ABA Journal Lists “Best Places for Lawyers to Live”

If you want to practice in a location where you might have the legal market all to yourself, consider moving to North Dakota or Wyoming, which have the lowest lawyer per capita rates in the country.

But if you want to go where the demand for legal services is highest, consider New York City, Tallahassee, or Washington DC.

Those are two takeaways from the “Best Places to Live” survey by the ABA Journal.

“While there’s no right or wrong place to live, we can help you narrow it down depending on your desires and values,” writes Danielle Braff. “The ABA Journal brings you the ‘Best Places to Live’ for lawyers. Looking at statistics from various providers, we looked at several factors, including standard of living, housing prices and concentration of legal jobs to determine the best cities and states in each category.”

Lawyers in North Carolina know the best choice for professional liability insurance is Lawyers Mutual. We’re the only insurance provider that’s been protecting lawyers and firms continuously since the 1970s.

Largest Number of Attorneys Per State

1. New York: 182,296
2. California: 170,117
3. Texas: 91,244
4. Florida: 78,448
5. Illinois: 62,720
6. Washington, D.C.: 56,135
7. Pennsylvania: 50,039
8. Massachusetts: 42,788
9. New Jersey: 41,152
10. Maryland: 40,800

(Source: ABA National Lawyer Population Survey)

Fewest Number of Attorneys by State

1. North Dakota, 1,687
2. Wyoming, 1,773
3. South Dakota, 1,995
4. Alaska, 2,324
5. Delaware, 3,058
6. Montana, 3,184
7. New Hampshire, 3,523
8. Vermont, 3,612
9. Idaho, 3,911
10. Maine, 3,995

(Source: ABA National Lawyer Population Survey)

Cities and Metro Areas with the Highest Demand for Legal Services

(1.00 means the demand for legal services is equal to the national average; 3.00 means demand is triple the national average)

1. Washington, D.C.: 3.15
2. Tallahassee, Florida: 2.85
3. New York City: 1.92
4. Trenton, New Jersey: 1.90
5. Charleston, West Virginia: 1.85
6. Miami: 1.75
7. Albany, New York: 1,68
8. Santa Fe, New Mexico: 1.64
9. Missoula, Montana: 1.56
10. San Francisco: 1.53

(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Largest Access-to-Justice Gap
(score reflects attorney access, number of pro se litigants and language and disability access)

1. Mississippi: 14.70 (out of 100)
2. Wyoming: 19.90
3. Puerto Rico: 22.94
4. Nevada: 23.91
5. South Dakota: 24.33
6. Indiana: 26.90
7. North Dakota: 27.01
8. Alabama: 27.82
9. Oklahoma: 28.21
10. Vermont: 29.05

(Source: National Center for Access to Justice at Fordham University School of Law)

Highest Value of $1 per State

1. Mississippi: $1.16
2. Alabama: $1.15
3. Arkansas: $1.15
4. West Virginia: $1.14
5. Kentucky: $1.14
6. South Dakota: $1.13
7. Oklahoma: $1.12
8. Ohio: $1.12
9. Missouri: $1.12
10. Iowa and Tennessee: $1.11

(Source: 27 / 7 Wall St and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis)

Highest Value of $100 per Area

• 1. Beckley, West Virginia: $126.90
• 2. Morristown, Tennessee: $125.80
• 3. Danville, Illinois: $124.40
• 4. Valdosta, Georgia: $123.60
• 5. Rome, Georgia: $123.30
• 6. Jonesboro, Arkansas: $122.20
• 7. Hattiesburg, Mississippi: $121.80
• 8. Jackson, Tennessee: $121.80
• 9. Jefferson City, Missouri: $121.70
• 10. Sebring, Florida: $121.10

(Source: Tax Foundation and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis)

Lowest Median Home Price by State

1. West Virginia: $119,800
2. Mississippi: $120,200
3. Arkansas: $128,500
4. Oklahoma: $137,400
5. Kentucky: $141,000
6. Indiana: $141,100
7. Alabama: $141,300
8. Ohio: $144,200
9. Iowa: $149,100
10. Kansas: $150,600

(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

Lawyers Mutual is the only legal professional liability insurance company that has been protecting North Carolina lawyers continuously since 1977. Our motto, “Here Today, Here Tomorrow,” is more than a tagline. It’s our commitment to the lawyers in this state.