a splash. Redfin is a full-service real estate brokerage that uses modern technology to make clients smarter and faster. For more information about working with a Redfin real estate agent to buy or sell a home, visit our Why Redfin page.

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