From Homescape

I’m a bit of a political junkie, so over the last couple of weeks I’ve been glued to the TV watching presidential candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and the rest of the campaigning bunch hop from Iowa to New Hampshire, working their oratorical magic on the voting masses. But as I sat curled up on my couch Saturday evening, watching the New Hampshire debates, I started thinking about how crazy it must be for the people living in these towns, caught in the eye of the media storm.

Every four years, locals in these caucusing towns open their doors to an army of reporters, news crews, political aids and celebrity arm candy that arrive for the big show. Unless you’re living in celeb hotspots like Los Angeles or New York City, it must be strange to have someone like Bill Clinton or Chuck Norris roaming your town halls and grocery stores. So what’s life like in Des Moines, Iowa; Concord, N.H.; and Columbia, S.C.? Here are Homescape real estate and community snapshots of three caucusing towns that have dominated the news recently:

DES MOINES, IOWA
Real estate market information

Median home sale price	$65,000
Annual turnover rate	11.21%
In current residence 5+ years	45.79%
Median years in residence	4.47
Homes owned	78.63%
Homes rented	11.97%
Homes vacant	9.40%

Community information (based on zip code 52650 at the center of this area)

Population	276
Median age	40.7
Median household income	$53,999
Households with children	33.96%
Median travel time to work	21.8 minutes

 
CONCORD, N.H.
Real estate market information

Median home sale price	$215,167
Annual turnover rate	17.06%
In current residence 5+ years	32.53%
Median years in residence	2.92
Homes owned	49.75%
Homes rented	44.09%
Homes vacant	6.16%

Community information (based on zip code 03301 at the center of this area)

Population	29,958
Median age	38.37
Median household income	$48,967
Households with children	31.33%
Median travel time to work	14.1 minutes

COLUMBIA, S.C.
Real estate market information

Median home sale price	$116,000
Annual turnover rate	16.57%
In current residence 5+ years	35.53%
Median years in residence	3.1
Homes owned	52.05%
Homes rented	34.89%
Homes vacant	13.06%

Community information (based on zip code 29223 at the center of this area)

Population	43,345
Median age	32.97
Median household income	$53,083
Households with children	33.74%
Median travel time to work	17.7 minutes

Are caucuses worth the hype? Would you feel excited or annoyed by the campaigning hoopla in your hometown?