Best Cities for Millennial Living

Millennials are growing up. And, yes, they do more than buy avocado toast. The oldest millennials are entering their late 30s in 2018. By now, they’ve earned plenty of career expertise, along with an idea of what makes a good home town. It’s true that buying a house is harder for millennials than it was for their parents, but that doesn’t mean the first generation to bridge analog and digital aren’t finding savvy ways to get their own homes.

If you’re a millennial looking for a place to call home, whether as a homeowner or a renter, Niche creates an annual list of the best cities in America for your generation. The criteria for 2018 includes having a lot of residents between the ages of 25-34, a good higher education rating, access to coffee shops, cost of living, and access to bars and restaurants. Without further ado: Here are 2018’s top five cities for millennials to live in.

1. Cambridge, MA

Average age of residents: 30.5

Cambridge gets an A+ from Niche for nightlife and family life, so it can accommodate a millennials from 20-something single to 30 and ready for kids. The majority of people rent in this university town of 108,000, where nearly half of residents have a master’s degree.

2. San Francisco, CA

Average age of residents: 38

San Fran has an A+ rating for nightlife and diversity, and the Bay Area is a hub for startups and tech companies; in other words, opportunity abounds. Younger residents will also appreciate the incredible amount of public transportation here.

3. Arlington, VA

Average age of residents: 34

Arlington scores highly on the list of best cities for millennials, in part, because of high scores in diversity, nightlife, and public education. This bustling city just west of the nation’s capital offers the fine dining opportunities of a huge city, with a population that hovers just under 250,000. It also offers more opportunities for home ownership than a lot of other major cities, with about half of all residents owning their property.

4. Seattle, WA

Average age of residents: 35

On top of receiving good marks for diversity and nightlife (not to mention coffee), Seattle is a hip city that is ever evolving. Millennials may find it appealing for its bevvy of healthy eating options and independent music scene that has been thriving for decades.

5. Washington, D.C.

Average age of residents: 34

The nation’s capital has diversity, nightlife, and rents that are surprisingly doable for a metropolis (the average one-bedroom is $1,300 per month). You’ll be close to the action of the federal government and a slew of non-profits, so career opportunities abound for young professionals.

Are you a millennial in search of a new place to call home? In addition to these top five options, you may want to click your ruby red slippers and move to Berkeley, Minneapolis, Boston, Alexandria or Denver, which round out the top ten cities for millennial living.