This Is the Best Place to Live If You’re a DIY Lover, According to One Study

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our homes have played an even more important part in our lives. We’ve spent more time in them than ever, so it’s no surprise that DIY projects and home improvements have been on the rise, whether it’s a simple peel and stick kitchen backsplash, a patio makeover, or a full-scale renovation, do-it-yourself style.

In a new study to determine the best locations for DIYers, researchers at Porch.com took a look at the number of hardware, furniture, and appliance stores in major metros across the U.S. and ranked them accordingly.

First place went to the Miami Metropolitan Area, which includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Pompano Beach. The ninth largest metro area in the United States, there are 3,196 hardware, furniture, and appliance stores, equalling 5.21 per 10,000 residents.

Taking the silver medal is the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area. The average cost of living is 7.4 percent lower than other metro areas in the U.S., with a median price of $234,645. In total, there are 557 hardware, furniture, and appliance stores in the area.

In third place is the New Orleans-Metairie area in Louisiana. There is an average of 4.92 hardware, furniture, and appliance stores per 10,000 residents.

Fourth place goes to the New York Metropolitan Area, which is also the largest metropolitan area not only in the U.S., but in the world. There are 9,357 hardware, furniture, and appliance stores overall, which equals 4.86 per 10,000 residents. While the median house price is significantly higher than some other areas of the country—$600,354—you might just spend less on DIY as homes in this area, and particularly in New York City, are notoriously small.

Rounding out the top five in the rankings is the Providence Metropolitan Area. An ideal base for keen DIYers, the area has 774 hardware, furniture, and appliance stores, which is an average of 4.77 stores per 10,000 residents.