Best Cities for Gen Ys

By Aili McConnon, Business Week

Jun 10th, 2009

Where you live is among the most important decisions you’ll ever make argues Richard Florida, author of Who’s Your City? Young singles between the ages of 20 and 29 are looking for a few key ingredients: cities with diverse job opportunities, an abundance of potential life partners, and many universities.

The following rankings were developed by Richard Florida and Kevin Stolarick at the Martin Prosperity Institute and are based on more than thirty weighted variables in five categories: the share of a population at the young and single life stage, economic strength; education levels and safety; economic growth; and local amenities. All 363 metropolitan areas in the U.S. were ranked.

All population figures are from the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. Small regions have a population of 250,000- 499,000; medium regions: 500,000-999,000; large regions: 1 million plus.

1. Boulder, Colo.
Population: 90,507
Key Attributes: Natural scenery, outdoor recreation, best city for singles in a small region.

2. San Francisco, Calif.
Population: 757,604
Key Attributes: Outdoor recreation, big city, and among the cities with the highest percentages of young people with a bachelor’s degree or more, according to research by consultants Joe Cortright and Carol Coletta.

3. Washington, D.C.
Population: 585,267
Key Attributes: Nearly every other person in Washington, D.C. has a college degree and it is the best city in a large region for recent college graduates to buy real estate.

4. Madison, Wisc.
Population: 219,843
Key Attributes: College town with ample outdoor recreation. It is the best city in a mid-size region for singles and gays and lesbians in their early life-stages.

5. Boston, Mass.
Population: 600,980
Key Attributes: Big city with many universities. It is among the cities with the largest percentages of young people with a bachelor’s degree or more (43%), according to a study by consultants Joe Cortright and Carol Coletta.

6. Los Angeles, Calif.
Population: 3,770,590
Key Attributes: Big city where single men outnumber single women by 40,000 (in the greater Los Angeles area). L.A. attracts entertainment moguls, actors, directors, and film companies.

7. New York, N.Y.
Population: 8,246,310
Key Attributes: Big city with many universities. Despite the downturn, New York is still a magnet for investment bankers, fashion designers, writers, and many others in the creative sector.

8. Santa Barbara, Calif.
Population: 88,978
Key Attributes: Among the best cities in a small region for singles. Santa Barbara has a high amount of diversity as measured by percent of the population born elsewhere.

9. Worcester, Mass.
Population: 165,965
Key Attributes: Among the best mid-size cities for singles. High concentration of gays and lesbians, high percentage of workers with bachelor degrees.

10(Tie). Bridgeport, Conn.
Population: 130,748
Key Attributes: High amount of nightlife establishments and high amount of diversity as measured by percent of the population born elsewhere.

10(Tie). Trenton, N.J.
Population: 80,144
Key Attributes: Among the best small cities for singles, gays, and lesbians. Trenton has a high number of physicians per capita and high percentage of workers with a bachelor degree or above.