A Room With a View (and Some Fresh Air)

Choosing the right home isn’t all about the bedrooms, baths and square footage. What’s outside matters, too, and a good view can make a big difference. If you can open a window and breathe in some fresh air, all the better!

With this in mind, the California-based lawn-care provider Lawnlove.com recently ranked the 200 largest U.S. cities according to residential views and air quality. Cities were scored on several metrics including their median air-quality index, their share of waterfront homes, and their share of homes with ocean, lake, river, mountain, city or park views. Individual scores were weighted and averaged for a final rank.

Honolulu topped the list, finishing eighth for its water views, fourth for air quality, and first for its share of available homes with city views. The Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Ariz., finished last, followed by five other Arizona cities in the bottom 10, all of which tied for last in air quality.

Given climate change and the potential for extreme weather, a home close to the water may not be appealing. But if you do want to be right on the beach, Florida offers the best chance, with the highest share of waterfront homes found in the towns of Cape Coral, Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines.

Ranking highest for air quality were two West Texas towns — Lubbock and Midland — followed by Anchorage. If it’s mountain views you’re after, Reno, Nev., and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., are your best bets, followed again by Honolulu.

Finally, Irvine, Calif., adjacent to the Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve, scored highest for park views, followed by Huntington Beach, Calif., and Tallahassee, Fla.

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.