In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to pay a fortune to rent a closet-sized space with five other roommates. But, often, that's the sacrifice we have to make in order to live in our dream city. Since we're still (somehow) holding on to the hope that we won't be perpetually #broke forever, we were stoked to see Vocativ's Livability Index, which details the 35 best U.S. cities for people under 35.
The list takes a few things into account. First, Vocativ started with the 100 most populated cities in America. Then, they used open-sourced Internet data to measure life essentials like rent, utilities, transportation, employment rates and salaries, weather, and crime. And, of course, lifestyle concerns like restaurant prices and access to entertainment like music and sports were also measured.
We were happy to see that New York took the top spot (yes, we're a little biased), if not a little bit surprised—we love NYC, but wouldn't necessarily describe the typical millennial experience here as super livable in terms of rent and other expenses. It is, however, one of the best places for opportunities for young, creative people. We were also really interested to see the number of non-major cities included in the top 25. Living in Arlington, TX (#2) can get you a two-bedroom apartment for less than $900 a month—and escape winter weather. Texas, you aren’t looking too bad right now.
Check out the top 25 cities in the list below and if you're in need of a major change of scenery, get inspired for your next move.
1. New York, NY
2. Arlington, TX
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Denver, CO
5. Austin, TX
6. Minneapolis, MN
7. Seattle, WA
8. Saint Paul, MN
9. Madison, WI
10. Portland, OR
11. Boise, ID
12. Fort Worth, TX
13. Los Angeles, CA
14. Dallas, TX
15. Lubbock, TX
16. Houston, TX
17.Washington, DC
18. Boston, MA
19. Oklahoma City, OK
20. Lincoln, NE
21. Irving, TX
22. Winston-Salem, NC
23. Plano, TX
24. Chicago, IL
25. Henderson, NV
(via Vocativ)
