These Are The Top Cities Millennials Want To Live In Right Now

The Millennial generation is something of an enigma. Critics say they’re lazy, self-absorbed, and entitled; supporters praise their skilled use of technology, entrepreneurial mindset, and revitalising effects on cities.

Regardless of where you fall on the issue, one thing is clear: what Millennials do matters. Nestpick, a website that connects renters and landlords around the world, analysed the living preferences of this oft-discussed generation to find the top cities Millennials are flocking to in 2017.

Thousands of cities competed to be named in the top 100 Millennial dream destinations. Nestpick set out the following criteria for a city to rank highly: “it must have a thriving business eco structure, allow affordable access to the essentials that young people need to survive, have a sense of openness and tolerance that is increasingly prevalent in the 21st century, and lastly, offer a chance for Millennials to kick back and relax.”

Scores were assigned on a variety of factors across four categories.

Business Ecosystem

Employment Score: Before moving somewhere, savvy Millennials make sure working is an available option. Many relocate specifically for the purpose of increasing their employment opportunities or for professional advancement.

Startup Score: As digital natives, the startup scene offers a unique appeal to Millennials, and the generation makes up a large part of the startup workforce.

Tourist Score: A high level of tourism within a city not only offers entry level jobs to all age groups, but attracts younger crowds looking to explore popular cities.

The Essentials

Housing Score: Affordable rent is one of the hottest topics for Millennials today. With rent increasing and salaries not increasing to match, affordable housing is a huge draw for this demographic.

Transport Score: The number of Millennials who use cars is decreasing, yet they still need to be able to get around a city easily, making public transportation a vital metric for Nestpick.

Health Ranking: Millennials are highly health conscious, and access to decent healthcare and fitness options are important to the generation.

Food Ranking: Millennials are big foodies, but always on a budget. The food ranking was calculated based upon the affordability of the monthly cost of food, with data provided by Expatistan and reviewed individually for each city in the ranking.

Internet Speed Ranking: As digital natives, having widely available access to fast internet is essential for Millennials, both socially and for work.

Apple Store Score: While Apple is not the most widely used technology brand, it is one of the brands Millennials most associate with. The number of stores in a city shows not only how easy access to technical support is for citizens, but is also an indication of how technologically engaged a population is.

Openness

Access To Contraception: Being highly educated about sexual health, having access contraception when it is needed is a necessity for Millennials.

Gender Equality Ranking: Believing that one gender is superior to another is an outdated concept for Millennials. The Gender Equality ranking was based upon The Global Gender Gap Report 2016 by the World Economic Forum.

Immigration Tolerance: Millennials are far more tolerant than previous generations when it comes to immigration. When moving to different cities, and potentially abroad, Millennials will also be better accepted in a city with high immigration tolerance.

LGBT Friendliness Score: The majority of Millennials have a hard time comprehending a lack of tolerance for another person’s sexuality. The LGBT friendliness score was based upon independent research and data from ILGA Annual Rainbow Report.

Recreation

Night Scene Ranking: Because of their age, Millennials are the driving force behind the nightlife scene. The Night Scene Ranking considers the number of clubs and the opening times in each city.

Beer Score: While many generations like to relax with a beer, Millennials are particularly price-sensitive. The Beer Score was ranked based upon the affordability of 500ml domestic beer in a bar in each city.

Festival Score: Festivals are Millennials favourite place to escape the hustle. The Festival Score was ranked based upon the number of annual music festivals per capita in and around the city ranked.

Nestpick’s results reveal the definitive list of the best cities for Millennials right now. View the top 10 above and the full list, plus a detailed description of Nestpick’s methodology, here.