A recent research conducted by Dr. Murat Şeker of Istanbul University revealed the ranking of Istanbul’s provinces based on quality of life. The index gives a pretty good idea regarding the best areas to live and invest in Istanbul. Beşiktaş, Kadıköy, Bakırköy, Şişli and Fatih took the top 5 spots in terms of quality of life. As part of the research, periodical analyses were conducted with respect to socio-economic conditions, demographic structure, education, health, transportation and environment. There were stark differences compared to a similar research that was conducted five years ago, in 2010. For example, Kadıköy lost its number one spot to Beşiktaş, while Beyoğlu was kicked out of its position in the top 5 by new entry, Bakırköy.
According to the research, people mostly want to live in the following neighborhoods: Bebek, Etiler and Arnavutköy (Beşiktaş), Caddebostan, Fenerbahçe, Suadiye (Kadıköy), Kuzguncuk and Çengelköy (Üsküdar), the Prince Islands and İstinye, Yeniköy, Tarabya (Sarıyer). This makes perfect sense, especially when we consider that all of these neighborhoods have become centers of attraction for property investment in Istanbul.
Beşiktaş topped the index in terms demographic structure and education, Çatalca, in terms of health, Beyoğlu, in terms of social life, Şişli, in terms of economic conditions, Kadıköy, in terms of transportation and Sarıyer, in terms of environmental conditions.
The research also revealed that people mostly complained about traffic and lack of public parking. The amount of green spaces like parks and pollution were also found to be major concerns for the people, who participated in the survey. We are also attaching below the full index for your reference, however as with all such indexes, with a disclaimer: Despite the overall scores, each province has its positive and negative aspects. Therefore, it is best that you visit, analyze and consider each of these 39 provinces through your own eyes. Especially if you are looking to buy real estate to invest in Istanbul, there are other elements one should consider. Current state of these provinces and the future projections for each one may have drastic differences. It is also always advisable to consult with your real estate broker.
Index Ranking Province Index Score
1 BEŞİKTAŞ 0,911
2 KADIKÖY 0,886
3 BAKIRKÖY 0,613
4 ŞİŞLİ 0,574
5 FATİH 0,490
6 BEYOĞLU 0,367
7 ÜSKÜDAR 0,347
8 SARIYER 0,347
9 EYÜP 0,183
10 MALTEPE 0,161
11 KARTAL 0,128
12 KÜÇÜKÇEKMECE 0,114
13 BAYRAMPAŞA 0,093
14 BÜYÜKÇEKMECE 0,081
15 BAHÇELİEVLER 0,053
16 ATAŞEHİR 0,046
17 PENDİK 0,032
18 ZEYTİNBURNU 0,027
19 BEYLİKDÜZÜ 0,025
20 BEYKOZ 0,025
21 TUZLA -0,018
22 KAĞITHANE -0,020
23 ÜMRANİYE -0,028
24 GÜNGÖREN -0,119
25 ADALAR -0,142
26 BAŞAKŞEHİR -0,152
27 AVCILAR -0,161
28 BAĞCILAR -0,190
29 ESENYURT -0,194
30 ÇATALCA -0,228
31 ÇEKMEKÖY -0,264
32 SİLİVRİ -0,304
33 GAZİOSMANPAŞA -0,333
34 SANCAKTEPE -0,391
35 ESENLER -0,421
36 SULTANGAZİ -0,518
37 ŞİLE -0,587
38 SULTANBEYLİ -0,601
39 ARNAVUTKÖY -0,620
Source: http://www.ito.org.tr/itoyayin/0023050.pdf