Yokohama, Kichijoji and Omiya retained their top positions in Haseko Arvest’s ranking of the most-desirable places to live in the Greater Tokyo area. Many stations undergoing redevelopment ranked among the next places likely to be chosen.
Haseko Arvest published rankings of the most-desirable places to live (stations) and places to watch in the future (stations), based on a survey of monitors living in the Greater Tokyo area. The survey was distributed on 11 July 2026 and closed on 26 July, with 2,766 valid responses. Beginning this time, it also presented a new indicator, “next places to be chosen (stations).”
In the Greater Tokyo ranking of the most-desirable places to live, Yokohama, Kichijoji and Omiya remained consistently near the top. Oimachi ranked 14th for the first time, with transport convenience and the abundance of commercial facilities cited as reasons for its support.
There is a growing tendency to prioritize the cost of everyday living, with access to central Tokyo, commuting convenience, supermarkets and drugstores cited as leading criteria. Heightened awareness of disaster preparedness and disaster countermeasures is also said to affect overall assessments of livability.
Many places undergoing redevelopment or transport infrastructure improvements, including Kita-Ayase, Ayase, Hachioji, Hashimoto, Yumegaoka, Ageo and Urawa-Misono, ranked among the next places to be chosen (stations). The survey indicated that more people are making choices with future potential in mind.
The availability of direct rail services to central Tokyo, the advantages of terminal stations and convenience for everyday shopping were emphasized as factors in future decisions about where to live. The top-ranked places saw no major changes from last year, and were valued for combining stable livability with development potential.