Many people dream of trading their small, suburban towns for the bright lights of New York or Los Angeles. And sure, those cities are great places to live (heck, they're on our list!), but there’s also a new set of go-to destinations for young people—some of which are quite surprising (see: Madison, WI).
Of course, picking a city to live in is a personal choice. To find the 20 best cities for 20-somethings, we looked for places that have affordable rent, plenty of jobs, spots to break a sweat, happy and healthy residents, and endless opportunities to meet that special someone. For the full list of metrics used to put together this ranking, scroll to the bottom of the list.
Editor’s note: This list is presented in no particular order.
Methodology: Every year Greatist gathers statistics from a number of sources to assemble our list of the 20 best cities for 20-somethings. (Check out last year’s list here.) Criteria considered for this year’s ranking included: fitness (based on the ACSM American Fitness Index plus bike friendliness, walkability, and access to the outdoors), cost of housing, public transportation, bars, dating scene, stress levels, and job prospects.
Do you think we missed a city? Feel free to send us an email, and we’ll consider it for next year’s list.
